How will confrontation of thousands of people in power and opposition in Kiev and other cities of Ukraine end? As politicians like to say, time will tell. It is more likely that Yanukovich will succeed to politically and, simply to say, with use of force, to suppress the rebellion. It is not also excluded that there might be certain agreements between the government authorities the opposition. But from historical perspective, it seems to me that governing own and someone else’s country merely by force methods is condemned.
All nations have gone through this way of “force”: Europeans, Americans, and Chinese. No one is better by their “mentality” than the Russians, Ukrainians, Armenians, and Belarusians. Simply, some realized in time that it is not an effective way. More than 10 years ago, Vladimir Voynovich failing to accept Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s political views (at the time, the great Russian writer was still alive), was especially disputing the point the duties should be prior to the rights. “I would nowise agree with it, writes Voynovich, – Unjust man is the slave. The citizen performs its duties honestly and with dignity only when he knows that these are duties towards the society that respects him and his rights. And, accordingly, the right of the society he respects. Slave obeys, but the damage from his work is much more than the benefit.”
There seems to be clear, undeniable truths. However, these truths in both internal and external politics pave the way with difficulties. In various countries, including Russia, myths arise from time to time about some “unique way”. The tale about “special mission” is emerging under this vision, which primarily affects the Russian people, because this “mission” is politically, morally and materially very expensive “toy”.
It would be much more rational, pragmatic for the Kremlin to leave Ukrainians and other states of former empire alone, let them decide of how they want to live. It’s all the same, nothing will turn out by the method of suppressing. Sooner or later, these nations will gain real independence, and unpleasant sediment will remain among these nations because of all suppressions. Like it is, for example, now between the Russians and Bulgarians, who had numerous close historical ties.
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Russian authorities have the illusion that they save their own country by their Eurasia Programs. It seems to me to be just the opposite: spending pointless resources on those non-realistic projects, Russia deteriorates its already unfavorable condition, first of all, economic. We have the positive example of China, which does not wants to colonize anybody, does not speak about any “ChinaEuropean” union, but slowly and steadily is increasing its influence in the world. (By the way, it would be good, probably, that our state, political and economic officials, in addition to Russian and European, pay attention on Chinese direction). Iran also is likely to increase its role in the region in the near future (which, of course, is definitely beneficial for us) and will not cherish for “pan-Iranian” programs, again.
This is, in my opinion, the historical perspective, on the way of which, of course, there will be different types of deviations and fluctuations. And when the Russian leadership will understand that it need to leave other states alone, it will realize that it needs to leave its own people alone, too, that by violently subjugate people it will not achieve a result. Subjugating your own and other peoples is “historically” a senseless business.
And, until they understand it in Russia, we, Armenians, as they say, have something to suffer.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
Photo by Ilya Varlamov
