WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.940 Welcome back to another deep dive. It is really 00:00:02.940 --> 00:00:04.620 great to have you with us today. Yeah, thanks 00:00:04.620 --> 00:00:06.980 for having me. I'm excited for this one. So I 00:00:06.980 --> 00:00:10.679 want to start today by throwing a concept at 00:00:10.679 --> 00:00:14.160 you. Something that feels, well, it feels incredibly 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:16.879 familiar to all of us. Almost to the point where 00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:18.559 we just stop thinking about what it actually 00:00:18.559 --> 00:00:21.359 means. Oh, okay. What's the concept? It's just 00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:26.600 the word service. Ah, yeah. That is, I mean, 00:00:26.620 --> 00:00:28.399 that's a heavy word. It carries a whole lot of 00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:31.079 baggage. Exactly. It really does. Like if I were 00:00:31.079 --> 00:00:32.640 to just stop someone out on the street right 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:35.740 now and ask them, what does it mean to serve 00:00:35.740 --> 00:00:38.200 your country? Where do you think their mind goes 00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:40.460 first? Almost instinctively. I mean, they're 00:00:40.460 --> 00:00:42.020 going straight to the battlefield. Right, exactly. 00:00:42.299 --> 00:00:45.259 We think of the soldier in the trench. We think 00:00:45.259 --> 00:00:48.219 of physical bravery holding the line, making 00:00:48.219 --> 00:00:51.399 the ultimate sacrifice. It's very cinematic. 00:00:51.420 --> 00:00:54.219 It's loud. Yeah. And it's undeniable. And rightfully 00:00:54.219 --> 00:00:56.380 so. I mean, that is the absolute highest stakes. 00:00:56.909 --> 00:00:58.890 version of service. But the thing is, it's not 00:00:58.890 --> 00:01:02.549 the only version. No, it's not. And that is really 00:01:02.549 --> 00:01:05.469 the pivot point for what we're doing today. Because 00:01:05.469 --> 00:01:07.709 what if service is actually much quieter than 00:01:07.709 --> 00:01:10.170 that? Like, what if it doesn't look like a war 00:01:10.170 --> 00:01:13.489 movie at all? What if it looks like running a 00:01:13.489 --> 00:01:15.909 high school math department for 30 years? Yeah. 00:01:15.989 --> 00:01:18.510 Or spending decades in a quiet laboratory just 00:01:18.510 --> 00:01:22.129 staring at a microscope. Yes. Or, and this is 00:01:22.129 --> 00:01:23.409 the one that really caught my eye when I was 00:01:23.409 --> 00:01:25.310 looking through the research stack for today, 00:01:25.469 --> 00:01:28.650 what if service is just simply doing your day 00:01:28.650 --> 00:01:31.769 job? Yeah. Like as a bureaucrat. But doing it 00:01:31.769 --> 00:01:34.290 with, quote, dignity and honesty. That is such 00:01:34.290 --> 00:01:36.549 a fascinating distinction. And, you know, to 00:01:36.549 --> 00:01:39.049 be fair to the public, it is a lot harder to 00:01:39.049 --> 00:01:41.709 make a summer blockbuster movie about a bureaucrat 00:01:41.709 --> 00:01:44.150 honestly filing their paperwork. It really is. 00:01:44.290 --> 00:01:46.260 But, you know, maybe we should. Because that 00:01:46.260 --> 00:01:47.959 is exactly what we are unpacking today. We've 00:01:47.959 --> 00:01:49.840 got a whole stack of documents here. We really 00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:53.099 do. Statutes, official decrees, hierarchy lists. 00:01:53.640 --> 00:01:56.379 And they're all focused on a very specific piece 00:01:56.379 --> 00:01:59.840 of source material. Today, we are doing a deep 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:02.239 dive into the Forest Service to the Fatherland 00:02:02.239 --> 00:02:06.959 Order, or in Azerbaijani, the Vis Tayan Stone 00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:10.400 Jurordani. And this is from the Republic of Azerbaijan. 00:02:10.680 --> 00:02:12.960 And I think I want to just clarify our mission 00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:14.939 here for you listening before we get totally 00:02:14.939 --> 00:02:17.620 lost in the weeds of, you know, metal ribbons 00:02:17.620 --> 00:02:20.020 and enamel pins and all that. Yeah, set the stage 00:02:20.020 --> 00:02:21.879 for us. We aren't just looking at a shiny object 00:02:21.879 --> 00:02:24.500 today to judge its design. What we're really 00:02:24.500 --> 00:02:28.419 looking at is how a nation codifies value. I 00:02:28.419 --> 00:02:31.759 love that phrase, codifies value. Just break 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:33.780 that down a bit for us. Well, if you think about 00:02:33.780 --> 00:02:35.840 it, when a state actually sits down and writes 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:38.000 out the rules for a medal, especially a really 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:40.759 high level order, they aren't just making jewelry. 