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This morning around breakfast time I was listening to a heartwarming program on CBC radio. How we manage staying positive in these difficult times? I'm taking online piano lessons! And I tried ballet and already mastered several turns (forgot the term)! Listening to it was so nice and positive but for some reason the association that came to me was "they don't have any bread - but why wouldn't they get the brioches?!". Some of us, isolated from our offices, having to stare at the screen some time during the day, suffering the closure of the favorite restaurant and a postponement of an annual vacation (maybe) and trying to stay positive simply cannot imagine that taking ballet lessons may not enter the mind of a human being who just lost most of their income, security, possibly the direction and facing unknown prospects for unforeseeable time. Are these two different worlds, and are they drifting further and further apart, despite the heartwarming efforts and in it together promises? Almost daily example: another hospital CEO was let go today after traveling south of the border no less than 5 times in the recent months, while reprimanding his stuff for failing to observe PH guidelines. And another one (from daily Facebook feed): a compassionate program by something public is actively trying to recruit resident support staff for LTC. The work is on as-needed basis, no assurance of minimal hours, $17 / hour, no vacation and benefits and little job security. Very compassionate and generous, thank you. And so: are we getting there, slowly but steadily to the heartwarming tunes of togetherness? Two worlds, two standards, two mentalities that wouldn't intersect, and understand each other, and interact on the terms like above, oh you're having problems? But why wouldn't you take ballet lessons? And here's our wonderful foodbank thanks to our generous donations! Elitism is an old problem of democracy. Isolation in its own world in the ivory tower, failure to know and understand the problems and concerns of little people below led to so many events that it will take books only to count, and who's there to say, won't lead again and again? And so, is it possible to build a democracy that is alive; agile; active; open; continuous; non-elitist and egalitarian? Should it be tried, again and again? And if status quo is the best we can get, how long would it last before deteriorating into its opposite?

Continuing previously raised topics, consider old and well-known parable-paradox of the turtle. See, the turtle can never reach the other end of the pond; when it gets to the midpoint, it would need to cover the half of the remaining distance that would require some time (and public $$$); by the time it gets there the other half still remains and so on, ad infinitum. The unavoidable conclusion: crossing the pond, from shore to shore would require infinite time, and public funds. Take randomly one of the high or even critical importance goals set out by many a public administrations in the recent and not so recent, decades. Elimination of child poverty? climate change? cleanup of industrial pollution? water quality in the remote communities? waiting times in the public healthcare? purchase of replacement helicopters? Please name one, in many a decade, that has been finished and completed, completely, done, fixed and checkmarked? I'm not aware of one, but paradoxically, it does not prevent the bureaucracy running these programs, or the society that procures them, that is, tries to, from feeling fulfilled and satisfied. An achievement is only an illusion, the eternal movement is the thing, of course. We have already seen that democracy that has grown complacent; static; stagnant; devoid of will and power to change and renew itself; would inevitably transform into a pseudo-democratic elitist aristocracy; whereas the population would increasingly feel detached; disenfranchised; mistrustful and resentful; and frustrated, creating breeding ground for development of fringe and populist and conspiracy currents. This is not a coincidence, only two different sides of the same societal trajectory - as the "democratic" elites feel warm and cosy enjoying their rightful entitlements, they have neither imagination, nor incentive to ponder how it looks from a viewpoint beyond and outside, there, in the rest of the society. Even the high ideals, equality and fraternity are transformed and refracted through the ivory prism. The pandemics? One in a century calamity? Sure, and we know exactly what to do; first we will freeze all permanent employment surely to save cherished public funds; then create a bunch of handouts for those who didn't make it - students, $5000 max; resident support worker, minimal wage, no job security, benefits did you mention, pension plan? And we will check if you qualified for the handout, and you'll pay us for checking, complete with benefits and pension plans. Is it really so hard to see? But no, it's not sinking in because it falls beyond the vision field. Need to pay more six digit golden parachutes to "public" CEO and governors-general because this is real and done and was done forever and that, just words and visions that never come true. Never? Beyond certain point that is probably long in the past, reforming a massive bureaucracy becomes an impossibility. Any, even mild changes create perturbations and perplexions that bring the modus operandi from "do ever less with ever more" (reality check: some countries developed effective vaccines in less than a year; where's any trace, not to mention, implemented solutions of the $1B of public funds sunk into this country's pandemic action plan?) to accomplished chaos as illustrated here. And at certain point we realize that there's no viable alternatives because we haven't thought of, and have not created any. Just wasn't on the horizon, ever. And so the destination is looming; either the division, detachment and disenfranchisement that grow continuously (because meaningful reforms aren't possible - as seen above) till a populist, clean the swamp and make great again is called to fix the ailing democracy, creating even more chaos in the process or Heaven forbid, worse; or at some turning point in history we suddenly realize that there just isn't enough in the purse to buy these services for the asking price, complete with golden CEO and political parachutes. And we haven't created and constructed any alternatives.