As always, this is about young people, about information, and in general, about manipulation. A bit like with a referendum. Oops… and now, we’re back to that referendum again.
But how is it that, no matter where the discussion takes place, sooner or later, it almost always turns back to that referendum? That such a large part of the population is still preoccupied with it—perhaps even more than they were with the last elections?
For me, it was clear from the beginning that this referendum was intended to divide society. And since the tone became highly emotional from the start—rather than remaining factual—strong feelings developed on all sides.
Yes, I have an opinion, I can say what I want, and my voice matters. But after months of being bombarded from all sides with what I must say in order not to be called a xenophobe, or to avoid being “colonized” by evil foreigners, one can start to feel insecure—or frankly, just completely fed up.
Since I always start by questioning myself, I wondered whether we had perhaps done our job too well lately—whether we had made it too easy for people to inform themselves and make their own decisions, instead of having things dictated to them. But hey, I’ll leave that question up to you.
On the other hand, a whole range of organizations and parties should take a moment to reflect and realize that it is not OK to use a referendum—an exceptional democratic tool—to force an opinion on society, no matter how “deficient” that society may seem to them.
And if I still spent time in cafés, I’m sure I would overhear a lot of bar counter discussions—eh, sorry, listen to them. But when this level of emotion reaches the stage of televised political debates, even from party presidents, then I get emotional too!
With all due respect for the good things you’ve achieved, Mr. Party President: no matter how thoughtless, annoying, repetitive, or whatever else a person may be, you do not call them autistic! No matter how smoothly or indirectly you try to say it! Autism is a serious condition that no one chooses to have, and it should never be used in such a context. Shame, shame, shame!
So why this rant on the radio? Because, for me, this is the key to seeing the bigger picture.
The lack of objectivity and the manipulation around this referendum left no other outcome than for things to become entirely emotional, aggressive, and hateful. Instead of uniting society, the referendum only deepened the divide.
Some of you may now argue that this is precisely why young people aged 16 and above should not be allowed to vote (even voluntarily), as they could have been even more easily manipulated. But I strongly disagree. It is our elected representatives’ responsibility not to mislead us, but rather to strengthen us as individuals within a community.
And in the end, we all lost. But no one lost more than young people. I have the privilege of meeting many highly engaged young people who voluntarily take an interest in politics, inform themselves, and would likely make better voting decisions than many adults. But because of the completely flawed approach taken by our so-called “elite,” we ended up with a categorical NO, and the few motivated 16- and 17-year-olds became mere collateral damage.
