For the elderly men and women in power, it is all over now. The younger generation is no longer willing to buy what you are trying to sell them. No matter how many seminars or speeches you organize in schools and colleges to promote patriotism, it simply does not work. Patriotism arises naturally when equal opportunities, proper infrastructure, and an effective system exist. When people are provided with their basic needs and rights, you don’t need to lecture them about loving their country—they will do so on their own.
Generation Z and Alpha know exactly what is happening. The narrative you are trying to impose in the name of patriotism is transparent to them. Thanks to the internet and modern education, despite all your efforts to keep people ignorant, you have failed. You can no longer dictate what people should think—they are thinking for themselves. Perhaps they hesitate to express their opinions openly because they want to survive, but they have already recognized the ugly face behind your self-proclaimed virtue. You may cling to power by force, but the public does not care about you. If you cannot step outside your home without security, that alone proves your lack of popularity and should force you to reconsider your position.
The youth are exhausted. Since they cannot challenge the powerful, they are leaving the country. It is naïve to expect them to launch a movement against corruption. Instead, they prefer to quietly walk away, because those who spoke out have been silenced. A vast gulf now exists between the current system and the younger generation. There is no common ground. The youth want fast internet, while the rulers want stronger firewalls. They want smart phones, while the older generation wants to tax them. They want ease in freelancing, while the authorities want to strangle it with restrictions. That is why the older generation has already lost. You can wage as many wars as you like—the youth will turn them into memes. You censor the media—they will raise their voices on YouTube and Discord. The days of manufacturing consent are gone.
Yes, we don’t have libraries. Yes, we cannot afford to rent a house or buy a car. The economy you have handed us is worse than your morals. Yet, despite all this, we find peace in books, social media, and cafés. We don’t watch you on TV because your words are illogical and laughable. For that, we have comedy. Times are changing, and the sooner you realize it, the better. But perhaps you don’t care, because your children live abroad, you earn millions daily, and you enjoy the best facilities. You will only realize the truth when you discover that no one is listening to you anymore. The younger generation has their headphones on, Spotify is playing, and if conditions become unbearable, half will leave the country while the rest will force you to listen to them.
