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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

VIRTUAL REALITY

13 November, 2012 - 00:00

Once, watching a friend of mine work his PC playing Duke Nukem (a bloodthirsty game, I must admit) and doing away with yet another monster, I marveled at the skill and ease with which he did it. “I always meet the bastard here,” he told me. Last week I realized I would never find President Suharto where I was used to seeing him. Funny, but I felt uncomfortable. His name was associated with my whole adult life.

There is an anecdote about computer players. One gets behind the wheel of a car for the first time in his life and asks, “How many lives do I get?” Until now miners’ strikes looked very much like a computer game: lots of virtual reality noise and almost zero practical results. True, in the current situation the government may well become that computer player.

This strike once again brought to the fore the problem of back wages. Last week the new Ukrainian Parliament passed a resolution on the subject, providing, among other things, for debt adjustments at the NBU exchange rate. A lot has been said about the state budget debt, but for some reason or other no one has said anything about one thing in particular: the government must choose between public discontent and inflation. It is perfectly clear that if the Cabinet pays the budget debt our economy (which still has a long way to go to become a market one) will be wracked by inflation.

The most saddening events of the past week were the speeches made by the Speaker contenders. These ranged from generally disheartening proposals (e.g., institution of a parliamentary police to prevent fist-fights on the floor) to hopeless calls for “accord.” In a word, the predominant note was in the minor key. Hromada candidates suggested amendments to the Constitution actually turning Ukraine into a presidential republic. Worst of all, only one phrase related to the historic mission of the new Parliament, but...

Zinovy Kulyk ranks with the recognized virtual reality experts. His name has figured in this column more than once and last week brought him decisive victory in a category best identified as “stay away from your bosses and keep close to where the goodies are.” As head of the State Television and Radio Committee, he turned out to have been taking orders from the Ministry of Information being under the command of same. Now the case is being handled by the Constitutional Court.

 

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