00:02:41.020 --> 00:02:42.840 Right. They're making a statement. Exactly. They 00:02:42.840 --> 00:02:46.060 are creating a very public list of virtues. They 00:02:46.060 --> 00:02:48.300 are essentially telling their citizens, hey, 00:02:48.439 --> 00:02:51.590 this is the ideal version of you. By examining 00:02:51.590 --> 00:02:54.310 the criteria for this specific order, we can 00:02:54.310 --> 00:02:56.409 actually understand how they're trying to move 00:02:56.409 --> 00:02:59.729 beyond just, you know, general vague patriotism. 00:02:59.789 --> 00:03:01.990 Right, beyond just waving a flag. Yeah, into 00:03:01.990 --> 00:03:04.270 very specific actions, things like state construction. 00:03:04.490 --> 00:03:06.990 So we are essentially decoding the state's wish 00:03:06.990 --> 00:03:09.909 list for its own people. Precisely. We're reading 00:03:09.909 --> 00:03:12.710 the blueprint of the ideal citizen. Okay, let's 00:03:12.710 --> 00:03:14.729 get into the anatomy of this award then. Yeah. 00:03:14.789 --> 00:03:16.680 Where did it actually come from? Because looking 00:03:16.680 --> 00:03:19.639 at these documents, this isn't some ancient relic 00:03:19.639 --> 00:03:21.879 from the Middle Ages. No, no, it is actually 00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:24.439 a relatively modern creation. It was established 00:03:24.439 --> 00:03:28.189 on November 7th, 2003. 2003. OK, so we aren't 00:03:28.189 --> 00:03:29.710 talking about something from the 19th century 00:03:29.710 --> 00:03:32.229 or even the Soviet era. No. And that date is 00:03:32.229 --> 00:03:34.270 absolutely not accidental. It was established 00:03:34.270 --> 00:03:39.370 by decree number 514 -IIQ. And it's important 00:03:39.370 --> 00:03:41.349 to remember that awards like this, they have 00:03:41.349 --> 00:03:45.169 a very strict legal basis. Right. It's not just 00:03:45.169 --> 00:03:47.210 a tradition that sort of organically evolved 00:03:47.210 --> 00:03:50.710 over centuries. It is a codified law established 00:03:50.710 --> 00:03:53.509 at a specific pivot point in the country's history. 00:03:53.750 --> 00:03:57.000 Which in 2003 for Azerbaijan. That was a time 00:03:57.000 --> 00:03:59.219 of real transition, right? Great. Of solidifying 00:03:59.219 --> 00:04:01.620 their institutions. Exactly. The country is fully 00:04:01.620 --> 00:04:04.419 moving out of the immediate post -Soviet chaos, 00:04:04.500 --> 00:04:06.560 and they're really trying to build permanent, 00:04:06.620 --> 00:04:09.719 stable structures. So this metal is part of that 00:04:09.719 --> 00:04:12.080 solidification. It's a tool they use to say, 00:04:12.120 --> 00:04:14.460 here is how we build the future. That makes a 00:04:14.460 --> 00:04:17.560 lot of sense. Yeah. Now, visually, just for everyone 00:04:17.560 --> 00:04:19.360 listening who obviously can't see the photos 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:21.720 we have in our stack here, this is classified 00:04:21.720 --> 00:04:25.000 as an individual award. and it's worn pinned 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:27.100 to the left side of the chest. Which is pretty 00:04:27.100 --> 00:04:29.379 standard placement for high honors. Yeah, but 00:04:29.379 --> 00:04:31.779 here is a little detail I thought was just super 00:04:31.779 --> 00:04:35.399 cool. There is actually a postage stamp dedicated 00:04:35.399 --> 00:04:38.709 to this specific order. Oh, yeah, which... really 00:04:38.709 --> 00:04:40.810 speaks to its cultural visibility don't you think 00:04:40.810 --> 00:04:42.730 absolutely i mean that's a big deal it's not 00:04:42.730 --> 00:04:45.050 just some secret thing locked away in a drawer 00:04:45.050 --> 00:04:48.069 or only ever seen at elite state dinners behind 00:04:48.069 --> 00:04:51.870 closed doors if an award is on a stamp it's meant 00:04:51.870 --> 00:04:54.129 to be recognized by the average everyday person 00:04:54.129 --> 00:04:56.110 it circulates it enters the public consciousness 00:04:56.110 --> 00:04:58.209 it's like branding you want people to see the 00:04:58.209 --> 00:05:00.670 symbol and instantly recognize what it stands 00:05:00.670 --> 00:05:03.699 for exactly It's state messaging. Okay. So now 00:05:03.699 --> 00:05:05.660 here is where we get into the actual structure 00:05:05.660 --> 00:05:07.000 of the thing. And I'm going to need you to unpack 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:09.120 this for me. Okay. Because the wording in the 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:11.360 source material is a little bit technical. It 00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:14.399 says the order has three classes. First, second, 00:05:14.540 --> 00:05:16.819 and third class. Right. Which is a very common 00:05:16.819 --> 00:05:19.639 structure, by the way, in European and post -Soviet 00:05:19.639 --> 00:05:22.779 orders. But it's actually crucial for understanding 00:05:22.779 --> 00:05:25.139 the psychology behind the award. Well, the text 00:05:25.139 --> 00:05:27.540 specifically says they are, quote, confessed 00:05:27.540 --> 00:05:30.339 sequentially. That's a very specific phrase. 00:05:30.540 --> 00:05:33.000 What does confess sequentially actually mean 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:36.000 in practice? It implies a ladder of achievement. 