Lenin April 2nd 2023
LENIN
I am going to the Odeon cafè on a regular basis right now. Even in the morning, before opening the museum, I spend a couple of hours in the bar reading the newspapers. It is a strange feeling because the news, especially those coming from Germany, show a certain respect for socialism. Even when they do not necessarily write an apology of the idea, they look to be deeply affected by Marx and the Soviet propaganda. Not those thoughts inspired under my direct leadership, but also the lies built up during Stalin's junta. Whenever a journalist finds himself in the unpleasant position to criticise the deeds of a person or organisation close to the pillars of socialism, the writer has to clearly justify his decision. Nevertheless the world all around me does not look to have implemented any of my suggestions or, better to say, orders. People still need to fight for a decent living on their own and the only influence of socialism, beside the bla-blas of the so called politically correct press, is perhaps the disruptive impact on family values. However divorce and abortion are not necessarily triggered by the effectiveness of my followers. Individuals feel more and more egoist, they cannot find a compromise anymore within the small society constituted by a family group. They have lost the feeling of the existence of the Almighty because of their love of gold, not as a consequence of education toward a marxist-leninist world. On the contrary high schools promote more and more technical subjects and if it were not for the constant propaganda of green and red activists, politics can be easily forgotten by most students. I would have never imagined that. After so many years and decades of fighting any instance of spiritualism, materialism would have opened the doors to the most aggressive capitalism. For sure I read a lot about anti money laundry and any sort of bureaucratic limitations to full enjoyment of private property. It does however not help the working class and all these rules are instead creating an elite who is able to navigate through them. All the others are out, for choice or actual inability to cope with such a plethora of papers and forms. Even self professed leftists are not recognising that instead of communism, they are giving to the Swiss and the European people a new aristocracy made of clerks, bankers, lawyers and public servants. It is not the Russia, or Soviet Union of 1920s, but the Russia depicted by Gogol and his fellows. How long will it take to introduce the serfdom once again? Few extra guarantees for the common workers in exchange of their freedom. It happened in the past, since the time of Diocletian, a proto socialist indeed. Perhaps I have got to accept that socialism achieved its perfection under Louis XIV and that it is not so strange that the bourgeoisie has been the strongest, and most capable, fiend both of the Ancien Regime and of the Soviet Union. Marx indeed despised shopkeepers, as much as true aristocrats by birth. If it is a matter of fact, I should start to seduce a few selected among the new elite and begin with them a new journey towards socialism and my definite coronation. In that case I would not reject the idea to be effectively crowned King of Switzerland. There has never been such a Kingdom and it would remind to my new subjects their time spent in total freedom. It would be better to resume some more remote title such as Duke of Milan, Count of Tyrol or King of Burgundy. The latter would be ideal since Burgundy was the most mobile country of the past, even more than Poland did recently. In the end Poland is just constantly moving to the West. Perhaps they aim to reach Berlin.
