When you try to “demonize” your opponent and reject any positive manifestation of them, it can be useful from the point of view of propaganda, but in the end, it is quite possible that you will get the very extreme characteristics of the opponent that you attributed to them. To begin with, let me give an example from international practice. For decades, Israel’s religious, as well as largely political elite and world Jewry have tried to present Arabs and Islam exclusively as an “aggressive” and “backward” nation and religion, although Israel as a state professes tolerance on an official, formal level. Actually, in that country, no attempt is made to take into account that, for example, there are Christians among the Arabs or that Islam has given the world civilization many masterpieces in art and achievements in science.
As a result, Israel and the entire West are dealing with the darkest, backward and aggressive representatives of that religion as opponents. By the way, there are people in Armenia who believe that Israel, from all points of view, is the model that needs to be “copy-pasted” in our country. That is an obvious exaggeration. The experience of any country is instructive and useful, but no country presents itself as an ideal or beacon.
Now let’s turn to our domestic political life. Today’s government is naturally interested in demonizing its political opponents. Hatred for the former is the fire that keeps the high ratings of these authorities. And I think it will be possible to keep that fire burning for a few more years. In response to any criticism, the code words “former” and “Kocharyan” are uttered, which make any discussion meaningless. As a result, the prime minister and his entourage get exactly the opposition that really dreams of revenge and revenge.
On the one hand, it is good for the government in a purely tactical sense. Those figures who were on the streets in May-June have no chance to come or return to power. On the other hand, from a strategic point of view, it is bad, because a strong opposition can keep the government away from serious slip-ups, and they are still expected and will cost both the state and the government itself.
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But the opposite is also true. The existing opposition does not want to see anything but cheap populism in the government, and does not want to delve into why, on what basis this populism arose and what problems it solves. That is the reason why their opponents from the ruling camp are mainly those Civil Contract members who are not burdened with intellect and knowledge, but are able to pronounce the above-mentioned code words with great pathos.
Aram Abrahamyan