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:40.079 Basically, you generally cannot just jump right 00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:42.079 to the top tier, the first class out of nowhere, 00:05:42.180 --> 00:05:45.139 unless you are maybe a foreign head of state 00:05:45.139 --> 00:05:47.759 or something truly exceptional happens. For a 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:50.079 normal citizen, you have to earn the third class 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:52.160 first. Then you put in more time and work to 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:53.779 move up to the second and then finally the first. 00:05:53.980 --> 00:05:56.910 So it's gamified. In a sense, yeah. It really 00:05:56.910 --> 00:05:58.889 is. But you should probably think of it more 00:05:58.889 --> 00:06:01.310 like a career path that rewards longevity and 00:06:01.310 --> 00:06:04.069 consistent performance over time. It tells the 00:06:04.069 --> 00:06:06.870 civil servant or the scientist, keep going. There 00:06:06.870 --> 00:06:09.269 is a next level to this. It's not just a one 00:06:09.269 --> 00:06:12.029 -off thank you for a single brave act. It's a 00:06:12.029 --> 00:06:14.750 recognition of a whole projectory. It encourages 00:06:14.750 --> 00:06:17.389 you to stay in the game and just keep performing. 00:06:17.689 --> 00:06:20.009 That completely makes sense. It turns service 00:06:20.009 --> 00:06:22.850 into a journey rather than just a fleeting moment. 00:06:23.069 --> 00:06:24.810 It's not about being a hero for five minutes. 00:06:24.850 --> 00:06:27.350 It's about being a hero. For 30 years. Exactly. 00:06:27.689 --> 00:06:30.269 It's the marathon runner's medal, not the sprinter's. 00:06:30.370 --> 00:06:32.870 All right. So let's look at what actually gets 00:06:32.870 --> 00:06:34.810 you onto that ladder. We talked broadly about 00:06:34.810 --> 00:06:36.730 service, but the statute actually breaks down 00:06:36.730 --> 00:06:38.949 exactly what that means. And this is where we 00:06:38.949 --> 00:06:41.930 really get to decode those values you mentioned. 00:06:42.089 --> 00:06:44.870 Yeah. This is the absolute meat of the document 00:06:44.870 --> 00:06:47.889 right here. The criteria. So the first one listed 00:06:47.889 --> 00:06:50.910 here is, quote, loyalty to Azerbaijan Republic, 00:06:51.269 --> 00:06:54.689 which is standard right. You expect that if you 00:06:54.689 --> 00:06:57.199 aren't loyal. you obviously aren't getting a 00:06:57.199 --> 00:06:59.740 national medal. That's table stakes. Yeah, that's 00:06:59.740 --> 00:07:02.060 the baseline entry fee, essentially. But then 00:07:02.060 --> 00:07:04.560 it immediately follows up with this. And this 00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:06.779 is the phrase that completely stopped me in my 00:07:06.779 --> 00:07:09.779 tracks when I was reading. It says, quote, performance 00:07:09.779 --> 00:07:12.639 of administrative duties with dignity and honesty. 00:07:12.899 --> 00:07:16.000 Dignity and honesty. It is just so specific. 00:07:16.220 --> 00:07:18.699 It doesn't just say doing your job well. It doesn't 00:07:18.699 --> 00:07:21.939 say meeting your quarterly KPIs. It explicitly 00:07:21.939 --> 00:07:25.250 specifies the moral quality of the work. Why 00:07:25.250 --> 00:07:27.389 do you think that's in there? Well, think about 00:07:27.389 --> 00:07:29.269 what that implies about the whole system and 00:07:29.269 --> 00:07:31.189 the culture they are actively trying to build. 00:07:31.509 --> 00:07:34.910 If a state has to explicitly reward honesty in 00:07:34.910 --> 00:07:38.250 administrative duties, you are doing two major 00:07:38.250 --> 00:07:41.370 things. Okay, what's the first? One, you are 00:07:41.370 --> 00:07:44.009 acknowledging that honesty is a deliberate choice. 00:07:44.540 --> 00:07:47.139 It's not just an automatic default. It requires 00:07:47.139 --> 00:07:49.720 effort. That's a really good point. And two, 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:51.959 you are elevating the role of the bureaucrat 00:07:51.959 --> 00:07:54.360 itself. You are saying that pushing paper, managing 00:07:54.360 --> 00:07:56.560 local budgets or running a department isn't just 00:07:56.560 --> 00:07:59.240 a boring job. It's a matter of honor. Yeah. Because 00:07:59.240 --> 00:08:01.139 in many parts of the world, administration is 00:08:01.139 --> 00:08:04.379 seen as invisible or tedious or frankly, even 00:08:04.379 --> 00:08:06.699 prone to corruption. It's the stuff nobody wants 00:08:06.699 --> 00:08:08.740 to deal with. Right. Exactly. Nobody wakes up 00:08:08.740 --> 00:08:10.100 in the morning and says, wow, I really can't 00:08:10.100 --> 00:08:12.160 wait to go admire some administration today. 00:08:12.279 --> 00:08:15.810 Right. But here the state is explicitly saying, 00:08:15.990 --> 00:08:18.990 no, look at this. If you do this with dignity, 00:08:19.230 --> 00:08:22.209 if you are honest when nobody is looking, that 00:08:22.209 --> 00:08:24.730 is service to the fatherland. That's really interesting. 