One of the most disgusting political phenomena around the world is the youth wings of parties. Certainly, it is obvious that parties should prepare their successors, people who will become MPs, ministers, big and small “bosses” in 10, 20, or 30 years. However, does one need to be so much “square” and empty for that? Let me remind that a square, in my opinion, is a person who, abiding by the party discipline, doesn’t wish to see any tint in any phenomenon that would contradict his conception of the “party line.” Such people are only capable of stereotyped thinking and uttering long texts without content. Besides, there can be no representative of the “youth wing” without an expensive suit and an expensive tie and without a shining party badge.
At this moment, the “youth wings” of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) are the most active. It has an explanation; we have the Yerevan City Council election ahead of us, where the issue of the central government is not decided, and therefore, one can be more or less relaxed. However, even in that “relaxed” atmosphere, the “over the hill wings” cannot “hassle” at the more or less high level; there are too many similarities. Well, but the youth can and are even expected to exchange caustic remarks; perhaps, slightly smearing each other in the run-up to the upcoming election may yield certain benefits. And the “traditional” dialogue starts: “I would like to remind some political forces,” “I would like to advise some immature politicians.” That will be the case within the next month.
Try to ask a member of the “youth wing” what the difference between his party and the other parties is. He will answer: “My party has proved in the course of its existence that it always stands by the people, always takes note of the people’s troubles, we haven’t talked much, we have always gotten prickles out of the people’s finger, we have eased the people’s pain” etc. Formulate short sentences with the word “people,” and you will become a young, promising politician. Those phrases, which have no meaning and no content, along with scathing remarks about other parties, are the basis for a brilliant political career. The important thing is not to think and to repeat ready formulations fluently. Just one question concerns me; if all the opposition and pro-government parties have been getting prickles out the people’s finger for 20 years, why have so many prickles remained nonetheless?
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
