There's no such thing as not voting | Eric Liu

Prevodilac: Jelena Ciric Lektor: Mile Živković

Why bother?

Čemu trud?

The game is rigged.

Igra je nameštena.

My vote won't count.

Moj glas se ne računa.

The choices are terrible.

Izbor je užasan.

Voting is for suckers.

Glasanje je za naivčine.

Perhaps you've thought some of these things.

Možda nekad pomišljate ponešto od svega toga.

Perhaps you've even said them.

Možda to čak i kažete.

And if so, you wouldn't be alone, and you wouldn't be entirely wrong.

Ako je tako, niste jedini, i niste potpuno pogrešili.

The game of public policy today is rigged in many ways.

Današnja igra u javnoj politici je na mnoge načine nameštena.

How else would more than half of federal tax breaks

Kako bi inače više od polovine federalnih poreskih olakšica

flow up to the wealthiest five percent of Americans?

odlazilo kod najbogatijih pet posto Amerikanaca?

And our choices indeed are often terrible.

Naši izbori su zaista često užasni.

For many people across the political spectrum,

Za mnogo ljudi širom političkog spektra,

Exhibit A is the 2016 presidential election.

prvi dokaz za to su predsednički izbori 2016.

But in any year, you can look up and down the ballot

Ali u bilo kojoj godini možete pregledati listiće

and find plenty to be uninspired about.

i mnogi će vam oduzeti inspiraciju.

But in spite of all this, I still believe voting matters.

Međutim, uprkos svemu tome, ja i dalje verujem da je glasanje važno.

And crazy as it may sound,

Koliko god to zvučalo ludo,

I believe we can revive the joy of voting.

verujem da možemo oživeti radost glasanja.

Today, I want to talk about how we can do that, and why.

Danas hoću da govorim kako i zašto to možemo učiniti.

There used to be a time in American history when voting was fun,

Postojalo je vreme u američkoj istoriji kad je glasanje bilo zabavno,

when it was much more than just a grim duty to show up at the polls.

kad je bilo više od stroge dužnosti pojavljivanja na biračkom mestu.

That time is called "most of American history."

To vreme se zove „većina američke istorije“.

(Laughter)

(Smeh)

From the Revolution to the Civil Rights Era,

Od Revolucije do Doba građanskih prava,

the United States had a vibrant,

Sjedinjene države su imale živu,

robustly participatory and raucous culture of voting.

snažnu participativnu i grubu kulturu glasanja.

It was street theater, open-air debates, fasting and feasting and toasting,

Bio je to ulični teatar, debate na otvorenom, post i gozbe i zdravice,

parades and bonfires.

parade i vatre na otvorenom.

During the 19th century, immigrants and urban political machines

Tokom 19. veka, imigranti i gradske političke mašine

helped fuel this culture of voting.

podgrevali su ovu kulturu glasanja.

That culture grew with each successive wave of new voters.

Ta kultura se razvijala sa svakim sledećim talasom novih glasača.

During Reconstruction, when new African-American voters,

Tokom Doba rekonstrukcije, kad su novi afroamerički birači,

new African-American citizens,

novi afroamerički građani,

began to exercise their power,

počeli da koriste svoju moć,

they celebrated in jubilee parades

slavili su je u jubilarnim paradama

that connected emancipation with their newfound right to vote.

koje su povezivale emancipaciju sa novostečenim glasačkim pravom.

A few decades later, the suffragettes

Nekoliko decenija kasnije, sufražetkinje

brought a spirit of theatricality to their fight,

su unele duh teatralnosti u svoju borbu,

marching together in white dresses as they claimed the franchise.

marširajući zajedno u belim haljinama dok su tražile pravo glasa.

And the Civil Rights Movement,

I Pokret građanskih prava

which sought to redeem the promise of equal citizenship

koji je nastojao da iskupi obećanje jednakog građanstva

that had been betrayed by Jim Crow,

koje je izneverio Džim Krou,

put voting right at the center.

stavio je glasanje u centar.

From Freedom Summer to the march in Selma,

Od Leta slobode do marša u Selmi,

that generation of activists knew that voting matters,

ta generacija aktivista znala je da je glasanje važno

and they knew that spectacle and the performance of power

i znali su da su prizor i predstava moći

is key to actually claiming power.

ključ za dobijanje moći.

But it's been over a half century since Selma and the Voting Rights Act,

Međutim, prošlo je više od pola veka od Selme i Ukaza o glasačkim pravima,

and in the decades since,

i u decenijama koje su usledile,

this face-to-face culture of voting

ova neposredna glasačka kultura

has just about disappeared.

gotovo da je nestala.