00:08:24.829 --> 00:08:27.550 It really frames bureaucratic work as a profound 00:08:27.550 --> 00:08:31.029 moral act. It's almost acting as a positive reinforcement 00:08:31.029 --> 00:08:33.750 against corruption without having to explicitly 00:08:33.750 --> 00:08:36.850 use the word corruption in the statute. Precisely. 00:08:36.850 --> 00:08:39.570 Instead of just writing laws punishing the bad 00:08:39.570 --> 00:08:42.429 behavior, you are creating a very prestigious 00:08:42.429 --> 00:08:45.850 award for the good behavior. You are making honest 00:08:45.850 --> 00:08:49.009 administration a metal worthy trait. And that 00:08:49.009 --> 00:08:51.389 is a powerful cultural signal to send to your 00:08:51.389 --> 00:08:54.289 entire civil workforce. Absolutely. OK, then 00:08:54.289 --> 00:08:56.090 we move down to the next criterion in the text, 00:08:56.169 --> 00:08:59.720 quote, productive activity. excellence and outstanding 00:08:59.720 --> 00:09:02.080 public services. And you really have to notice 00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:04.580 the emphasis on the word productive there. Yeah. 00:09:04.679 --> 00:09:06.639 It's not just tenure. It's not, hey, you've been 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:08.500 here for 20 years, so here's your customary gold 00:09:08.500 --> 00:09:11.000 watch. Exactly. Productive activity means output. 00:09:11.179 --> 00:09:13.240 It means tangible results. You have to actually 00:09:13.240 --> 00:09:15.460 produce something of value. And then excellence 00:09:15.460 --> 00:09:17.840 implies you are doing it better than the baseline 00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:20.289 standard. It suggests that just showing up every 00:09:20.289 --> 00:09:22.909 day and warming a chair isn't enough to officially 00:09:22.909 --> 00:09:25.549 serve the fatherland. You have to be highly effective. 00:09:25.990 --> 00:09:28.350 Okay, so we have honesty on one hand, which is 00:09:28.350 --> 00:09:30.730 all about character, and then productivity on 00:09:30.730 --> 00:09:32.789 the other hand, which is all about output. And 00:09:32.789 --> 00:09:35.370 you need both. You can't be a highly productive 00:09:35.370 --> 00:09:38.090 crook, and you can't be an incredibly honest 00:09:38.090 --> 00:09:41.090 slacker. This medal demands both sides of the 00:09:41.090 --> 00:09:44.259 coin. Which brings us to the phrase that... honestly 00:09:44.259 --> 00:09:46.799 sounds the most epic out of all of these. It 00:09:46.799 --> 00:09:49.879 says, quote, special contributions to construction 00:09:49.879 --> 00:09:52.080 of the national state. Construction of the national 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:55.000 state. That is quite a loaded concept. It sounds 00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:58.759 so physical, like actual masonry. But I assume 00:09:58.759 --> 00:10:00.419 they don't just mean construction workers out 00:10:00.419 --> 00:10:02.039 there pouring concrete. No, no, the physical 00:10:02.039 --> 00:10:03.700 infrastructure is certainly part of a functioning 00:10:03.700 --> 00:10:06.399 state. But we have to go back to the context 00:10:06.399 --> 00:10:10.220 we discussed earlier. 2003. This is still a relatively 00:10:10.220 --> 00:10:13.759 young, independent nation solidifying its institutions. 00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:17.100 Right. By using the word construction, it frames 00:10:17.100 --> 00:10:19.779 the recipient of this medal not just as a citizen 00:10:19.779 --> 00:10:23.120 who passively lives in the house, but as an active 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:25.919 builder of the house. A co -architect of the 00:10:25.919 --> 00:10:28.559 country. Exactly. Whether you are drafting laws, 00:10:28.860 --> 00:10:31.519 building actual bridges, designing a new school 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:34.720 curriculum, or creating a cultural policy, you 00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:37.629 are laying the bricks of the state itself. It 00:10:37.629 --> 00:10:40.090 connects your individual daily effort to the 00:10:40.090 --> 00:10:43.110 very existence of the nation. Wow. It's saying 00:10:43.110 --> 00:10:45.450 the state isn't just a given thing that's already 00:10:45.450 --> 00:10:48.909 here. It is currently being built. And you are 00:10:48.909 --> 00:10:51.049 the one building it. And they don't leave it 00:10:51.049 --> 00:10:53.990 vague either, which I appreciate. The source 00:10:53.990 --> 00:10:56.750 material actually lists specific sectors. It 00:10:56.750 --> 00:10:59.289 says, quote, special contributions in science 00:10:59.289 --> 00:11:01.590 education and health sector. And this is very 00:11:01.590 --> 00:11:03.769 significant. Why those three specifically, though? 