The art dealer
My hands are trembling at the idea to reserve a train ticket to London. It is not the idea to spend extra money. They will go on the expenses covered by my company. I think I made a big mess with the two Hockneys. Actually the mess was set up by my new colleague, who pretended to understand that the shipment had to be taken care of from Switzerland and not within the U.K. Now we have got a collector who is highly dissatisfied and a major art gallery that is also crazy about me. My boss forwarded the emails they sent directly to him, he could have spared me such a humiliation and it made me only more insecure about what to do next. Perhaps that is the reaction he wants to obtain, to destabilise me, to push me to resign. I know I should not do that, I need to stand fast and deny any possible evidence against my deeds. I have to strongly believe that I am innocent and no imputation can be charged on my account, if not to have trusted a junior totally unaware of customs and regulations. Details that can severely impact the margin on any operation. That is all that I have to say, otherwise I could ignite such a confrontation where I will be the only loser. The junior can easily apply for another position, nobody would care about the quality of his first experience and, with some overselling, he could even get an increase on his fixed salary or better conditions on the fees recognised after closing a deal. I only hope he will not manage to blame me, to switch sides and sit on the chair to the right of my boss, joining the jury who will decide my fate. He could get all the advantages by acting in this way. They can even fill my vacancy with him, paying him slightly less and gaining a loyal subject. I have been a loyal dog for the last two years as well, accepting all that was thrown in my direction without a fuss. On my lips I notice an elegant grimace, almost a smile. I behaved so well for so long that I could also afford some activity. It is said that once, Caesar, became the besieger instead of the besieged, by only deviating the flow of a minor river. What worked with the Gauls, should work with the Saxons as well. At least my company is not so inclusive and I do not have got to fight against women, gays and Irishmen. There are few Indians, but we need them to trade with the London elite. At least the high performing medical doctors are mostly Indians and, as much as they are greedy to make money, they are also enthusiastic to buy art. They do not desire to acquire social status. Their interest is triggered by their cultural background, making them passionate and well learned collectors. I should recognise they are my best clients, beside institutional art galleries. I am almost at the end of my journey. From Charing Cross to the office, it does not take so long. I will enjoy a ride in a cab. I cannot trust the underground. Let’s recollect in my mind all my thoughts and my plans while approaching the door. The entrance of the building is in front of me. The structure is not conspicuous. Traditional red bricks and white wooden windows. There is no luxury to be shown, if not some brass around the door bells. In the end we trade everything online and, if a crate must be opened, it must be done in the storage, or the fraport. Now that I think about it, it was the client who joked about a fraport and I cut and pasted the joke of the junior. I could tease it on the subject for a chat.
The consultant
I started to get tired of the project. My agenda is full packed with several initiatives stacking up without moving forward. I must dare to freeze them until we shall have more capacity. I can only expect to obtain more FTEs from above, since I cannot easily influence the internal decisions of the company. Of my client. Luckily the management is cooperative. It cannot be otherwise given the present situation. After the merging shall be completed, new places will be cut and the survivors will be the best of the best, la creme de la creme. I still remember that expression in the mouth of an old consultant already at the end of his career because over fifty. I did not know how long consultancy could afford to refuse the contribution of so called older people. They usually complain about the skills gaps and the high demand of professionals, but at the same time the top management does not want to change a consolidated habit. Within my project, we shall survive as we could and I would not blame someone who is older than fifty and still willing to spend the week in hotels far away from home. Tomorrow I shall meet two new colleagues. They are not children and had already worked for the bank, more than twenty years ago. Perhaps they could easily connect with their colleagues who stayed and made a certain level of career. I only hope they had not left because they could not stand this kind of person. The internals who never leave or change a place in their own life, proud of their resiliency and high despising of professionals who have created a wide knowledge by continuously facing new problems and environments. It is time that I cease to obsessively make philosophy while working. Though I will visit a new apartment. The hotel will be available only for a further five months and it would be ideal to spot a cosy house where to spend the next decades. At least to avoid continuous relocation costs and be able to create an actual social network all around me, that could help in case something goes wrong or at least to mitigate the strange effects of isolation. Not that I am living on a desert island, but that is the feeling when you spend most of the days in a bank, evenings and breakfasts in a hotel. I believe that by the end of the five months, if I have not found a lover, I will start to behave like the cheapest tinderella. MY last boyfriend left me four years ago, since he was tired of waiting for me during the weekends and drove me to and from the airport on each Friday evening and Sunday morning. I believe he was also somehow jealous. Not of any person that I could have met while consulting. He looked to be jealous of my career, of all the points I accumulated on the Amex, being not aware that they were the consolation prize, or the bait, for a homeless life. In Switzerland there is a sad expression for people like me, we are called the Matlosa, those who do not possess the privilege of a home country. From the German Heimatlos. They usually were wanderers from the neighbouring countries, men living marauding from village to village with few items to be sold to the local housekeepers. Gender equality has extended such a condition to women as well. I do not know whether it is a time advantage. At least I can make much more money than by trading small pieces of fabric or cheap toys for the enthusiastic kids living on the Alps. My passport is also a regular one and I am settled in what is supposed to be an exclusive residency for high income guests. The expenses are paid by my company and I am not a HNWI.
