Isn’t the fact that our little darling Sakartvelo is a democracy – one of many on our beautiful world – a great thing? We have learned to replace our governments through a peaceful transfer of power thanks to this fortunate fact. We have achieved this rare success despite the fact that it has only been 30 years since we were one the poor, socialist nations trapped in the Soviet grip.
Since then, we have created a free and open society whose members go to their polling stations voluntarily to cast their votes for freedom, equality, justice, and prosperity. Our politicians and media are also so liberated that they can use a scandalously scurrilous language, which is often directed at each other as poisoned weapons. Our speech is more free than ever before: say whatever you like, and as much as your tongue can handle.
In addition to all those God-and-modernity-given pleasures, there is peace in the sky over our fortunate heads; the economy is doing OK, although the prices seem to be skyrocketing; gas tanks can be filled on a regular basis, though the fuel is not very cheap; people are dressed well; restaurants are packed full; and there is no deficit of smiles around.
The United Nations Organization has suddenly published a frightening document about our eternally happy and universally acclaimed Georgia. It claims that in 40 years the population of Georgia will be half as it is today. We have every right to reject this horrifying, creepy prognosis from a prestigious international organization, but how can our skepticism be justified here? As of this moment, only 3,807.583 citizens live in this country. The ominous prediction says that we will be less than half as many in less than a hundred years.
If this is true, why do we kill ourselves in anticipation of the results of the upcoming parliamentary election? Why are we so eager for our own niche in the world of peoples, fighting with some and cooperating others? What makes us so eager to join this or that political, economic or military bloc? Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves that we cannot handle?
This is the only thing that really matters when you consider the grim prognosis. Everything else is secondary. Our national efforts must be redirected to ensure that the Kartveli and Kartuli languages will still be spoken in 200 hundred year’s time.
The solution is healthy but not easy to implement: firstly, we all want to enjoy life and continue doing what we do right now, including working, politicking and voting, as well as entertaining, eating, drinking and reading. We also travel and watch movies.
As always, man imagines and God decides. We are dwindling, leaving the world in the near future orphaned without our stunningly beautiful Georgian species. Wouldn’t it be terrible? Help! Help!
Nugzar B.Ruhadze, Op-Ed
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