The phrase “foreign agent” has recently taken on a unique meaning because of Putin’s repressive machine. In Russia, that label is attached to people and organizations that disagree with the authorities’ policies, who, bearing this “stigma,” are deprived of certain rights (for example, to teach). I don’t know if the Georgian authorities had this in mind, but in any case, that unpleasant phrase should be avoided as possible.
However, it is not the case that the label “agent” is the monopoly of the Putinists. The “pro-Western” fans of the RA authorities use precisely the same propaganda trick. According to them, all those people who see an eyebrow above Pashinyan’s eye are Russian agents and are fighting against the sovereignty of our country.
As human rights activist Vardan Harutyunyan rightly observed, there are political scientists, experts, analysts, and commentators in Armenia who justify Russia’s imperialist aggression against Ukraine. But in Armenia, there are ten times more political scientists, analysts, and others who talk several times a day on different broadcasts about “Putler,” “5th column”, “KGB agents,” and “Kremlin servants.” Russia’s obscene; I would even say “yellow” propaganda is opposed by the brainwashing of the same quality from “pro-Western” positions with roughly the following slogans: “Artsakh’s fate is decided. France comes to the region”, “Charles Michel opens the Lachine Corridor,” “Pelosi saves the sovereignty of Armenia.”
Both approaches are wrong. Moreover, they are dangerous. But let me repeat, the last position I described is ten times more dominant than the “Russian-loving” views in the public arena.
Read also
Of course, it would be ideal if our political scientists analyzed the situation essentially, not based on the stereotypes existing in their heads, but since this is not the case, let them at least balance each other.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
