June 28, 2021
A Nation of Spectators
Many Romanians travelled hundreds of kilometres to watch the matches of the Euro. Matches in which Romania did not play, however — a “country” which, in footballing terms, is no longer even able to supply the organisers with ball boys from among our footballers, who are stars only in the gossip magazines.
What we do have are stadiums for them to play in — those whom we accept as our superiors — stadiums built, however, with labour from the Far East.
But the Romanian does not feel humiliated. He does not feel, full stop. Just as he does not feel when he is a spectator in his own country to every boorishness and every humiliation imaginable, which he bears impassively day after day.
For we have grown used to being passive spectators not only of history, but of our own lives. Not only do we feel no revolt (from the stands, of course) when a nobody — but a CIA underling — comes and tells us how to organise our justice, how and by whom our riches are to be exploited, how to educate our children, how and with whom we are to f… while we work like slaves until we die.
We have grown used to being spectators. Spectators to the experiments some perform upon our bodies, upon the body of our nation.
Spectators at our own execution.
We are spectators. But not hooligans, not chanters, not disciplined ones. Merely indifferent. The kind who spit sunflower seeds and look at the players with contempt, saying that we should have done better… while the players (the real ones), by their combinations and their passes, are drawing out our destinies and our lives. So what? Nobody spits sunflower seeds better than we do! (Do not smile so loftily, you who drink Frappuccino or expensive Champagne… these are merely the form of aggregation you have given to your sunflower seeds after making a couple of lei more. Or two million euros… slaves you remain all the same!)
No, there is nothing spiritual, metaphysical or mystical in this passivity.
It is mere un-feeling.
The un-feeling of a people that has forgotten how to be a people.
The failure of a nation… is the last spectacle at which we shall be spectators!
That is, unless we decide to step onto the pitch… even “illegally”, even against the rules of the game as they have laid them down!
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