On the day of Russia’s President Putin’s visit to Armenia, the “quality” of young people protesting against the Customs Union (not against Russia and Putin) inspired some hope. We should state with a cautious optimism that hundreds of young people grown in Armenia in 22 years, a/ will nowise leave Armenia, b/ want to live in an independent country, c/ are not afraid of anyone, d/ do not take anyone’s word as smooth butter. If there is even 500 such young people, it is already an achievement, because 500 active, with belief young people are more capable to change the situation than 500 thousand pensioners dreaming of Communist sausages, who will attend the rallies during the elections, grumble, blaspheme, curse, then will quietly take their 5000 drams and will go to the polling station.
These several hundred young people, I hope, would “translate” the public discontent (including, those of the pensioners) in a modern rational language and would disseminate the ideas that could truly unite the society. It is supposable that these ideas would have some nationalistic shade. Personally, I have no sympathy for nationalism, but the logic of events suggests that if there must be some ideas in Armenia, it seems to me that the very nationalistic ideas have the development potential. To some extent, it is a “response” to the Russian nationalism, Putin’s “Byzantine” ambitions, to contemptuous, “robe” attitude, to the encroachments of the Armenian language, culture, and sovereignty, in general. We must also objectively admit that the “non- nationalistic” (liberal and socialistic) ideas are in deep crisis.
However, no matter what kind of ideas will develop in Armenia, it is clear that along with enhancement of the “independent generation” and expansion of sphere of influence, it is getting more and more difficult for the government to carry out its controversial decisions, ranging from accumulative pension, ending with transport fare rise. It would be more difficult to intimidate people during the election time through “criminal personalities”, to distribute election bribes, and get involved in various other fabrications. Perhaps, it would be difficult for the opposition to develop an agenda with threadbare, “PANM-NDU” methods.
As for us, the former Soviet people, we are obligated to transfer our modest knowledge to these children, without useless advice and guidance. “Translating” these knowledge in modern language is also the task of the next generation.
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ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
There is discontent in the country but it has to be organized, be directed and led in a focus manner towards a positive change. If it is left at just discontentment level, at just raw emotion with no organization, then it will wither away and won’t amount to anything.