On July 18, 1968, the Communist Czechoslovak leader Alexander Dubček announced thru local TV channel that it should be conducted such a policy that the socialism does not lose its human face. Naturally, the then Soviet leaders did not like this statement, and they sent troops to Czechoslovakia and nominated a person as a leader of the country, who probably was thinking that socialism should have a human face. But this is another story. The matter here is about the expression of “human face”, which is implied to any society and any regime.
It seems that imparting a “human face” to this or that regime is not particularly a great thing, it is makeups, an exterior finishing, maybe just a mask that covers the face of the beast. But the experience shows that the appearance eventually mirrors the inner self of the person.
For example, if you independent of your mood are walking with your head high and straight back, it will ultimately affect the sense of well-being and the mood. Similarly, the social system that is cruel by its nature when it is trying to obtain a “human face”, from that very moment, it begins to lose its cruelty, is restrained and civilized. Incidentally, socialism as a notion is much more humane than the free market relations. Simply, the Russian Bolsheviks were trying to use the notions of socialism, while the protestant believers with Puritan views were developing the market relations. As a result, the first one obtained the beast expression, while the second one became more or less tolerable.
Hence, the current attempts to convey a human face to the authorities, irrespective of what they are caused by, seem surficial only at first glance. As the inner world dictates the appearance, so as vice versa, the appearance decides the inner world. Let’s recall the “non-human” face of the authorities that was formed in the 90s: impudent, arrogant, allowing itself everything, an image that recognizes no size and boundaries. There are such lawmakers and officials even now. But let’s agree that they are no longer “in the trend”.
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Certainly, the elite having an “old face” will not give up just like that: they certainly will not say, “we are good”, it will not sound convincing, there is a “tricky” way to say, “these new ones are no better than us.” But, eventually, everyone must understand the advantages of having a human face.
The appointment of new and young assistants to the Prime Minister became an additional impetus for these thoughts.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
