Shkëlzen Halimi: THE INTELLECTUAL AS A DECOR OF IGNORANCE

LEXO SHQIP-READ IN ALBANIAN

In Albanian society, paradoxes are not only numerous, but also painful. Thus, among other things, for some time now, some intellectuals have served only as extras, as Chinese puppets, and in the worst case, as an ornament of ignorance. Instead of being the critical voice and moral conscience of the time, in most cases they choose silence or take the side of the powers that be, legitimizing many other paradoxes.

The only characteristic of an intellectual in the face of power is the courage to challenge it, but also to question the mechanisms of authority that serve to manipulate the people. Some of today's Albanian intellectuals, especially from North Macedonia, dressed in suits and collars, stand more in front of the mirror than in front of the many truths that are violating the rights of Albanians. There are some analysts, of course, who think they are intellectuals, who not only do not have their own opinions on vital issues related to the national fabric, but also what they say, they do not even understand themselves, because they, camouflaged, have chosen comfort. So: both the frozen wolf and the sheep in numbers. And how can their voice be heard, when these intellectuals have some strange appetites, which not even science fiction can swallow. Their calculations to "throw a stone and hide your hand" go so far as they want to get wet, but without entering the water or some go even further and resemble some women who want to get pregnant, but without having contact. It is natural for the political order to "produce" its own intellectuals. But, with some Albanian intellectuals it is different, they go to the mouth of the wolf (the government). Intellectuals of this breed are two-faced, because during the day in teahouses and cafes they pretend to take the side they are entitled to, while at night they lower their pants in front of the government. Therefore, to this day we do not have a real intellectual who is able to articulate or defend even the position of the political elite in power.

Many intellectuals, thirsty for power, agree to be under the orders of party ignoramuses, who, due to their devotion to the party, are rewarded with leadership positions, morally legitimizing the ruling party structures. In this way, the intellectual is ultimately silenced and becomes a pillar of stifling the critical voice.

Daily life shows us that the so-called Albanian intellectual easily justifies political decisions even when they are anti-Albanian, or by becoming a figure of power, the critical voice is transformed into a spokesman for power.

Unfortunately, many intellectuals, all over Albanian spaces, have become the “public faces” of power, creating illusions of various natures, in order to prolong the life of power as much as possible. This type of our intellectual has long become part of the scenography of power, transforming into a kind of pale light that illuminates the face of those who have neither vision nor knowledge.

Ignorance is not only a lack of knowledge, but the arrogance of ignorance. The ignorant power always seeks legitimacy, so it turns to the intellectual, who turns into a facade. And here we come to the fatal symbiosis: the ignorant rule, while the intellectual becomes decoration.

It is clear that many Albanian intellectuals are treated as ornaments by the power. In fact, the used intellectuals have not understood that power only needs their shadow. And when the shadow takes the place of substance, darkness becomes the norm. A true intellectual, one who has clear thinking and vision, would never agree to become part of the symbolic furniture of power. Otherwise, his mission would lose its meaning.