It's been killed by television

Ubila ju je televizija

and then the internet.

a onda i internet.

The couch has replaced the commons.

Kauč je zamenio trgove.

Screens have made citizens into spectators.

Ekrani su od građana napravili posmatrače.

And while it's nice to share political memes on social media,

Iako je lepo šerovati političke mimove na društvenim mrežama,

that's a rather quiet kind of citizenship.

to je prilično tiha vrsta građanstva.

It's what the sociologist Sherry Turkle calls "being alone together."

To je ono što sociolog Šeri Terkl naziva „biti sam zajedno“.

What we need today

Danas nam je potrebna

is an electoral culture that is about being together together,

izborna kultura kako da zajedno budemo zajedno,

in person,

oči u oči,

in loud and passionate ways,

glasno i strastveno,

so that instead of being "eat your vegetables" or "do you duty,"

da, umesto da se svodi na „jedi povrće“ ili „ispuni dužnost“,

voting can feel more like "join the club"

glasanje može da bude više u stilu „dobrodošao u klub“

or, better yet, "join the party."

ili čak „pridruži se zabavi“.

Imagine if we had, across the country right now,

Zamislite da imamo sada po celoj zemlji

in local places but nationwide,

na lokalu, ali širom nacije,

a concerted effort to revive a face-to-face set of ways

jedinstveni trud da oživimo neposredne načine

to engage and electioneer:

angažovanja i kampanje:

outdoor shows in which candidates and their causes are mocked

šouovi na otvorenom, gde se kandidati i njihovi ciljevi

and praised in broad satirical style;

ismevaju i hvale u satiričnom stilu;

soapbox speeches by citizens;

improvizovane govore građana;

public debates held inside pubs;

javne debate u pabovima;

streets filled with political art and handmade posters and murals;

ulice pune političke umetnosti i ručno pravljenih postera i murala;

battle of the band concerts in which competing performers rep their candidates.

bitke na koncertima bendova gde takmičari repuju o kandidatima.

Now, all of this may sound a little bit 18th century to you,

Sve vam ovo možda zvuči pomalo kao 18. vek,

but in fact, it doesn't have to be any more 18th century

međutim, ne mora da bude ništa više 18. vek

than, say, Broadway's "Hamilton,"

nego, recimo, "Hamilton" na Brodveju,

which is to say vibrantly contemporary.

koji je živo savremen.

And the fact is that all around the world,

Činjenica je da danas širom sveta

today, millions of people are voting like this.

milioni ljudi glasaju tako.

In India, elections are colorful, communal affairs.

U Indiji izbori su živopisna društvena stvar.

In Brazil, election day is a festive, carnival-type atmosphere.

U Brazilu, na dan izbora je praznična, karnevalska atmosfera.

In Taiwan and Hong Kong, there is a spectacle,

U Tajvanu i Hong Kongu od uličnog izbornog teatra

eye-popping, eye-grabbing spectacle

nastao je impresivan i atraktivan spektakl

to the street theater of elections.

od koga ne možete odvojiti oči.

You might ask, well, here in America, who has time for this?

Možete da pitate: ali, ko ovde, u Americi, ima vremena za to?

And I would tell you

Odgovorio bih vam

that the average American watches five hours of television a day.

da prosečan Amerikanac gleda televiziju pet sati dnevno.

You might ask, who has the motivation?

Možete da pitate: ko ima motivaciju?

And I'll tell you,

Reći ću vam:

any citizen who wants to be seen and heard

svaki građanin koji želi da ga vide i čuju

not as a prop, not as a talking point,

ne kao sredstvo ili argument,

but as a participant, as a creator.

već kao učesnika, kao stvaraoca.

Well, how do we make this happen?

A kako to možemo postići?

Simply by making it happen.

Tako što ćemo postići.

That's why a group of colleagues and I

Zato sam sa grupom kolega

launched a new project called "The Joy of Voting."

pokrenuo novi projekat pod nazivom "Radost glasanja".

In four cities across the United States --

U četiri grada širom Sjedinjenih država --

Philadelphia, Miami,

Filadelfiji, Majamiju,

Akron, Ohio, and Wichita, Kansas --

Ekronu u Ohaju i Vičiti u Kanzasu -

we've gathered together artists and activists,

okupljamo umetnike i aktiviste,

educators, political folks, neighbors, everyday citizens

edukatore, ljude iz politike, susede, obične građane

to come together and create projects

da zajedno stvaramo projekte

that can foster this culture of voting in a local way.

za podsticanje kulture glasanja u lokalnom smislu.

