This week, the government passed decisions on the development of science and technology, as well as the abolition of legal guarantees for the financing of education.
At first glance, it seems as though these decisions do not have much to do with the current situation and the issues that are being discussed today. However, one can only form such an impression after looking at the issue superficially.
In order to understand why decisions are being passed against education and science, it is important to refer to the question of who makes up the current government’s social base- the voters who unconditionally support Pashinyan.
I sometimes come across perspectives that I believe were formed based on the beliefs of some Russian circles, such as that the power of this government is based on ‘a group of pro-Soros individuals.’ If this is regarding a number of NGOs, then yes, they mainly began working after 2018 to mostly support the interests of the government. But they include several dozens of people, and you cannot consider such a number to be a ‘social base.’ So, the American businessman has nothing to do with this. High-ranking officials, oligarchs, My Step members, and other stakeholders affiliated with them also do not change the weather, for the most part.
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We must look for Pashinyan’s ‘social base’ elsewhere. It mainly consists of individuals who did not receive an education, who have little information, and who live in a fantasy world that is cut off from reality.
When I speak to them (I do this often), they do not say that Pashinyan is a wise leader, an effective statesman, or that the government is taking positive steps. The main topic that the representatives of this group speak about is not the Prime Minister or the government or the catastrophic situation in our country, but… the past. They are focused on the past, and they describe the path that the Third Republic took with one sentence: “They robbed this country for 30 years.” But Pashinyan, in his turn, is seen as a mythical hero who always fought against that evil.
Of course, these emotions are not unfounded; the three former administrations did not give people the opportunity to live dignified lives, get a normal education, or develop moral orientations. No one has the right to blame those people; I am simply describing the situation. And in this situation, the less educated people are, the more it benefits the current government.
And the 30-year history… as Jean-Paul Sartre said, nothing changes as often as the past.
Aram Abrahamyan
