Why do I prefer online taxi over an ordinary one, especially over a random one? First and foremost, because drivers in those taxis remain silent, do not say anything except from “hello” and “goodbye.” I suppose that those people, as almost all citizens of the Republic of Armenia, have problems, are discontented with their low salaries, oligarchy, authorities, etc. Simply those drivers prefer (or implement an order of) behaving themselves restrained and dignified.
If you take an ordinary taxi, then it is nearly compulsory for the driver to pronounce one of the following sentences: “not a sole Armenian will remain in this country soon, only Persians and Chinese”, “they again increased the prices, damn it”, “is there a hope that everything will be good?” If you reply and begin complaining, then be sure, the taxi driver will tell you various fantastic episodes from the modern history of Armenia, starting from: “Levon closed all factories and sold the machine-tools with the price of scraps to Persia.” I do not respond to the mourning in any way, I do not see a sense in debating at all, moreover, with people possessing this degree of information and prejudice for holding a conversation.
Political, public figures reply to those conversations because those citizens are their electorate, their potential admirers and they do not have an issue of educating them or explaining the truth, but the opposite – try to make the fire of prejudice stronger.
Lately I read Brian Tracy’s book: “envy underlies in every given political demagogy.” Indeed, if I do not fill with envy, seeing, for example, the castles of the current and the former PMs, then it will be very difficult to subject me to political manipulation.
Let me make it clear at once, I speak of bourgeois mourning and murmurs, not organized political and public complaint (of course, if that complaint is peaceful, unarmed). It is not important why people struggle with such protests, even for getting a release from army service “through science”. Or even for authority. In all cases such protests are to be welcomed, forasmuch as they show that the people, the citizens are not indifferent and they try to do so that their voice is hearable to the whole public.
And the everyday weeping was present during the times of communists, Armenian National Movement, is present today and will be present always. It is simply not to be imported into political discourse.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
