SINTEZA 9/SEPTEMBRIE-OCTOMBRIE 2014

The Romanian State and its EnemiesIt’s been 25 years of continuous aggression against the Romanian state, sometimes coming

from its own institutions or from state-employed representatives. In the past few years, three positions shocked the public opinion. Such positions were adopted by people who fought to transform it into a weak, failing and paralytic state. First, we mention Dan Voiculescu, who affirmed that the state is a less intelligent thief, he is now placed in an institution, under “protection”. Then, in 2008, Dinu Patriciu affirmed “we (the representatives of the private sector – no.) must be the intelligent ones, not the state, the state can never be intelligent, the state is dumb by definition, for it is a bureaucratic instrument that functions without having any competition in place, therefore it remains dumb”. And finally, Sorin Ovidiu Vântu, at his turn, stated: Strengthen your state! He seemed rather ironic or arrogant, but shortly after, the state he described as dead or weak, sent him where a serious and respectable state sends people if they don’t respect its rules.

What was the Romanian state missing during its important and crucial moments?First, the state lacked intelligent decisions, which meant concentrating not only on

consuming, but also on creating resources. On many occasions, the consumption should be rational and should facilitate the creation of new resources, and not sacrifice future resources for the sake of an immediate type of consumerism. The state must not centralize in order to consume the resources, but distribute and make sure the population uses all its resources, not only as means of immediate survival, but, most importantly, as means focused on what the future holds.

We address here the lack of courageous decisions regarding the future, not just decisions that make reference to what is present and to what pertains to electoral cycles. Courageous and intelligent decisions focus on the perspective and develop important intelligence resources. When the state invests in education and research, it becomes prospective. When it sustains the models and strategically takes care of promoting the progressive elite instead of the conservative, the state becomes courageous and prospective.

A powerful state analyzes the decisions and respects the national interests and the principles, it does not accept to be taken over or to be confiscated by specific interests, irrespective of their nature. At an international level, the strong state understands the configurations of forces and positions itself in the decision-making areas, where security is ensured, evidently understanding that this is possible only on the grounds of participation with resources that can be mobilized. That is why, the state must not remain autarchic, but open, participative, it must be a state that does linger in the past, but decides for a perspective thinking approach.

The powerful state does not abandon the society and does not show its force only towards some of its citizens, but applies the same principles and rules to everyone. It multiplies its force by voluntary adherence of the citizens invited to participate to debates and to decisions that involve change. The intelligent state is not afraid of change. Moreover it causes and supports change.

The strong state stimulates social competition, but seeks to avoid extreme polarized approaches among social segments as well. It equitably redistributes resources and facilitates social harmony and cohesion. Its purpose is not to stimulate tears in the tissue of solidarity, but to regulate imbalances when malformations occur as a result of competition and resource imbalance.

The strong state knows that it cannot be strong without free, creative and active citizens carrying a strong social capital. A state with desperate citizens, scared of the future, lacking trust in its institutions and leaders is a state that becomes weaker by the day, and sooner or later reaches the status of a failed state.

Consequently, a state that does not understand that by protecting corruption or by lacking will in its eradication becomes a suicidal state. It is not an intelligent state, but a state that loses its rhythm with history, development and progress.

But above all, the powerful state knows that being strong is not a state, but a dynamic equilibrium. In a short period of time, if bad decisions are made, a state can lose its intelligence and force as main features.

Sometimes analysts and politicians talk about the Romanian state in terms of a failed state, which is completely false. Romania is not part of the so-called category of failed states! But several times, during the last 20 years, Romania was on the edge of precipice. Failed states are often characterized by the erosion of state authority, by authoritarian regimes incapable of satisfying the needs of the population, by corruption that spreads within the central administrative system framework, by repression upon the political opponents, by severe violations of human rights, by a collapsing social system, by extreme poverty affecting the majority of the citizens, by high criminality etc., as stated by David Rothkopf. The Romanian state has always been saved by the very few, but today we must observe that there are multiple ways a state can fail, beyond the classic criteria.

We, at SINTEZA, have the duty to sound the alarm and caution against future dangers.We might have failed cities, counties or regions because of local or regional

administrations, and interest groups that monopolize the resources and infest the administration with corruption. Today we see that there are states that are drained of their resources in the globalization process, which is also a means of failing, if we thing of their development in the future. Therefore, failed men of state harm the societies and the states, either due to their lack of vision or by adopting an oligarchic and corrupted way of leading.

The SINTEZA Magazine generated an intellectual program meant to deliver information, to caution against risks, to give support when there is political will and intelligence and to understand that politics should focus on polemics and scandals only during electoral campaigns specially designed for this purpose. Other than that, the construction of a powerful state should be our common work, a great project that has as a purpose Romania’s national security and welfare.