00:11:03.850 --> 00:11:06.169 Well, often when we look at national service 00:11:06.169 --> 00:11:08.350 awards globally, they can be heavily, heavily 00:11:08.350 --> 00:11:10.409 weighted toward politics, diplomacy or national 00:11:10.409 --> 00:11:14.090 security. So by explicitly naming science, education 00:11:14.090 --> 00:11:16.750 and health, the statutes are dramatically broadening 00:11:16.750 --> 00:11:18.610 the definition of what actually protects and 00:11:18.610 --> 00:11:20.590 builds country. Well, ask yourself what makes 00:11:20.590 --> 00:11:22.850 a strong country. Yes, a military, absolutely. 00:11:23.289 --> 00:11:25.889 But also you need a population that is healthy. 00:11:25.990 --> 00:11:27.970 That's your health sector. You need a population 00:11:27.970 --> 00:11:29.990 that is smart and capable. That's education. 00:11:30.289 --> 00:11:33.250 And you need a nation that is constantly innovating. 00:11:33.509 --> 00:11:37.029 And that is science. So basically, a teacher 00:11:37.029 --> 00:11:39.330 working in a small rural village or a doctor 00:11:39.330 --> 00:11:42.029 running a local clinic is being told you are 00:11:42.029 --> 00:11:44.110 building the state just as much as a high -level 00:11:44.110 --> 00:11:46.679 minister in the capital. Exactly. It elevates 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:49.440 those specific everyday professions to the level 00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:52.519 of pure national strategy. It signals that having 00:11:52.519 --> 00:11:55.120 a healthy, educated populace is fundamentally 00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:57.940 part of the fatherland that needs serving. It 00:11:57.940 --> 00:12:00.360 validates those professions as patriotic duty. 00:12:00.500 --> 00:12:03.039 It brings the teacher completely into the fold 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:05.240 of service. I really want to pivot now to see 00:12:05.240 --> 00:12:09.159 where this award fits into. the wider food chain, 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:11.759 so to speak, because the source material gives 00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:14.460 us this huge list of precedents. Yeah. Basically, 00:12:14.460 --> 00:12:17.240 the official pecking order of the metals. And 00:12:17.240 --> 00:12:19.700 it is, well, it's complicated. It really is. 00:12:19.740 --> 00:12:21.659 It's an entire ecosystem of honors. You have 00:12:21.659 --> 00:12:23.320 to look at what's called the order of the orders. 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:25.820 So according to the text we have, where does 00:12:25.820 --> 00:12:28.320 the four service to the fatherland order actually 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:32.139 sit? It states that it follows, quote, any other 00:12:32.139 --> 00:12:34.879 orders and metals of Azerbaijan Republic. OK, 00:12:34.940 --> 00:12:37.320 so it's the anchor at the bottom. In a way, yes. 00:12:37.659 --> 00:12:40.159 But you really have to look at what comes after 00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:43.139 it in the list or rather what ranks higher than 00:12:43.139 --> 00:12:45.159 it. Because in these official state documents, 00:12:45.379 --> 00:12:48.159 they usually list the highest honors first or 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:50.820 in a very specific descending sequence of importance. 00:12:51.220 --> 00:12:52.940 Right. Let me just read off this list of what 00:12:52.940 --> 00:12:55.139 sits above it because these names sound incredibly 00:12:55.139 --> 00:12:57.519 prestigious. Up for it. If you are wearing the 00:12:57.519 --> 00:13:00.139 Service to the Fatherland medal, you are still 00:13:00.139 --> 00:13:03.659 looking up at the Haydar Aliyev Order. The Istigl 00:13:03.659 --> 00:13:06.279 order. And Istigl translates to independence. 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:10.620 Okay. Then the Shah Ismail order. Yeah. The Azerbaijani 00:13:10.620 --> 00:13:13.480 flag order. The Shurat order. Shuro means glory. 00:13:13.820 --> 00:13:16.360 The Sharif order. Sharif is honor. And finally, 00:13:16.379 --> 00:13:18.620 the Daslag order. And Daslag means friendship. 00:13:19.000 --> 00:13:21.980 So we have independence, flag, glory, honor, 00:13:22.059 --> 00:13:24.960 friendship, and then service to the fatherland. 00:13:25.480 --> 00:13:27.820 It kind of feels like service to the fatherland 00:13:27.820 --> 00:13:30.659 is the, I don't want to say basic, but maybe 00:13:30.659 --> 00:13:32.779 the foundational award. I would actually call 00:13:32.779 --> 00:13:34.940 it the workhorse award. And I don't mean that 00:13:34.940 --> 00:13:37.740 as an insult at all. Workhorse. Yeah. If you 00:13:37.740 --> 00:13:40.399 look at those higher tiers, the hate our leave 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:42.960 order is the absolute pinnacle. That's usually 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:46.240 reserved for heads of state or. truly monumental 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:49.460 historic figures. The Independence Order is likely 00:13:49.460 --> 00:13:51.519 for people involved in the founding moments of 00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:54.700 the state. Glory and honor are very high -level 00:13:54.700 --> 00:13:57.480 prestige awards, often given for the lifetime 00:13:57.480 --> 00:13:59.960 achievement of really famous cultural figures. 