In Miami, that means all-night parties with hot DJs

U Majamiju to znači celonoćne žurke sa zgodnim di-džejevima

where the only way to get in is to show that you're registered to vote.

gde se može ući samo ako pokažete da ste registrovani glasač.

In Akron, it means political plays

U Ekronu, to su politički komadi

being performed in the bed of a flatbed truck

izvođeni u prikolici teretnog kamiona

that moves from neighborhood to neighborhood.

koji ide od naselja do naselja.

In Philadelphia,

U Filadelfiji

it's a voting-themed scavenger hunt all throughout colonial old town.

to je igra "lov lešinara" na temu glasanja po čitavom starom kolonijalnom gradu.

And in Wichita, it's making mixtapes and live graffiti art

A u Vičiti prave se muzičke kompilacije i crtaju grafiti u Severnom kraju

in the North End to get out the vote.

da bi se povećala izlaznost.

There are 20 of these projects,

Ima 20 takvih projekata,

and they are remarkable in their beauty and their diversity,

i oni su izvanredni po lepoti i različitosti,

and they are changing people.

i oni menjaju ljude.

Let me tell you about a couple of them.

Ispričaću vam o par tih projekata.

In Miami, we've commissioned and artist,

U Majamiju smo angažovali umetnika,

a young artist named Atomico,

mladog umetnika po imenu Atomiko,

to create some vivid and vibrant images for a new series of "I voted" stickers.

da napravi žive i energične slike za novu seriju stikera "Glasao sam".

But the thing is, Atomico had never voted.

Ali stvar je u tome da Atomiko nikad pre nije glasao.

He wasn't even registered.

Čak nije bio ni registrovan.

So as he got to work on creating this artwork for these stickers,

I tako, kad se bacio na izradu ilustracija za te stikere,

he also began to get over his sense of intimidation about politics.

počeo je i da prevazilazi svoj osećaj zastrašenosti politikom.

He got himself registered,

Registrovao se,

and then he got educated about the upcoming primary election,

a onda se obavestio o predstojećim osnovnim izborima,

and on election day he was out there not just passing out stickers,

i na dan izbora bio je tamo, ne samo da bi delio stikere,

but chatting up voters and encouraging people to vote,

već da bi ćaskao sa glasačima i ohrabrivao ljude da glasaju,

and talking about the election with passersby.

i govorio o izborima sa prolaznicima.

In Akron, a theater company called the Wandering Aesthetics

U Ekronu, pozorišna trupa pod nazivom „Lutajuće Estete“

has been putting on these pickup truck plays.

postavljala je komade u pikap kamionu.

And to do so, they put out an open call to the public

Da bi to uradili, uputili su otvoreni poziv javnosti

asking for speeches, monologues, dialogues, poems,

tražeći govore, monologe, dijaloge, pesme,

snippets of anything that could be read aloud

fragmente bilo čega što bi se moglo glasno čitati

and woven into a performance.

i utkati u izvođenje.

They got dozens of submissions.

Dobili su na desetine priloga.

One of them was a poem

Među njima bila je i pesma

written by nine students in an ESL class,

koju je napisalo devetoro studenata engleskog kao drugog jezika,

all of them Hispanic migrant workers

a svi oni su španski radnici migranti

from nearby Hartville, Ohio.

iz obližnjeg Hartvila u Ohaju.

I want to read to you from this poem.

Hoću da vam pročitam odlomak iz te pesme.

It's called "The Joy of Voting."

Zove se „Radost glasanja“.

"I would like to vote for the first time

„Hteo bih da glasam po prvi put

because things are changing for Hispanics.

jer se stvari menjaju za Špance.

I used to be afraid of ghosts.

Ranije sam se bojao duhova.

Now I am afraid of people.

Sada se bojim ljudi.

There's more violence and racism.

Ima više nasilja i rasizma.

Voting can change this.

Glasanje može to da promeni.

The border wall is nothing.

Zid na granici je ništa.

It's just a wall.

To je samo zid.

The wall of shame is something.

Zid srama je već nešto.

It's very important to vote

Veoma je važno glasati

so we can break down this wall of shame.

da bismo srušili taj zid srama.

I have passion in my heart.

Imam strast u srcu.

Voting gives me a voice and power.

Glasanje mi daje glas i moć.

I can stand up and do something."

Mogu da ustanem i učinim nešto.“

"The Joy of Voting" project isn't just about joy.

