In a building filled with people who once survived state surveillance, ideological purges, and bread lines, you’d think a petty condo board wouldn’t be so intimidating.
And yet – here we are.
Decades after the fall of the Iron Curtain, many of our neighbours remain deeply committed to one sacred principle: never speak out. Not when someone’s rights are violated. Not when condo funds are funneled into legal threats. Not even when your hallway ceiling collapses and the board blames “humidity.”
It’s as if their mouths were permanently welded shut by years of mandatory obedience – and now they wear that silence like a badge of honour. A generation once taught to whisper under communism now whispers under Mildred.
🚪“Just Keep Your Head Down” – The National Anthem of Our Building
Some of our residents spent years living under regimes where saying the wrong thing could get you arrested or killed.
So they adapt. They survive. And now, in the tranquil democratic utopia of condo life, they’ve repurposed those same instincts:
- Ignore the lawsuits
- Avoid the meetings
- Never ask for records
- And always – always – vote for whoever smiles and doesn’t rock the boat.
Who needs ideology when you have bingo night and water leaks?
🧠The Trauma is Real – But So is the Responsibility
To be clear: fear doesn’t disappear when the regime does. People carry survival strategies for life. And many genuinely believe that staying quiet is the safest route. They’re not wrong – silence has always been the most reliable survival skill in repressive systems.
But here’s the catch: this isn’t a totalitarian regime anymore. It’s just a condo board. And no matter how much they cosplay as the Ministry of Truth, they’re still just volunteers mismanaging a maintenance budget.
When residents who lived through oppression enable a new one by staying silent, they don’t just protect themselves – they protect the next abuse. And the one after that.
🗣️ So What Now?
If you lived through real tyranny, you’ve already proven you’re brave.
Speaking up at a condo meeting? Asking why thousands are spent on legal fees? Requesting the minutes?
That’s not dangerous. That’s just Tuesday in a functioning democracy.
So please – you’ve earned your voice. Use it.
Or at least don’t vote for the ones who think filing a CAT application is sedition.
🕯️ Silence is what kept you alive back then.
It’s what keeps bad governance alive now.
Disclaimer: This post is satire and opinion. Read full disclaimer.