00:14:00.220 --> 00:14:02.139 Right. Those sound like they're strictly for 00:14:02.139 --> 00:14:04.059 the superstars, the people you read about in 00:14:04.059 --> 00:14:06.179 the history books. Exactly. But service to the 00:14:06.179 --> 00:14:08.659 fatherland, that is the engine room of the country. 00:14:08.820 --> 00:14:10.600 That is for the people keeping the lights on, 00:14:10.659 --> 00:14:12.539 the ones teaching the kids, the ones running 00:14:12.539 --> 00:14:14.360 the ministries, honestly. That makes total sense. 00:14:14.669 --> 00:14:17.409 It fits as a high honor. Absolutely. It's still 00:14:17.409 --> 00:14:19.730 an order which inherently ranks higher than a 00:14:19.730 --> 00:14:22.169 standard medal. But it's the one that recognizes 00:14:22.169 --> 00:14:24.450 the day to day continuous construction of the 00:14:24.450 --> 00:14:27.669 country. The others might recognize singular 00:14:27.669 --> 00:14:30.990 historic brilliance or massive diplomatic breakthroughs. 00:14:31.009 --> 00:14:33.230 Right. Like friendship or DOS slug probably goes 00:14:33.230 --> 00:14:35.210 to foreign dignitaries most of the time. Right. 00:14:35.250 --> 00:14:38.190 Often. Yes. It's a key diplomatic tool used to 00:14:38.190 --> 00:14:40.850 cement relations between countries. Whereas service 00:14:40.850 --> 00:14:44.480 is deeply. Deeply internal. It's for the people 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:46.600 actually living and working right there. Precisely. 00:14:46.600 --> 00:14:48.940 It is the award for the domestic builders. It's 00:14:48.940 --> 00:14:50.639 for the people on the ground doing the work. 00:14:50.840 --> 00:14:52.720 And I want to zoom out just a little bit more. 00:14:52.860 --> 00:14:56.100 We have this massive list of other metals in 00:14:56.100 --> 00:14:58.500 the source material. Yeah. And it is fascinating 00:14:58.500 --> 00:15:00.740 to see what else is on there. It gives us a really 00:15:00.740 --> 00:15:03.240 good sense of the overall landscape. Context 00:15:03.240 --> 00:15:05.580 is everything with these. You really can't fully 00:15:05.580 --> 00:15:08.039 understand one metal without seeing exactly what 00:15:08.039 --> 00:15:10.200 it is surrounded by. One thing that immediately 00:15:10.200 --> 00:15:12.860 stood out to me is the huge contrast between 00:15:12.860 --> 00:15:15.779 this civil order we've been talking about and 00:15:15.779 --> 00:15:17.980 the military stuff on the list. The language 00:15:17.980 --> 00:15:21.059 changes completely. How so? What are you seeing? 00:15:21.279 --> 00:15:23.580 Well, just look at these names. Brave Warrior 00:15:23.580 --> 00:15:26.919 Metal. For Distinction and Battle Metal. For 00:15:26.919 --> 00:15:29.039 Heroism Metal. And then there are these very 00:15:29.039 --> 00:15:31.940 specific... Liberation Medals, Liberation of 00:15:31.940 --> 00:15:35.279 Ogdom, Liberation of Fuzuli, Liberation of Xuxa. 00:15:35.340 --> 00:15:37.960 Right. Those are extremely specific. They are 00:15:37.960 --> 00:15:40.740 directly tied to historical events, to geography, 00:15:40.899 --> 00:15:43.600 and to actual combat. They tell a very distinct 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:46.100 story of conflict and territory. And there are 00:15:46.100 --> 00:15:49.070 Wound Medals, too. Yes. And those are incredibly 00:15:49.070 --> 00:15:52.289 visceral. They reward direct physical sacrifice 00:15:52.289 --> 00:15:55.610 and specific brave actions in a highly specific 00:15:55.610 --> 00:15:58.549 time frame. It's saying I was at this exact battle 00:15:58.549 --> 00:16:01.629 or I helped liberate this specific city. It's 00:16:01.629 --> 00:16:04.110 about a moment in history where you quite literally 00:16:04.110 --> 00:16:06.620 put your life on the line. Compare that visceral 00:16:06.620 --> 00:16:09.019 language to service to the fatherland. Right. 00:16:09.100 --> 00:16:11.019 Service to the fatherland is much more abstract. 00:16:11.240 --> 00:16:13.159 It's timeless. You don't win it for taking a 00:16:13.159 --> 00:16:15.320 hill under fire. You win it for productive activity 00:16:15.320 --> 00:16:18.340 and deep honesty over an entire career. It seems 00:16:18.340 --> 00:16:20.500 like it perfectly balances the system. Exactly. 00:16:20.500 --> 00:16:22.539 You have the warriors on one side and the builders 00:16:22.539 --> 00:16:24.740 on the other. And a state absolutely needs both 00:16:24.740 --> 00:16:28.000 to survive and thrive. Right. If you only rewarded 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:31.440 the warriors, you would be ignoring all the people 00:16:31.440 --> 00:16:33.779 building the actual economy. But if you only 00:16:33.779 --> 00:16:36.059 rewarded the builders, you'd be ignoring the 00:16:36.059 --> 00:16:38.840 people actively defending the borders. Seeing 00:16:38.840 --> 00:16:42.039 the full list. shows both sides of that coin. 00:16:42.200 --> 00:16:44.399 Then there's this whole other category in the 00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:46.519 source documents of what I would probably call 00:16:46.519 --> 00:16:49.320 niche recognition. I was just reading through 00:16:49.320 --> 00:16:51.240 the list and some of these are hyper -specific. 