In the summer of 2010, thousands-strong rallies would be held in France. The government – the right forces led by Sarkozy were in power at the time – put forward a bill, according to which the retirement age would be raised from 60 to 62 in 2018. The French, it turns out, didn’t wish to work two more years and actively protested, urged by trade unions and left-wing parties.
They are going to raise gas prices in Armenia by 67 percent and not in 5 years, but right now, however, there are no signs of massive protests in the streets just yet. Probably, the reason is that there are no trade unions in our country; frankly speaking, there are no right-wing or left-wing or any other political forces either. There are insolent and unrestrained “criminal oligarchs” with their satellites, as well as several dozen figures who criticize the government with this or that degree of honesty. It would be an exaggeration to give those groups resonant names like “government,” “opposition,” or “parties.” Those criticizing figures can rally several thousand discontent people (out of several hundred thousand discontents) in Freedom Square from time to time, those gathered listen to bashing words about “criminal oligarchs” with great pleasure, chant, whistle, wish to go to 26 Baghramyan Street and… go home.
However, mind you, people gather in Freedom Square mostly after the event that is pretentiously called “presidential elections.” Pretentiously, because if there is no government and opposition, how come real elections can be held? In reality, it is a technical process that formalizes the government’s reproduction. However, people take to the streets during these very events. Why? Because they hope that the “evil king” will be replaced by the “kind king,” as a result of which they will start to live better.
Our political culture implies – and our politicians guide citizens that way – that one can take to the streets only to demand a change of power; the other demands are petty and unimportant. If oppositionists say now, “Take to the streets and demand that gas prices not be raised,” few people will take heed of their call, because the standard attitude of oppositionists is the following, “Give us power, and on the very next day, the gas prices will become two cents.” And this argument will work only during the next presidential election.
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Unless society establishes its own organizations and learns to struggle for its rights and not for a change of power, the government will do what it wishes. For example, it will raise the gas prices. People will protest, complain about life, each of them in his corner, and meekly pay the new price for gas. Or they will go to such a country, where the payment for gas will not cost them a half of their salaries.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