U projektu „Radost glasanja“ ne radi se samo o radosti.

It's about this passion.

Radi se o ovoj strasti.

It's about feeling and belief,

Radi se o osećanju i verovanju,

and it isn't just our organization's work.

i to nije samo posao naše organizacije.

All across this country right now,

Širom cele ove zemlje, u ovom trenutku,

immigrants, young people, veterans, people of all different backgrounds

imigranti, mladi ljudi, veterani, ljudi iz najrazličitijih okruženja

are coming together to create this kind of passionate, joyful activity

udružuju se da bi stvarali ovakvu strastvenu, radosnu aktivnost

around elections,

oko izbora,

in red and blue states, in urban and rural communities,

u crvenim i plavim državama, u urbanim i ruralnim zajednicama,

people of every political background.

ljudi iz svih političkih okruženja.

What they have in common is simply this:

Zajedničko im je, jednostavno, ovo:

their work is rooted in place.

njihov rad je ukorenjen u mestu.

Because remember, all citizenship is local.

Jer zapamtite, svako građanstvo je lokalno.

When politics becomes just a presidential election,

Kad se politika svede na predsedničke izbore,

we yell and we scream at our screens, and then we collapse, exhausted.

svi vičemo i vrištimo na ekrane, i onda se skljokamo, iscrpljeni.

But when politics is about us

Ali kada se politika tiče nas

and our neighbors and other people in our community

i naših komšija i drugih ljudi u našoj zajednici

coming together to create experiences of collective voice and imagination,

koji se udružuju da stvore iskustva kolektivnog glasa i mašte,

then we begin to remember that this stuff matters.

onda počinjemo da pamtimo da je ta stvar važna.

We begin to remember that this is the stuff of self-government.

Počinjemo da pamtimo da je to stvar samoupravljanja.

Which brings me back to where I began.

A to me dovodi na početak.

Why bother?

Čemu trud?

There's one way to answer this question.

Jedan je odgovor na to pitanje.

Voting matters because it is a self-fulfilling act of belief.

Glasanje je važno jer je to samoispunjujući čin vere.

It feeds the spirit of mutual interest that makes any society thrive.

Ono hrani duh uzajamnog interesa koji čini da društvo napreduje.

When we vote, even if it is in anger,

Kada glasamo, čak i ako je to iz gneva,

we are part of a collective, creative leap of faith.

deo smo kolektivnog, kreativnog skoka vere.

Voting helps us generate the very power that we wish we had.

Glasanje nam pomaže da proizvedemo baš tu moć koju bismo voleli da imamo.

It's no accident that democracy and theater

Nije slučajno što su demokratija i teatar

emerged around the same time in ancient Athens.

nastali otprilike u isto vreme u drevnoj Atini.

Both of them yank the individual out of the enclosure of her private self.

Oboje izvlače pojedinca iz ograđenog, ličnog, privatnog prostora.

Both of them create great public experiences of shared ritual.

Oboje stvaraju velika javna iskustva zajedničkog rituala.

Both of them bring the imagination to life

Oboje od mašte prave život

in ways that remind us that all of our bonds in the end

na načine koji nas podsećaju da su sve naše spone zapravo

are imagined, and can be reimagined.

zamišljene, i mogu se drugačije zamisliti.

This moment right now,

Ovaj trenutak, baš sada,

when we think about the meaning of imagination,

kada razmišljamo o značenju mašte,

is so fundamentally important,

toliko je temeljno važan,

and our ability to take that spirit

i naša sposobnost da shvatimo taj duh

and to take that sense

i shvatimo taj smisao

that there is something greater out there,

da postoji nešto što je veće,

is not just a matter of technical expertise.

nije samo stvar tehničke ekspertize.

It's not just a matter of making the time or having the know-how.

To nije samo stvar brzine ili veštine.

It is a matter of spirit.

To je stvar duha.

But let me give you an answer to this question, "Why bother?"

Ali hajde da vam odgovorim na to pitanje, „Čemu trud“,

that is maybe a little less spiritual and a bit more pointed.

koje je možda manje duhovno, a više oštro.

Why bother voting?

Čemu trud da glasamo?

Because there is no such thing as not voting.

Zato što ne postoji nešto što bi bilo neglasanje.

Not voting is voting,

Neglasanje je glasanje

for everything that you may detest and oppose.

za sve ono što možda prezirete i čemu se protivite.