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:53.220 Like what did you find? Okay, check these out. 00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:56.299 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijani police. 00:16:57.289 --> 00:16:59.549 Or the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University 00:16:59.549 --> 00:17:02.490 100th Anniversary Medal. Yeah, very specific 00:17:02.490 --> 00:17:05.529 indeed. And the Jubilee Medal of 100th Anniversary 00:17:05.529 --> 00:17:08.589 of the Diplomatic Service Bodies. Right. These 00:17:08.589 --> 00:17:10.809 are what we call in the field commemorative or 00:17:10.809 --> 00:17:12.990 jubilee medals. It kind of feels like everyone 00:17:12.990 --> 00:17:15.490 gets a birthday party. Like you get a medal and 00:17:15.490 --> 00:17:18.049 you get a medal. In a way, they do. But you have 00:17:18.049 --> 00:17:20.029 to think about the vital difference in the criteria 00:17:20.029 --> 00:17:23.910 here. To get the Pedagogical University 100th 00:17:23.910 --> 00:17:27.859 Anniversary Medal. The primary criteria is most 00:17:27.859 --> 00:17:30.039 likely just having a connection to that institution 00:17:30.039 --> 00:17:33.480 during that specific calendar year. It celebrates 00:17:33.480 --> 00:17:36.859 the institution's longevity above all else. It's 00:17:36.859 --> 00:17:39.400 the state saying we have successfully existed 00:17:39.400 --> 00:17:42.079 for 100 years. Isn't that great? Right. You just 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:43.740 happened to be there when the clock struck 100. 00:17:43.960 --> 00:17:46.279 It's an attendance award, essentially. I mean, 00:17:46.299 --> 00:17:48.700 a prestigious attendance award, sure, but essentially, 00:17:48.859 --> 00:17:52.940 yes. But the for service to the fatherland order, 00:17:53.059 --> 00:17:56.769 that is entirely about you. The individual. Yes. 00:17:56.890 --> 00:17:59.269 Yes. It is not about the counter. It is not about 00:17:59.269 --> 00:18:01.690 just happening to be employed somewhere during 00:18:01.690 --> 00:18:05.210 a Jubilee year. It is about your specific character 00:18:05.210 --> 00:18:08.009 and output. You cannot just wait around for an 00:18:08.009 --> 00:18:10.230 anniversary to get it. Right. You have to actively 00:18:10.230 --> 00:18:12.589 demonstrate that loyalty, that dignity, that 00:18:12.589 --> 00:18:15.509 massive scientific or educational contribution 00:18:15.509 --> 00:18:17.930 we talked about. So basically the Jubilee medals 00:18:17.930 --> 00:18:20.650 are about belonging to a group, but the service 00:18:20.650 --> 00:18:22.740 order is about standing out from the group. That 00:18:22.740 --> 00:18:24.839 is a perfect way to put it. One is inherently 00:18:24.839 --> 00:18:26.900 about membership and the other is strictly about 00:18:26.900 --> 00:18:30.039 merit. And that distinction is vital when you 00:18:30.039 --> 00:18:32.619 are analyzing a national list of awards. Because 00:18:32.619 --> 00:18:35.140 you need both types. Right. If everything was 00:18:35.140 --> 00:18:39.160 just a I was there medal, the system wouldn't 00:18:39.160 --> 00:18:41.480 actually encourage excellence. It would just 00:18:41.480 --> 00:18:44.509 encourage passive attendance. Service to the 00:18:44.509 --> 00:18:46.890 Fatherland inserts the strict requirement for 00:18:46.890 --> 00:18:48.829 individual excellence right back into the mix. 00:18:49.009 --> 00:18:51.289 It is really interesting to see how all these 00:18:51.289 --> 00:18:54.029 things neatly stack up together. You have the 00:18:54.029 --> 00:18:56.470 high -flying glory and flag orders sitting way 00:18:56.470 --> 00:18:59.210 at the top. You have the I was there jubilee 00:18:59.210 --> 00:19:01.789 medals providing a foundation at the bottom. 00:19:02.109 --> 00:19:04.309 And right in the middle doing all the heavy lifting 00:19:04.309 --> 00:19:07.480 is this Service to the Fatherland award. It perfectly 00:19:07.480 --> 00:19:09.640 bridges the gap. It connects the quiet everyday 00:19:09.640 --> 00:19:12.000 work of the civil servant or the local scientist 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:14.940 to the incredibly high ideals of the state itself. 00:19:15.259 --> 00:19:17.319 And it links right back to that three class structure 00:19:17.319 --> 00:19:19.180 we talked about at the very beginning. If you 00:19:19.180 --> 00:19:21.559 are a young scientist just starting out, you 00:19:21.559 --> 00:19:23.339 might look at that third class medal and think, 00:19:23.400 --> 00:19:25.500 OK, that's my concrete goal for the next 10 years. 