In our, Armenian, public culture, there is the urge not to obey the law at all costs. 40 years ago, the justifications for this urge were mostly being discussed in the kitchen. When a worker was stealing spares from the factory, when a salesclerk was “covertly” selling goods at a higher price, or when a resident was using special wires not to pay for electricity, he could speak out his excuses within a narrow family or friends circle, “Damn this state, why shouldn’t I steal? Look how well that manufacturer and prosecutor live”. Now, fortunately, we have freedom of speech, and there are Facebook and websites for this type of excuses.
When the health minister says smoking is harmful for your health (seems utterly indisputable and “apolitical” claim) the average statistical citizen of Armenia says or writes on Facebook and websites, “It’s my business. I want to smoke, I do smoke. Purposely I’ll smoke even more. Provide me with a normal, decent life, so I won’t smoke. I smoke because of grief”. When the Prime Minister says not to throw out plastic bags in the streets, the same people say, “I want to throw, so I do. Then how come this or that oligarch has cut the whole forest and has built a castle for him?”. Slovenliness thus becomes a form of expression of political protest.
Recently the Prime Minister spoke about unshaved taxi drivers, who wear slippers, and smoke in presence of customers, and who welcome our citizens returning to homeland, and tourists visiting Armenia. (Haven’t you seen such taxi drivers?). Indeed, the taxi drivers told the following on the websites, “Who is he to tell us how to be? We will work in even more torn up clothes if we wish. Let him first set the country on feet”. (Most of the population in Armenia is confident that someone must appear and “set the country on feet”). Now that beautiful, furnished, and clean buses move to “Zvartnots” airport from the Republic Square every hour, people will say: these poor people are being deprived of a penny.
Every year I regularly pay my house property tax. People tell that I am naïve, because there are possible ways to avoid paying, “Why should I pay? Nikol said that this or that person doesn’t pay. Let them pay, then I’ll pay too”. Or, “Why do they convict “Sasna Tsrer”? What are laws? What is a court? Were the authorities convicted when they created “March 1” events?”.
Politicians love to repeat, “our people are longing for justice”. Slightly changing the formula, I can say, “our people are longing for excuses”.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
