Oftentimes, one can find also serious articles on extremely actual topics in the internet, on the background of “angry” posts and comments on Facebook by inadequate people and websites on the same topics. Those articles do not include “lashings”, accusations and labels – they are moderate analyses intended for thinking people.
In this case, I indicate the article entitled “Seeking the Armenian Brand” by Areg Galstyan on armenian-interest.com website. The topic is the political brand, under which the author understands “the unification of all national forces which contribute to the propaganda of the country’s image out of its borders.” It is clear that we are the ones to give the answers to certain questions to ourselves and the first of them is the following: Who are we, the Armenian residents? Are we an ethnic group which lives within the borders of a state internationally recognized or a political nation with its formed national interests? Probably, we are an ethnic grouping yet, forasmuch as it seems those interests are not shaped. The second question is: Where do we go? Officially, it seems it is announced – to the democracy, freedom of speech, distribution of power, that is – political West. But do those values exist among the preferences of our public? I think – not. A distorted picture of the Western values reigns among our society which is shaped also under the influence of Russian propaganda. (I do not even speak of the nonsense weaved around the “Armenian gene”.)
Finally, the third question is: By what we are interesting to the primary political actors of the world? The traditional answer is – by Armenian Genocide. But it, according to the author (with whom I agree), is more moral than a political issue. Other question: the fight for Artsakh independence. However, that fight is not enough by itself – it should be a part of one of the important components of a more generally shaped national interests. The national brand of Israel is: “Israel is a holy land which has been granted to the nation chosen by God.” The statehood of the country is built on it, it is the “center of the gravity” to all Jews of the world. We do not have such certain political, moral and, I presume, partly religious formulation. Such thing was not even possible, inasmuch as compared with Jews and Irish people, we have not had an organized pro-statehood minority (aristocracy, elite), which had been preparing the unorganized majority for independence for a long time. However, such as in other cases, in this situation as well, let us state – it is not late now either.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
