When they say that Pashinyan “divided the society,” it is only partially true. By 2018, our society was already divided. Its active part consisted of those who hated Ter-Petrosyan (because he “destroyed the miraculous country” and also “made it cold and dark”), those who hated Kocharyan and Sargsyan (because they were looting), as well as those who hated people who did not share that hatred. Pashinyan, to come to power, was able to accumulate and direct that hatred to the streets.
The street won. After that, the third group of haters was added to the two groups of haters, the group of Pashinyan haters, because with his political illiteracy or perhaps by implementing a premeditated plan, brought to the door of death, though not (gyozal) “miraculous” but the state that existed for better or worse until 2018.
What is essential for the current government is not the result recorded for the state but the public’s perception of their activities, popularity, propaganda, and PR. And, quite rightly feeling that the hatred towards the “formers” is getting worn out, so to speak, it is becoming “expired,” the government has chosen a new convenient target: Russia. Naturally, that country gives many reasons to complain and does not show itself as an ally. But the drastic anti-Russian steps, I think, are not caused by these problems and not even so much by the desire to win the approval of the West as by the desire to create a new image of the enemy, on which all the previous and most important, upcoming military, political and diplomatic defeats can be blamed. Another demarche against CSTO is one of such uncalculated steps.
It is hazardous when a country is run for the purpose of gathering likes on social media and inciting hatred for a cause. “Look, how strong ‘‘spirit’’ we do have and how far we are sending Russia”-this attitude may draw applause, more even cheers. But is there a sober calculation underneath this “spiritedness”?
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ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
