FROM THE EDITOR

Dr. Emzar Djgerenaia

Crusade against legal business The greatest tragedy of Christian world was devastation of Byzantine by Muslims and for this we have until present blamed Turkish tribes who came from Asia and occupied an unapproachable citadel that thousand years’ permanent sieges and wars could do no harm to. On the contrary, successor of trade and political-military strategic inheritance from Ethos, Byzantine strengthened and got rich more and more.

Christians destructed Byzantine in the name of Christ.
During the lazy oncoming of spring with Georgians enjoying economic and political Bacchanalia and warming their benumbed bodies with burning fire, mentioning of Constantinople’s and all Christians’ shame might seem sarcastic to someone. My society, defender of Iraqi working masses, do not hurry to make conclusions.
Let us remember which city did armed crusaders who gathered in Venice and were going to free holy places from infidels under the leadership of blind doges, devastated on the way to Jerusalem by the Pope’s order a century before Turks would have approached walls of the holy wall?
Let us remember how prince Constantine from Constantinople went to the crusaders and blind doges in Venice imploring them to overthrow Byzantine authorities and promising to them, Byzantine people, gold, unnumbered privileges, improved life conditions, rivers of honey and milk, prosperity of Christianity and enrichment in return of his mounting the thrown. And the prince managed to convince crusaders and part of his population through his demagogue. Medieval Europe knows no such shame. With Crosses in their hands crusaders who gathered to protect Christians, had devastated Byzantine for the sake of its son, power-thirsty prince Constantine, a century earlier. Constantine became king though he could not maintain power even for a year and died from the same sword that he used against his country. We could put a period to historical excursion here, but this is not our purpose. Country devastated by crusaders weakened and never reached the previous glory. Inner discord and wars began. Economy of Byzantine fell. Constantine’s demagogue lived as long as soapbubble in the air. Constantine was, certainly, punished, but what was the fault of people deluded by demagogue who lost peace and wealth. Byzantine was defeated by Byzantines. Turks only reft crutches from a cripple with slogans of people’s liberation and care for welfare of Byzantine people.
What parallel can we draw with the present? I will leave this to you, my reader, but I will say you one thing:
Due to multitude of reasons, the year 2003 will be a difficult one for the world economy as we have already mentioned in the previous magazine number. The main reason is, certainly, war against Iraq with its modern attendant processes. In this situation all countries take extraordinary measures and try to save business and production growth, promote the consumption stability, and protect legal business.
And we? First we increased electricity price (I am not an electrician. Nor I know whose fault it is, but rumours are going about that state bureaucratic structures of other countries representing pseudo private business structures laid hands to the normalised system of Telasi). This led to 30% price increase in legal business. Despite the price increase, we launched inexplicable lawsuits and turned off light in legal businesses again (usual periodical explosions). We promised benefits to population, but not to business. We did not even connect decent payers to a separate line so that electricity would not be switched off here along with non-payers (Telasi made a great mistake here and it will have financial problems unless it does not correct the mistake).
Criminal situation becomes uncontrollable. Businesses and businessmen are murdered, kidnapped and robbed in broad daylight, their family members are terrorised. Representators of the criminal world are not alone in this Bacchanalia. They are often supported by representators of law enforcement agencies that soon after learning about a successful legal business, attack it immediately. And in these conditions we pass law on the so-called legalisation of illegal incomes that is nothing else but supply of new and complete information to “oppressors” of legal business. Then they will kidnap a child or brother and thereby destroy a man. We do not oppose the law, but we should not pass it in this form and in this situation. The law should contain austere mechanism of business protection. I remember with what triumph we passed law on property declaration of high-rank officials. And what then? Did corruption reduce or increase? Have we had any result? Nothing except the patently ordered articles with plitical dirt about this or that official. We should speak about the law only after all citizens of Georgia fill in the income declaration form and criminal chaos is liquidated. According to the law on illegal income legalisation, each transfer of 30 000 GEL will secretly become known there where first profit, certainly, legal one will be counted and afterwards “Cleaning out mechanisms” of law enforcement agencies and criminal world will be launched. What is the way out? Start illegal business in time and you will be safe! Pay to everybody but not to the state because the state does not care for you, my legal businessmen – hope and backstop of the country!
Crusaders were joined by antimonopoly service. There is no other problem except Georgian inscription on imported production. I can compete in love for Georgian language with both anti-monopoly and monopoly service, but with all my respect towards the leader of the service, I agree to it that the production should, at least, have annotation in the Georgian language so that a consumer could receive the necessary information in case of need, but in this stage such big information on each separate product is nothing else but utopia and struggle against legal business. What else can we do in the country where we can not control non-excised cigarettes and contraband goods and where markets are the only form of trade. How can we control markets? Do you take responsibility for this, my friends? I will tell you what you will control – legal business of which only almost nothing is left here.
On the other hand, Georgia is a too small country from the viewpoint of business. Suppliers are not interested in stopping their machines and in attaching labels in Georgian language for the sake of a small consignment of goods. Ask businessmen – most of goods come from Russia except for some world’s monster companies that gained monopoly in Georgia. What shall we do? Should all of us drink Nescafe? A real crusade started against legal business in Georgia. Crusaders are approaching the political top, too. People, be vigilant! God will, certainly, punish Constantine, but might not save Byzantine and its people?
I express my deep and timid excuses, my reader, I overstrained you and did not offer you my usual humour in the background of armour clank and lazily approaching spring, but I love you and I want you to be vigilant. Humour? Humour is frozen.