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99 Luftballons: Regarding politics


(8/10)


Something I was deeply ashamed to talk about was that I came from a politically charged family. I don't know why I was ashamed, after all, my parents were actually true patriots, not some illiterate far right simpletons.


My father was an Ambassador, first in Portugal for Bulgaria, then for the Council of Europe in Moldova and Montenegro.

Some people may imagine that life of a politician, even if that of a diplomat, is some luxurious dream but there were periods where I didn't see my Dad for extended periods of time. Oh, and apparently I manage to have one of the few honest politicians for a Dad. Which is something I am very proud of.


Moreover, my Dad has personal contributions for the inclusion of Bulgaria in NATO and the European Union, which rusophiles in Bulgaria would spit on, and I would simply tell them to go fuck themselves.


(A bonus of being entirely self-financed is that I can be vulgar, when I feel like it)


The true patriotism of my father is evident from a gift, I accidentally found. A gift that he never mentioned to me. I don't know how popular the book The Sacrificial Generation was in 1996, but the Macedonian author had handwritten his copy with a personalized Thank You and a message to "fight for the truth of Bulgarians in Vardar Macedonia, a victim in the political fights of the Great Powers."


I do not wish to enter in the politics regarding Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece, but my foreign readers must understand that Macedonia was subjected to various genocides and ethnic cleanings in the past, and misinformation from various sources.


If a russophile wants to spit on NATO and Europe, I'd kindly ask him to shut his trap when Macedonia is involved.

Anyway, let's be honest.


Behind every great man is a great woman.

This quote attributed to various people is also relevant to our family. I do not want to underestimate the accomplishments of my mother in the arts of translation, subtitling, English studies, or the University.


On the contrary, I want to say that she deserves credit not only for that but also for some of my father's success. Even though my father insisted that they don't talk politics in front of the children (most likely, so we, the children, didn't accidentally let something slip), I have witnessed how my father could ask ten advisors, but would always finally trust the judgment of my mother. Who would always be right.


Moreover, she did teach others how to read the media, how to scan opposing sources of information, how to uncover media lies to find the truth in between.


She also advised people on how to behave in front of the camera, including on what mistakes not to make so that they do not alienate viewers.


She tried teaching me some of that. Some of it stuck, some of it - didn't. I'm a bit naive.


My parents insisted on giving me a particular set of values.


In high school I wrote an essay for a contest organized by NATO, regarding their new strategic concept. I am pretty proud that I was the only high school student that received an award, while the rest were University students. I emphasized on cybersecurity and cyberterrorism as early as 2010.


Sorry for the intellectual masturbation.


Please consider it as a way to legitimize some of my understandings about geopolitics in The Ultimate Deal. This was done in the family of the corporate scientist Alexandra Page, whose parents were different than mine, but had similar conversations.


Also, in The Ultimate Deal I do suggest a future development of geopolitics. Truth to be told, I am kind of good at political analysis but very bad at history.


Despite that I wrote a whole geopolitical fiction. Please forgive me, if they are naive, but no one can predict the future (only Mom could). This fiction was written to criticize our modern society's problems, precisely so they don't happen as they do in the book.


Kind of senseless if we see how Aleko Konstantinov's legacy was tarnished by Bulgarian society.


***

Okay, but why is politics important? Isn't it just for people who want to be corrput?


First of all, judging by my parents, no. Second, politics is a necessary evil.


Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.

Pericles said this 2500 years ago and things haven't really changed. To be fair, humans haven't evolved much for 2500 years.


If we don't pressure politicians, internally and externally, so that they get the job done, their system would never evolve. Just look at the US and how the willful blinding towards political problems exploded into the Trump administration. And currently Bulgaria is also decaying into corrupt authoritarianism.


This is the reason The Ultimate Deal dabbles in politics. It was important for me to show that a citizen of a society, including my own, must think about the political reality, which determines their life.


The ideas in The Ultimate Deal are not necessary solutions, but a starting point. Importantly, politics shouldn't be taboo.


Taking an interest in politics is not a luxury, it is a duty to your country and your co-citizens.



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