Ukraine's biggest problem and its solution
No one gave us a long-term outlook, and we were all buried before the shot was fired on the morning of February 24, 2022.
But this did not happen. It looked like a huge miracle. Although, if you break it down into molecules and atoms, there is no miracle. There is a pragmatic explanation for everything. This practical explanation was as follows.
Almost for the first time in the modern history of Ukraine, there was a very high level of trust between society, between the people, and the government. Some idealists still believe that civil society can replace the government and the authorities. This is an illusion. There are functions that only the state can, should, and will perform. There is no reason for that. But the threat was so profound, the challenge was so strong, the risks were extraordinary, and for the first time, the government was forced to rely on society because it realized it could not do everything. Society finally realized that criticism of the authorities should retreat and that assistance to the authorities was necessary.
This assistance had pragmatic roots. There was a level of trust and hope, almost for the first time, that the government was able to cope with the challenges in front of it, but it needed help – shoulders to lean on. This was the recipe for success, which later resulted in a worthy rebuff to the enemy, and then in the liberation of territories, and in the launch of a particular part of fundamental processes in the state, in different sectors that ensure the state's viability in all its critical manifestations.
Now, the situation is a bit more complicated,
This success was, to some extent, adrenaline-fueled. It concerned both the government and society. Then there was all that came. Fatigue came. Not only those who are fighting get tired of war. They get tired of there being no end, and they burn out. Almost everyone gets tired of war. I don't have specific sociological measurements. I'm not a psychologist, I'm not a sociologist, and I can't say with a high degree of probability who is more tired of the war, who is less tired, what part of the population is exhausted, what part of the people is not tired or not stressed by the war. One way or another, everyone is tired of war. There is a sense of routine when the war, at first, was a massive stress to which you got used to, and then, when you got used to it, it turns into a routine.
The government believes that society has helped enough, and now its job is not to interfere with their work
Close your eyes and imagine that this event occurred on February 24. After the first alarms, I think there would have been five of the most desperate people in this room. Now, there is anxiety. We get used to everything. Not only do those who are in the trenches get used to it, but everyone who works gets used to it, everyone who travels in public transport under anxiety, and so on. So, the element of routine, if you will, corrupts to some extent.
The biggest problem is the deepening of this distrust between society and the government. And in practical terms, it looks like this. The government believes that society has helped enough, and now its job is not to interfere with their work. The processes have been launched; you have lent a shoulder, and everything works. The phrase that we began to forget at the beginning of the war, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, "Do not interfere with our work," is often again being repeated in decision-making centers.
On the other hand, society has also changed. The phrase "You're doing nothing there," which was also not very loud, not very often heard in February, March, April, and even until the end of 2022, is now quite common. This distrust is deepening. There is no single universal recipe. I understand that society, especially in times of war, always has a demand, if you will, for a universal pill that cures all diseases. For a recipe that will heal us immediately. For a clear division, for black and white. There is no single recipe for how to do this.
Speaking more deeply, if you want to be philosophical – the high level of trust between society and the government, and the government and society was emotional. Now, we have to get used to the fact that the trust between the government and society has to be pragmatic. The government must understand that it still needs society's help, and society must understand that it must help the government. Because no matter how many intelligent people gather in different environments, they cannot take over state functions. This is why the state exists. It has many critical functions assigned to it, which 100, thousand, 10 thousand, and 100 thousand smart people still cannot replace.
It is clear that the longer the war lasts, the deeper the fatigue. It is clear that no matter when and how this war ends, not everyone will be satisfied with its results. It is clear that, in fact, after the war is over, we will face strife, disputes, and an inevitable stratification of society. We must also be prepared for this.
What would I call for today? What, if we are talking about the government, is the thing that the government lacks most of all today? Here, by the way, society can help. How?
The biggest problem with the government's decisions, which applies to the first period after the invasion, is the lack of consistency in decision-making. All the decisions made by the authorities, more or less successfully, with the help of society and their own efforts, were reactive. A problem arose, and they quickly got together and figured out how to solve this problem for a long or relatively short time.
How is any problem solved? First, it is disassembled into clusters, parts, atoms, and molecules. Then, how to overcome it is decided. I can prove why this is not being done with any specific example, starting with sensitive issues such as mobilization and ending with arms procurement. I'm sorry, I have to talk about the things I face daily. Unfortunately, there is no consistency in the government's decisions. Society has to help. In formalized and informal ways. With a minimal percentage of hysteria, which, unfortunately, has been inherent in many people lately, though, with a massive level of perseverance. I know a lot of cases when people from the street reached high offices and found the strength, time, inspiration, and opportunities to convince decision-makers and find an accurate, precise, and effective solution.
I hope, over time, because it is long overdue, this will force the authorities to make personnel decisions when the effectiveness of a person will be the primary measure when appointing them. This must be decided based not on loyalty, convenience, or any other criteria, objective or subjective, but solely on the person's efficiency. Unfortunately, there are other criteria for the government in general. I'm talking about the government in general because the government is a very broad, massive concept. It is an inevitable thing.
If this does not happen, it will be challenging for the state to overcome the problems and challenges that have arisen now, and there are no fewer, even more, than in February 2022.
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