My friend Edik Baghdasaryan has a theory, to which I 90-percent agree. According to that theory, the authority in a certain country basically doesn’t change. I have one provision in that regard – when the cruelest, the most unprecedented rulers like Hitler, Stalin, Franco, Pol Pot die, the authority changes, none the less. However, nothing changes in ordinary, so to say, current processes neither in developed, nor in developing countries. It can be directly implied that to expect in any country that the given authority will do something on its own initiative, is as naïve, as to expect that this authority will be replaced by another one that will have “purer intentions”. During my school years the belief in the prospect of having a “kind king” was severely criticized in history books. It turns out there was a grain of positive in that critique.
Certainly, those who want to come to power will not admit this theory and will say “then shall we reconcile to this shameful reality, then shall we disseminate indifference, conformity and hopelessness?” Certainly, no. However, it seems to me that the struggle, if it is honest and does not aim at assuming offices, should be directed to the solution of certain problems and should not include general, declarative and unrealistic slogans, for example, “let us change the rule of bandits with the rule of angels”. In that regard, social movements, if they are principled and consistent, can solve many problems. Those youth who were organizing actions this summer and autumn near Trchkan waterfall, showed an example of such effective struggle. Today the same kids are in Kajaran – they are struggling not for an abstract “change of power”, but defend certain people’s right to live on their own land. The struggle here will be harder than in Trchkan, because we know who really owns the combine. However, purity, honesty of the youth is really a great power. The moment, they are involved in politics in any way, wish, for example, to become an MP, their struggle will be destroyed.
The society is obviously tired with politicians. I personally don’t feel any substantial difference between the rhetoric of Arshak Sadoyan in 1990s and the Armenian National Congress (ANC) leadership today, it is the same language, the same exploiting of social instincts. Social, youth movements (certainly real, not virtual) can make our life fresher in a way.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
