We want to live well, most will say, of course. Living well remains an open question, however. Some believe that living well is possible elsewhere. Others (among them experts The Day asked to help with this question) assume that living well should be made a reality here and now, although they realize that this is not always possible, and that this will not happen unless we work on it. To this end, most will be reminded of Viktor Shenderovych who said you can’t expect to see an English lawn out your window after electing the Communist Shandybin. Therefore, we posed our experts two other simple questions: (a) What is to be done to start living well? (b) What are you personally prepared to do for that?
Prof. Petro KRALIUK, D.S. (Philosophy), Ostroh Academy National University:
The Day poses a simple and at the same time sophisticated question. Since the days of Plato, European thinkers have pondered the possibilities of creating an ideal society where every individual would feel comfortable, but all such projects have turned out utopian, as life proves much more complicated than man’s concepts and plans. Other thinkers, among them Hryhory Skovoroda, did not want to live in the world the way it was and they sought solitude. It was also a utopian approach, although an “inside out” one. Are we supposed to offer yet another utopian recipe? What for? Well, perhaps something proceeding from the opposite. We do not want to live in a society where national dignity proves too abstract a notion, where national solidarity is reduced almost to nil, where the each-for-his-own principle appears prevalent, and where the national idea does not work, after all has been said and done.
The national idea did work in Japan, for example. That country, although humiliated by losing the war, currently ranks with the world leaders, because the Japanese have their national dignity. It is their great asset. If we have the same understanding of that dignity, we will probably catch up with and even overtake Japan. You ask what has to be done. This, perhaps, takes becoming Japanese. What am I personally doing in that direction? Nothing. Somehow I don’t feel like becoming Japanese. I am reminded of Marcus Aurelius who said that one should often ponder the connection between all things in this world and their interrelationships.
Vadym SKURATIVSKY, writer and philosopher:
I don’t want to live anywhere except Ukraine, and only in a democratic country free from rampant bureaucracy. There is only one thing this society and I can do: go to the polling stations and cast our votes for the best candidate.
Svitlana MARKOVA, Candidate of Science (History), member of the Sociological Association of Ukraine (Khmelnytsky):
Khmelnytsky’s Social Study Center polled students in October 2004, asking how they wanted to live and what had to be done so they could live that way. A question similar to that posed by The Day. I think the readers will find their answers interesting. Hypothetically, it was assumed that notions such as living comfortably and well-being are mostly associated with the living standard and an opportunity to implement oneself culturally and spiritually. Of the institute’s 1,027 students 103 (10%) were selected as respondents, proportionally representing first- to fifth-year students, thus securing a reliable turnout.
Among the questions meant to identify the respondent materially and culturally were “How do you assess your material status?” and “How do you estimate your educational and cultural level?” 0.9% respondents replied that their material status was very good; 78.3% said it was average, and 20.8% said it was bad. As for the educational and cultural level, 26% said it was high, 63.4% said it was average, and 10.6 said it was low.
In response to the question “What spheres of public life do you think require cardinal changes?” 19% pointed to health care, 27% to education, 31% to the economy, and 23% to politics.
Among the aspects of life addressing notions like comfortable living and well-being, the respondents referred to the material/financial status (61%), extensive use of civil rights (23%), and implementing one’s cultural and spiritual potential (16%). When asked “What prevents your living the way you choose?”, indifferent bureaucracy was mentioned by 23%, corruption by 27%, personal passive public stand by 11%. In response to the related question — Who or what should be changed to cause positive changes in your own life? — 80% respondents said changes should be made in the current political system and 20% believed they had to change themselves.
“Do you think that education is a guarantee of a stable future?” Ninety percent respondents replied in the affirmative and ten percent in the negative. It is safe to infer from the above that the Ukrainian students are primarily concerned about their material status at this stage of national economic and cultural progress; they believe that raising their living standard will improve the whole situation. The cultural and spiritual aspects are regarded as being of minor importance, in a way, although the respondents attach certain importance to them. In a word, the younger generation’s expectations in terms of well-being prove an important factor of their public activity, and at the same time an indicator of fundamental changes taking place in Ukraine.
Radmila HREVTSOVA, Candidate of Science (Law), practicing attorney:
I want to live in a country being on its own road leading to progress. On this road we must use all the achievements of the advanced Western democracies — primarily in the economic, political, and legal domains. We must not neglect the cultural and historical experiences of other countries, to which we are associated by our common past. At the same time, Ukraine must learn to see its own horizons, instead of blindly following in the footsteps of, say, Russia, the United States, Sweden, or Poland. We must learn to creatively borrow from their experiences, to fill in our gaps.
To do so, we must pay attention to man, first and foremost. This approach must be reflected in a law, also when actually implementing this law.
As a lawyer, like many colleagues, I am very pleased to realize that our humble efforts make people once again confident that they can expect justice in this country.
Yevhen BEREZNIAK, “Hero of Ukraine,” honorary member of the Academy of Pedagogic Sciences of Ukraine (Soviet intelligence officer during WW II under the alias of Major Vikhr [Whirlwind]):
Ukraine ranks with Europe’s richest countries. I would never want to live anywhere else. Unfortunately, we aren’t using all our riches and will never make the best use of them, because we aren’t allowed to possess them in full.
We must find people we can trust with running this country, people capable of utilizing all the great wealth and potential of our nation to make all people live in a better way.
I think that I have personally done everything I could for the good of my country.
