World under clowns. Almaz Braev

of traditional elite. All actions are calculated.

      Chapter 5

      The people who look back

      The people who remember their families and tribes constantly talk not about the future but about their past. It is how it happens at ceremonies – weddings, funerals, especially at funeral rites. The most important actors there are old people.

      So what is democracy for, you say? What place should I attach it to the past people’s story? The people look at the elderly as intellectuals and legislators of behavior. It would seem that no reforms can break through such a people; the real subconscious revolves around the spirits of the dead. Such a person himself wants to be liked by the spirits of the departed (they “returned”, as the Kazakhs say about the dead, that is, about a dead person, because all this time they seemed to be returning to the real world to help living relatives).

      So why do we need democracy, which does not exist? After all, there really isn’t. It just sounds like fashion. It is fashionable to say so, pretend to adapt to the world information, and hence culture. Talking about democracy to a Kazakh means showing that you know world affairs. You are so aware that you are such an honorable person. It is a show-off, as the Kazakhs themselves say about it. At the ceremonies, no one talks about democracy because of the senselessness of showing off in the wrong place. You can show off clothes, an expensive car, and verbal symbols that do not require sounds or words, and everyone immediately understands why this Kazakh came. Of course, he will also listen to old people and recognize relatives, and he can’t get away from relatives anywhere. Therefore, no new or old ideology will be able to do anything with the tribal world; it is so strong and cohesive. And the people will inevitably go back, begin to degrade, and get rid of civilization, although even at this time, there will be attempts to show that you are higher than others. I once said that the Russian language is an attempt by Kazakhs to show their independence from their kind, where all the roles are already painted, and everyone knows who will do what, including who will come to the funeral and what will tell. Of course, the Russian-speaking Kazakh does not think about it at all. But he knows that with Russian (today with English and Spanish), he can show his level and raise his status. The tribal elite has always been the fastest to adopt the culture, hence the speech of the colonizers. Russian Russians also spoke French until the Russian Revolution and the British Celts quickly Romanized. Hence, the Indian elite spoke Spanish, English, and French, so even the Russian nobles spoke French until the Russian Revolution. If the peasants could speak the language of a people they had not even seen, they would not speak. But Kazakhs began to speak Russian; first, the generic outcasts could not roam with the family. They didn’t even have a horse. But they quickly compensated for their shortcomings by learning Russian in the city.

      Chapter 6

      The Modern Warrior

      Among those who found themselves outside the circle of the chosen Zerots (feudal elite), among even the so-called middle stratum and just ordinary people, we know there were the real outcasts. But it is not given to be brave warriors, and not everyone is lucky to appear in a family of feudal authority. Even in the family of noble feudal lords, incidents can happen. For example, the story of Gautama Buddha happened. From this, the Buddha was even an outcast for a while.

      On the contrary, he became a prophet for the whole of Southeast Asia. Not everything is given to turn into a Buddha. But among those who were outside the circle of traditional people, there were people very similar to the Buddha or potential Buddhas. This is not a mockery! All the outcasts of the traditional world who found themselves outside the circle of prestige are very similar; on the periphery, all the Mangurts seem to be the same person. I didn’t misspeak. Mangurts and renegades, losers, and rootless people could be very interesting people from the position of self-reflection. We know that the Zerefs have no reflection. It is almost zero, hence the naming under the status of Zeref. Zeref – reflection means zero. Or almost zero. The Zerefs live in this world to perform rituals to preserve traditions, continue the ancestors’ work, and produce heirs. And, of course, to multiply the glory – your glory and the glory of your tribe. When we talk about the Zerefs, the main thing for the tradition is the physical multitude of people who make up the traditional people. The more people, the more people, men and women, have fulfilled their duty. They gave birth to children and brought them up so that they, in turn, did the same thing – gave birth to children. Nothing else is needed. Everything that goes beyond the circle of the rite and, consequently, beyond the circle of the chosen people, the elite, is the real mangurtism. Mangurt is a person who not only does not know his name – this is in a narrow sense but is someone who does not want to live in the old way.

      But how will he live in the old way if all the places for climbing are occupied by the most arrogant? The bravest and the most cunning. The most respectable (in the traditional sense) and, of course, the most exemplary. Who, in general, is an example of the Zerefs? What do fathers teach their sons? You already know about the duty of raising sons. But with what mood? What is meant here is not excitement at the sight of a woman. The most important thing here is respect. Fathers teach their sons to respect rituals and, therefore, observe etiquette. Respect for elders is equal to respect for tradition and reverence for the elite. Our mangurts, losers, and renegades in this matter are the latest. No, of course, they also observe rituals, show, and don’t pretend, but they are kicked off by the strongest and the most daring. The one who portrayed virtue and generosity with pleasure a minute ago kicks the renegades. Not only the bravest and most exemplary, kick someone. For traditional people, a prerequisite is to kick someone, not necessarily with a foot but with words, intrigue, back-talking, and various gossip. So, the most exemplary sons can tell their father about the pranks of one of their family members. Then, the father punishes the unfortunate with his own hand. Do you recognize it? At the invitation of his entourage, the ruler of such a people can punish an official who is guilty of something. Maybe he didn’t even do anything. But woe to him! Whoever is closer to the ears of the father, ruler, educator, or supervisor is the most reliable. But whoever gets a kick kicks is pushed out by these kicks to the very perimeter. If the kick happened from above, then everyone can kick. Among the Mangurts, renegades, and losers, there may be very respectable people in the past, of course. But these fallen from the hill will never become Buddha. The traditional people do not like wisdom and the wise at all now. Wise for the Zerefs is an any old man. And, of course, the absolute authority of wisdom is the ruler. If there is an overlap of high position and age, then this is just cosmic luck for Zerot feudal. But again and again – woe to our Mangurts!

      Suppose such people do not respect the smart. And what is smart? How can a son be smarter than his father? Unheard of impudence. The people expel such a contingent to the very periphery – these people become Mangurts. Only the poorest and ignoble, who by the will of fate find themselves outside the honorable circle of their people, study the languages of their neighbors and, of course, a craft that would be considered a despicable occupation for the worthy. For example, who would need to communicate with Russian immigrants if the whole family and all relatives have long migrated to the side of grass-rich pastures? Only outcasts who don’t have a horse have nothing to carry their yurt on. Tribal outcasts began to build stationary housing according to the type of housing they saw from the Russians to survive. And who would want to go to a Russian city if he has a lot of sheep? Only those who simply didn’t have them. But in a strange city, you can find a job. This is all an example of learning where mangurts come from. And that’s why they eventually turn out to be the most far-sighted. They are not far-sighted! Their relatives, kin, and people gave them a “kick”. This kick gave them acceleration, and then hunger did everything.

      But it cannot be said that the Mangurts were the smartest because they were naturally talented. Gifted mangurts. That’s not so. There are plenty of talented sons among the family’s authoritative people, the people in the circle of honor. But the thing is that these talents diligently perform only rituals and continue the age-old inertia; that is, they live