Zoran Dimic, professor of philosophy. photo: promo...
In Serbia, the largest civil protests since the Fifth of October have been going on for several weeks. Finally freed from the fear of the current government and obviously not ready to suffer any longer the terrifying political and economic consequences of one of the most harmful regimes in the history of Serbia, citizens gather every week in increasing numbers. The protests have received their political articulation, the demands of the demonstrators have been clearly formulated, and in the coming weeks and months it will be seen what the outcome of the enormous political energy for change will be. For now, the current regime is reacting very nervously, making mostly desperate political decisions, which, instead of calming tensions, bring an increasing number of citizens to the streets every week. Taking into account the overall political events in our country and the multitude of crisis events in the last few months, but also taking into account that the current demonstrations are just a continuation of the swelling of the huge civil discontent expressed in the continuous demonstrations in the previous few years, it is clear that the current political regime is in a downward trajectory.
"REVOCATION" OF IMPORTANT STATE INSTITUTIONS BY CITIZENS
In recent weeks, the demonstrations received the immediate support of certain professions, primarily actors, but also the academic community, whose proclamation was read at a civic gathering on June 9. An increasing number of professors, scientific researchers and assistants from universities and scientific institutes in Serbia are signing their support for the current demonstrations.
Although there is no doubt that this kind of support for the protesters in the streets is very important at this moment, it is difficult to escape the impression that, when it comes to the academic community, it is arriving too late. All that is emphasized in the aforementioned proclamation of the academic community (the absence of media freedom, the pollution of public space by hatred and violence, the absence of political responsibility, the subject's attitude towards the government, etc.), as we all know very well, did not start in the last few months, but has been going on for more than ten years.
In addition, let us recall some other important facts - the current political regime managed to completely "take away" all important state institutions from the citizens. The judiciary and the prosecution are under the complete control of the current government. One of the most extreme forms of "brutal capitalism" has been introduced, which systematically impoverishes the middle and lower layers of society, while enabling a small number of individuals to become enormously rich. The state health system is almost completely destroyed, and we have been living in a reality for a long time where only those who have money will be treated. The educational system is subordinated to the particular interests of foreign investors, at the same time the biggest benefit from our higher education is mainly the labor markets in developed Western countries, while university education is becoming more and more unaffordable for the poorer classes of citizens.
LONG SILENCE
Concrete political decisions made by the current regime in the last eleven years directly led to this terrible political and economic situation. Hence, we cannot but ask ourselves - why is the academic community advertising only now?
Excluding individuals who can be counted on the fingers, the academic community has been "wisely silent" in its "white-haired tower" for all these long eleven years, enjoying its privileges, class comfort, carried away by its "academic" problems, without much empathy and solidarity. And let's remember that - when after the French Revolution, at the time when the modern world was founded in a political sense, modern universities were founded, it was believed that education should be the basis of a new world civil order, based on respect for human rights, equal opportunities for everyone, and putting knowledge and science at the service of the progress of society.
Therefore, the role of those who work at higher education institutions and scientific institutions should not be to just adapt to the majority of citizens in current political events, and to realign themselves in time when political changes occur, but the exact opposite - to be bold and, before that's what everyone else does, they publicly oppose bad political decisions and loudly point out to others the perniciousness of destroying state institutions, stratifying society or openly introducing civil society into the most inhumane form of capitalism.
If there had been less "wise academic silence" in all previous years, perhaps our political reality would not have been so irrational, and perhaps it would not have been necessary for society to go through a major political crisis again after two decades, in which tens of thousands of citizens from week to week they are demonstrating in the streets on Sunday just to prove that government is not an eternal category, but that the first condition of political rationality in a society is that government be replaceable in normal and fair elections.
The author is a professor at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Niš