Not voting can be dressed up

Neglasanje se može prerušiti

as an act of principled, passive resistance,

u čin principijelnog, pasivnog otpora,

but in fact not voting

ali zapravo neglasanje

is actively handing power over

je aktivno predavanje moći

to those whose interests are counter to your own,

onima čiji interesi su protivni vašima,

and those who would be very glad to take advantage of your absence.

i onima koji bi bili veoma srećni da iskoriste vaše odsustvo.

Not voting is for suckers.

Neglasanje je za naivčine.

Imagine where this country would be

Zamislite gde bi ova zemlja bila

if all the folks who in 2010 created the Tea Party

da su svi ljudi koji su godine 2010. napravili pokret "Čajanka"

had decided that, you know, politics is too messy,

tada odlučili da je, znate, politika previše prljava,

voting is too complicated.

da je glasanje složeno.

There is no possibility of our votes adding up to anything.

Da nema šanse da naši glasovi bilo čemu doprinesu.

They didn't preemptively silence themselves.

Oni se nisu preventivno ućutkali.

They showed up,

Pojavili su se,

and in the course of showing up, they changed American politics.

i tokom tog pojavljivanja, promenili su američku politiku.

Imagine if all of the followers of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders

Zamislite da su svi sledbenici Donalda Trampa i Bernija Sandersa

had decided not to upend the political status quo

odlučili da ne obaraju politički status kvo

and blow apart the frame of the previously possible

i da ne razaraju okvire onoga što je pre toga bilo moguće

in American politics.

u američkoj politici.

They did that by voting.

To su učinili glasanjem.

We live in a time right now,

Sada živimo u vremenu

divided, often very dark,

podeljenom, često vrlo mračnom,

where across the left and the right, there's a lot of talk of revolution

gde se širom levice i desnice dosta govori o revoluciji

and the need for revolution to disrupt everyday democracy.

i potrebi za njom, kako bi se poremetila svakodnevna demokratija.

Well, here's the thing:

Ima tu jedna stvar:

everyday democracy already gives us a playbook for revolution.

svakodnevna demokratija već nam daje scenario za revoluciju.

In the 2012 presidential election,

Na predsedničkim izborima godine 2012,

young voters, Latino voters,

mladi glasači, Latino glasači,

Asian-American voters, low-income voters,

azijsko-američki glasači, siromašni glasači,

all showed up at less than 50 percent.

svi su se odazvali sa manje od 50 posto.

In the 2014 midterm elections, turnout was 36 percent,

Na srednjoročnim izborima godine 2014, odziv je bio 36 posto,

which was a 70-year low.

što je najniže u 70 godina.

And in your average local election,

A na vašim prosečnim lokalnim izborima,

turnout hovers somewhere around 20 percent.

odziv lebdi na negde oko 20 posto.

I invite you to imagine 100 percent.

Pozivam vas da zamislite 100 posto.

Picture 100 percent.

Predstavite sebi 100 posto.

Mobilize 100 percent,

Mobilišite 100 posto,

and overnight, we get revolution.

i preko noći, dobićemo revoluciju.

Overnight, the policy priorities of this country change dramatically,

Preko noći, politički prioriteti ove zemlje dramatično će se promeniti,

and every level of government becomes radically more responsive

i svaki nivo upravljanja postaće radikalno responsivniji

to all the people.

prema svim ljudima.

What would it take to mobilize 100 percent?

Šta bi trebalo uraditi da se mobiliše 100 posto?

Well, we do have to push back against efforts afoot

Pa, moramo da odbijemo napore koji su sada u toku

all across the country right now

širom cele zemlje

to make voting harder.

da se glasanje oteža.

But at the same time,

Ali u isto vreme,

we have to actively create a positive culture of voting

moramo da aktivno stvaramo pozitivnu kulturu glasanja

that people want to belong to,

kojoj ljudi žele da pripadaju,

be part of, and experience together.

da budu deo nje, i zajedno je iskuse.

We have to make purpose.

Moramo da napravimo svrhu.

We have to make joy.

Moramo da napravimo radost.

So yes, let's have that revolution,

Da, hajde da napravimo revoluciju,

a revolution of spirit, of ideas,

revoluciju duha, ideja,

of policy and participation,

politike i učestvovanja,

a revolution against cynicism,

revoluciju protiv cinizma,

a revolution against the self-fulfilling sense of powerlessness.

revoluciju protiv samoispunjujućeg osećaja bespomoćnosti.

Let's vote this revolution into existence,

Hajde da glasanjem stvorimo ovu revoluciju,

and while we're at it,

i kad smo već kod toga,

let's have some fun.

hajde da se zabavimo.

Thank you very much.

Mnogo vam hvala.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)