Copyright radionacional
STRENGTH AND HONOR – FROM THE RED EPIDEMIC TO THE NATIONAL AWAKENING A Political, Social, and Moral Study on Today’s Albania By Flamur Buçpapaj Introduction Albania is a nation that has moved from one extreme to another: from the slavery of totalitarian socialism to the insecurity of fragile democracy. We have endured decades of ideological darkness, imprisonment, exile, and poverty, only to face today an endless transition where the injustices of the past and the present coexist beneath a thin layer of formal freedom. This study is both a call for national awakening and a program for moral, economic, and political renewal—guided by two fundamental values that must become the compass of every Albanian: Strength and Honor. The Red Epidemic – The Tragedy of the Albanian Nation Socialism in Albania was not merely an economic failure; it was a red epidemic that destroyed every moral, social, and cultural fiber of the people. In a small nation like ours, it inflicted more wounds than any foreign invader ever did. No foreign enemy built concentration camps on our land — our own regime did, against its own sons and daughters. No occupier expelled children from schools because of their “biography” — the Albanian communist system did. Fathers and sons were branded as “enemies of the people” simply because they thought differently, because they possessed knowledge, culture, or the courage to speak the truth. The red epidemic shattered families, villages, values, honor, and faith. It replaced the chain of merit with a hierarchy of fear and servility. Schools of free thought were closed, books were burned, poets imprisoned, and scholars silenced. This wound remains unhealed, for many of those who sowed darkness still hold positions of influence. From the Past to the Present – The Collaborators of Darkness Today, the descendants of the former secret police and their collaborators have changed uniforms, but not morals. Those who once persecuted people for “bad biographies” now protest against those who dare to tell the truth. The same old network — from Valbona to Tirana — still operates, now under new forms and new masks, but with the same goal: to preserve privilege, power, and injustice. In Valbona, a sacred land of Albanian nature, construction without permits continues, destroying national heritage while the state looks away. Instead of law, there is clientelism; instead of merit, political loyalty; instead of honor, personal interest. This is the continuation of the same totalitarian philosophy — transformed into modern corruption. But we do not forget. We have recorded everything: names, actions, properties, and abuses. The justice of the people is not revenge; it is moral and national correction. Everything unjustly taken from the people must be returned to them. Strength and Honor – The Rebirth of Albanian Values Our national motto is clear: Strength and Honor. Strength to work, to build, to never give up. Honor to live with dignity, to never trample upon truth, to never forget the past. These two values, united, are the pillars upon which a new Albania can rise. Without strength, there is no development; without honor, there is no nation. Today, we must rebuild not only the economy, but also public morality — the trust in truth, justice, and honest labor. The National Program of Awakening and Renewal 1. The People’s Economy and Honest Work We must revive the economy of production, not of imports. Reopen national factories; restore agriculture and craftsmanship as true sources of livelihood. Encourage the creation of free economic cooperatives for farmers and small businesses. Build public housing for the homeless, and make it a constitutional and moral duty that no Albanian shall sleep under the open sky. 2. Reform in the Army, Police, and National Security The forces of order and defense must serve the nation, not political parties. Purge the institutions of political influence and rebuild them on the basis of trust and professionalism. Restore the army’s role in defending national sovereignty, providing civil aid, and responding to emergencies. The former secret police must be replaced by democratic intelligence services that protect the state from its real enemies — corruption, poverty, and disinformation. 3. Justice and Moral Cleansing Corruption is the modern form of national betrayal. Justice must act fearlessly against anyone who has abused public wealth. All property unjustly taken by former officials or old networks of the secret police must be returned to the people. 4. Education, Health, and Youth A nation that does not educate and protect its youth is doomed to extinction. Invest in free and quality education, in universities that promote free thinking, not propaganda. Strengthen public healthcare and raise doctors’ salaries, as today many are forced to leave the country. Create youth centers for innovation and national development. Toward a National Rebirth The road ahead is long, but it begins with one step: Awakening. Awakening from fear, from silence, from moral and mental dependence. Awakening of the national conscience that refuses to live any longer in humiliation and poverty. This is a call to all Albanians: to unite for a just, honest, and strong Albania; for a nation where people are respected for their work, not their political connections; for a society where public wealth belongs to the people, not to corrupt clans. Our history teaches us that no foreign conqueror has been as cruel as our own sons when enslaved by ideology. But it also teaches us that no darkness can stop the dawn of light. Strength and Honor — this is our faith, our path, the voice of a people who will nob longer be silent. The National Rebirth begins now — with work, justice, conscience, and love for the Homeland.
