This is the point of view of all the Armenian authorities. It’s time to change that.
During the 30 years of independent Armenia, no government has thought of linking the country’s security with the level of development of our education, science, and culture. Even now, when it comes to the science-security connection, drones and their “countermeasures” are immediately in front of our minds. Of course, this is an important issue for our security.
But aren’t we too narrow-minded? Can we be interesting to the world by showing our uniqueness only through “drones”? And if a serious, world-class study is conducted at the Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory (now called the Institute of Physics) with the participation of well-known foreign scientists, will it not strengthen our security? And if Tigran Mansuryan’s “Requiem” takes place at Carnegie Hall in New York…
Why was the world so indifferent when Azerbaijan and Turkey attacked Artsakh? Of course, there are many reasons, including, of course, the weakness of our diplomacy and foreign policy. The world is convinced that Azerbaijan had the right to use military force and “liberate” its territories. For 26 years, Azerbaijan has made great efforts in this direction against the background of our, to put it mildly, insufficient counter-efforts. But there is, in my opinion, a deeper, more fundamental reason that we must honestly admit. Our state (not one territory as an “outpost”) is of no interest to anyone.
Read also
Moreover, I doubt whether our state is interesting to our citizens. Put yourself in the place of a foreigner who, in general, sympathizes with our country, and sincerely wants to observe the realities of Armenia. Can you say that there are proud (actually proud), patriotic, and respectful people who respect the state institutions in Armenia, and who are sorry for the recent losses? How will we show that we feel that way? From toasts, from parliamentary speeches, from the meaningless question “what will happen to this country?” I don’t think so. It should be shown from the level of economy, culture, science and education. That observer might ask how much a teacher in Armenia makes and how much a police officer makes and draw their own conclusions. Until September 27, 2020, we could tell that observer that the main meaning of our state is to keep Artsakh invincible. But now we cannot say that either.
Let’s set aside our anger, frustration, and meaningless controversial statements for a moment and think for 5 minutes about this question: why should we, Armenians, have a state? To make the flag and the anthem caress our self-esteem? But you can have such toys without having an actual state. So that people “live well”? But you can “live well” in another state. There can be one answer. There are values that can be preserved only by having a state.
What are those values? You need to think for more than 5 minutes. But it is obvious that these values are formed, preserved, and spread within the country and around the world through the very spheres to which the authorities of the last 30 years have had a cold and reserved attitude. In the last three years, the attitude of the authorities has deepened due to the “infidelity” of scientists, professors, and artists, which, according to the authorities, should be punished. Hence, the propaganda thesis spread by the authorities: “all professors are corrupt,” “all the so-called intellectuals serve the previous government.” Since this is a familiar environment to me, I can confidently say that it is a brazen lie. I know people who teach at a music college for 70-80 thousand AMD. I assure you that they are more honest and dedicated than the deputies and ministers who spread lies about them. Please, dear authorities, look for the enemies of the state elsewhere.
… There is a famous quote, “The Prussian schoolteacher won the war.” This quote is attributed to Otto von Bismarck, but it was actually said by someone else of Bismarck’s time- a professor at the University of Leipzig, geographer, and anthropologist Oscar Peschel. But regardless of who said it, the quote perfectly corresponds to the direction of the reforms in which Prussia moved from the middle of the 19th century to the restoration of German statehood. Army-university-science-education is an inseparable chain – a path that has become an example for many countries, including Russia. In particular, Bismarck was the first to demand that any officer or senior official have a serious university education (for example, graduate of the Humboldt University in Berlin) rather than a bachelor’s degree.
When you present all these facts to the authorities, their answer over the past 30 years was the following, “Well, wait, what education, science, culture? Now’s not the time.” Maybe one day that wrong perspective will change?
Aram Abrahamyann
