Edis Felić: The National Headquarters’ probation period has long expired. Termination!

I may be becoming tedious, but I must comment on the inconsistency of the National Civil Protection Headquarters or whatever the ‘think tank’ that constitutes it is called. This has been written about many times before. The latest example is (again) the Association Voice of Entrepreneurs (UGP), which states that dance schools cannot operate, but those whose primary activity is not dance can organize dance events. And I have an example too.

So, UGP has pointed out the problem of sports-recreational dance clubs, which are still not allowed to operate. Meanwhile, measures have been relaxed for gyms, fitness centers, and many other activities. Dance is indeed specific because a man and a woman or a man and a man (it doesn’t matter, it’s all normal) still press close to each other, so if a dancer does not have a partner, they could be assigned someone unknown who might have corona. O.K., I can understand that this is the reason for the ban on dance schools, but that is what masks are for, although to be honest, they are not safe. Still, who guarantees that the risk of infection at a dance is greater than that in a gym or fitness center, where contacts also exist and, worse yet, the virus can survive on equipment regardless of how well they are disinfected.

Irritating Practice

The worst part, UGP reminds us, is that dance activities are held in other sectors where dance is not the primary activity. Thus, the decision-making practice of the ‘think tank’ has long become irritating, especially for entrepreneurs who live off businesses that are currently banned.

The same is true for another sports-recreational activity. My children enrolled in a swimming club, but they have not attended training for months because the ‘think tank’ concluded that they cannot be held in pools due to the risk of infection. In the meantime, what is really interesting is that in February, we went as a family to a pool complex in Zagorje for the weekend and we could swim, dive, and perform various stunts without any problems mixed with other potential carriers who came to have fun just like us. I think that my family members were also potential carriers.

So now I ask on what basis the ‘think tank’ concluded that there is a lower possibility of infection in a tourist pool complex compared to the pools where children train. The more I think about the answer, the more I conclude that the risk of infection is actually lower during swimming club training than in a tourist complex. Because the number of children is limited, if there are too many, they can be divided into several groups, and somehow it seems to me that this is harder to achieve in tourist pool complexes with guests.

I have been thinking for a while that I would like to see how the ‘think tank’ makes decisions. Or let’s say I sneak in like Boško Buha and eavesdrop on how they discuss who can work and who cannot, and then I drop a (media) bomb on how they make decisions. I am convinced that if I snuck in like a little folk hero once did, I would hear one ask: ‘Shall we allow swimming clubs to operate?’ After a few seconds of thinking, another, shaking his head left and right, would reply that it is still too dangerous because people could get infected! And then everyone would nod in agreement saying that people could get infected, even the one who asked.

The System is Not Developed

For more than a year, the ‘think tank’ has been managing this crisis and if at first there could and should have been understanding for its wanderings, its probation period has long expired. It is incredible how easily it makes illogical decisions, which confirms that none are made based on ratio (i.e., regulations made by reason), but rather on voluntas (the will) of the ‘think tank’ which does not even need a regulation, as medieval rulers once did. The large number of illogical decisions about who can work and who cannot, and who can gather in public places (for example, after elections), and who cannot, tells us that the system has not been developed even after more than a year, which means that the ‘think tank’ is incapable of fulfilling the task it has been given! It needs to be terminated! 

POST SCRIPTUM

The only rule that has been established and is constantly adhered to is that new decisions will be considered every two weeks. And you won’t believe it, all your efforts are in vain, because a decision that is vital for some entrepreneurial activity cannot be made immediately, but must wait for the next cycle of decisions from the National Civil Protection Headquarters. And just by the example of swimming clubs, it can be seen that this adherence is meaningless in some cases. Because if we conclude now that it really makes no sense for swimming clubs to be closed, why wait for a change in decision for two weeks? Let’s change it immediately!