Tevfik Fikret once wrote a warning.
It turns out we thought it was a regulation.
“Eat, masters, eat...”
Yes, this is no longer a poem; it is a guide to public administration, even a strategic plan.
What is a state anyway?
One table.
Budget?
Unlimited buffet.
Audit?
That's just the waiter looking at me from a distance.
There used to be a word called “waste”, does anyone remember? Now it has a more modern name: “growth”.
There used to be “accountability”, now that has become “perception management”.
There used to be “shame”... but it became a bit outdated and was abolished.
And here's the best part of this table:
No one feels guilty.
Because everyone looks at each other and relaxes:
“I ate, but he ate more.”
This is the new equilibrium theory of politics:
Relative morality.
Parties?
They are no longer ideological structures, but different catering companies. The menu changes, the slogan changes, but the service is the same: large scoops, fast consumption, low bill.
And most ironic of all:
Those who criticize this table ask about the table setting at the first opportunity.
“Where do I live?”
The public?
He's not invited.
But luckily he's the one who pays the bill.
Sometimes someone says, “This can't go on like this.”.
It is immediately noted: “It can be put on the table.”
Because the most dangerous thing in this system is not greed, but being left out.
Perhaps it is time to update Tevfik Fikret's verses:
“Eat, masters, eat;
but make some space if possible...
because there are many people waiting in line.”