More shrewd and astute analyzers are inclined to explain the increase in gas prices by geopolitical reasons, as if Russia is punishing us for something. Well, if Armenia’s government had complied with Russia’s will regarding every issue, Gazprom wouldn’t have increased gas prices.
I think here we don’t see a log in our own eye and try to shift the blame on Russia. It turns out that it is not so important that our citizens’ salaries are ridiculously low, that a group of people live a life of indescribable luxury, and the rest hardly exist. It is also not important that ArmRusgazard pitilessly interferes into the pricing to gain huge benefits. It turns out that all that will be fixed, will not have any practical significance, if we curry favor with the Russians somehow.
The logic of those who seek for deep geopolitical roots is almost like this: Armenia gives in to some Masonic conspiracy that is equally against our national identity and Russia, which “vexes” our strategic partner, and it has decided to increase gas prices as a sanction. That theory was put forward by Ashot Manucharyan. In his opinion, our country’s leadership wants to take the path of European integration (yeah, you wish!), which means nothing but joining the LGBT community. Thus, NATO and the EU are separate units of that community. According to Mr. Manucharyan, Russia doesn’t like that. The last straw that broke the camel’s back was the fact that our parliament adopted 6 statutes in support of homosexuals. After that, Gazprom was left with no other choice than to increase gas prices. So gas prices are directly proportional to the attitude toward gays.
Whenever one writes about that issue, those who struggle for “national values” and against “vicious Europeans” put forward their “best argument”: “If you defend them, then you should be one of them.” Frankly speaking, homosexual expressions arouse biological dislike in me. However, it is my personal perception, my personal opinion; neither I nor thousands or millions of people have a right to decide what is normal and what is not. No one should be repressed, prosecuted, persecuted either morally or politically, if he hasn’t violated the law. Everyone has a right to adhere to his ideas, have his worldview, his way of life. In my opinion, these are the very European values.
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Those convictions of mine were formed under the influence of my family upbringing in the 1960s-70s when Armenia was part of the Soviet empire and the issue of European integration was not on the agenda. Moreover, those ideas stem from the Russian culture, Russian literature and the attitude of progressive Russian intellectuals. Therefore, it is not correct to oppose the Russian values to the European values. I think no one can deny that the Russian literature and music of the 19th-20th centuries are European phenomena. And catering to imperial gendarmes both in the Soviet period and now will get us nowhere. Including reduction of gas prices.
However, if the shortest way to reduction of gas prices is through pressuring homosexuals and currying favor with the Russians by that, then I suggest that we adopt another six statutes, according to which those citizens must be burned at the stake. When 2-3 such executions are carried out, the Russians will be very happy, realizing that we are not going to integrate with Europe. After that, Russia will give us gas for free.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