00:19:26.099 --> 00:19:29.299 Exactly. It provides a tangible roadmap for a 00:19:29.299 --> 00:19:32.160 life's career. It tells the citizen we are watching 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:35.539 you and we deeply value what you are doing, even 00:19:35.539 --> 00:19:37.980 if it takes a long time to see the results. It 00:19:37.980 --> 00:19:40.480 gamifies the civil service in the best possible 00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:43.220 way. It turns an ordinary career into a national 00:19:43.220 --> 00:19:46.299 quest. It's funny because when we started this. 00:19:46.859 --> 00:19:48.339 I really thought we were just going to be talking 00:19:48.339 --> 00:19:50.039 about a piece of metal with a pin on the back. 00:19:50.160 --> 00:19:52.160 Yeah. But when you actually sit down and read 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:54.799 the text, the strict requirements for honesty, 00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:58.359 the sharp focus on state building, the explicit 00:19:58.359 --> 00:20:01.500 inclusion of teachers and doctors, it really 00:20:01.500 --> 00:20:04.190 is a complete blueprint for a society. That is 00:20:04.190 --> 00:20:06.369 what all honor systems are, ultimately. They 00:20:06.369 --> 00:20:09.109 are a mirror. They show us exactly what a society 00:20:09.109 --> 00:20:11.910 values most at its core. In this case, yes, they 00:20:11.910 --> 00:20:14.190 absolutely value the brave soldier and the slick 00:20:14.190 --> 00:20:17.089 diplomat, but they also explicitly value the 00:20:17.089 --> 00:20:19.170 honest administrator and the productive scientist. 00:20:19.210 --> 00:20:21.490 They deeply value the builders. The builders. 00:20:21.589 --> 00:20:23.730 I really like that as a summary. It fits the 00:20:23.730 --> 00:20:25.849 construction of the national state criteria perfectly. 00:20:26.490 --> 00:20:28.390 It really does. And it's a great reminder that 00:20:28.390 --> 00:20:30.269 nations aren't just born one day and then they're 00:20:30.269 --> 00:20:32.849 entirely done. They are constantly under construction 00:20:32.849 --> 00:20:35.569 every single day. So just to recap everything 00:20:35.569 --> 00:20:37.970 for everyone listening, today we've looked at 00:20:37.970 --> 00:20:40.710 the Forest Service to the Fatherland Order, established 00:20:40.710 --> 00:20:43.990 in 2003, right at a major turning point for the 00:20:43.990 --> 00:20:47.450 nation. It is a civil honor that sits right below 00:20:47.450 --> 00:20:50.250 the big heavy hitters like the Haidar Aliyev 00:20:50.250 --> 00:20:53.230 order and the flag order. And it's awarded sequentially. 00:20:53.490 --> 00:20:55.109 Right. You have to climb the ladder from third 00:20:55.109 --> 00:20:58.109 class up to first class over your career. And 00:20:58.109 --> 00:21:00.990 critically, it completely redefines patriotism 00:21:00.990 --> 00:21:03.690 to explicitly include productive activity and 00:21:03.690 --> 00:21:06.450 administrative dignity. It proves that service 00:21:06.450 --> 00:21:09.369 isn't just about loudly loving the country. It's 00:21:09.369 --> 00:21:11.390 about working efficiently and most importantly, 00:21:11.490 --> 00:21:14.029 honestly for it. It is the award for the people. 00:21:14.059 --> 00:21:16.279 People who just show up and do the hard, quiet 00:21:16.279 --> 00:21:18.799 work day after day. And who do it with total 00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:21.160 integrity. Which brings us to the end of this 00:21:21.160 --> 00:21:23.940 deep dive. But before we go, I want to leave 00:21:23.940 --> 00:21:26.700 you with a final thought to chew on. Throughout 00:21:26.700 --> 00:21:28.240 this discussion, we've talked about how this 00:21:28.240 --> 00:21:31.039 specific award balances productive activity, 00:21:31.160 --> 00:21:34.740 meaning actual results, with dignity and honesty, 00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:37.799 meaning pure character. Two very, very different 00:21:37.799 --> 00:21:40.279 things, but both are completely necessary. Right. 00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:42.160 So here is the question for you to mull over. 00:21:43.210 --> 00:21:45.509 If you were put in charge of designing a brand 00:21:45.509 --> 00:21:48.150 new award for service to your own community, 00:21:48.349 --> 00:21:50.150 whether that's your workplace, your neighborhood, 00:21:50.309 --> 00:21:53.430 or even your own family, what would you prioritize? 00:21:53.769 --> 00:21:56.170 It's a tough balance. Would you give the gold 00:21:56.170 --> 00:21:58.650 medal to the person who gets the absolute best 00:21:58.650 --> 00:22:01.009 results regardless of how they manage to do it? 00:22:01.369 --> 00:22:03.049 Or would you give it to the person with the most 00:22:03.049 --> 00:22:05.589 unquestionable character, even if their actual 00:22:05.589 --> 00:22:07.769 output happens to be a little bit lower? Can 00:22:07.769 --> 00:22:10.089 you really have true service without having both? 00:22:10.150 --> 00:22:12.069 I think that is the real challenge. Productive 00:22:12.069 --> 00:22:14.690 activity versus dignity and honesty. It really 00:22:14.690 --> 00:22:17.029 is a tough choice when you get down to it. Let 00:22:17.029 --> 00:22:19.130 us know what you think. Thanks for listening 00:22:19.130 --> 00:22:21.190 to the Deep Dive. We will catch you on the next 00:22:21.190 --> 00:22:21.369 one.