EDITORIAL ⟩ Irresponsible Festival

An editorial reflects on the meaning of responsibility, contrasting a past act of perceived irresponsibility with current societal expectations. It recalls the 1988 Rock Summer festival, where Finnish musician Kuosmanen performed the Finnish anthem in a sumo outfit and declared "Free Estonia!" This act, deemed irresponsible by authorities at the time, preceded significant political shifts like the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet empire.

The author questions whether a similar spirit of responsibility, characterized by social distancing and online ordering after Stalin's death, would have led to a different outcome, perhaps a less free society. The piece contrasts the past under totalitarian rule with the present, where individuals navigate a complex environment. It suggests that while Moscow no longer approves local nomenklatura lists, Brussels remains as distant for the average citizen as Moscow once was, leading to a feeling that independence might be slipping away.

Drawing on insights from other contributors, the editorial delves into the relationship between freedom and responsibility. It references Kaie Metsla's thoughts on how the loss of internal independence can go unnoticed, unlike the visible change of a flag. Metsla's discussion of Alexis de Tocqueville highlights the danger of "soft despotism" – a gradual tendency for citizens to let the government make decisions for them, a process that may feel comfortable rather than oppressive.

Aldous Huxley's warnings about scientific tyranny in the modern world, driven by an elite intertwined state and corporate power seeking total efficiency, are also invoked. Former Prime Minister Juhan Parts is quoted supporting Huxley's ideas, noting how technocracy and scientism feed each other. The editorial concludes by suggesting that the European Union and the Soviet Union are not fundamentally different, differing only in "seasonings" but sharing the same core direction. This leads to a temptation to rebel against all organized, hierarchical societies, but the author ultimately identifies personal weaknesses, desires, and passions as the true enemies worth fighting against.

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Ei paista olevat ühtegi head põhjust, miks läbi ja lõhki teaduslik diktatuur kunagi kukkuma peaks. Tehnokraatia ja stsientism [teadususk] toodavad teineteist vastastikku, sest ekspertidest mänedžerid apelleerivad alati ühele või teisele teadusuuringule