How is democracy established in this or that country? Many people imagine it this way: the people go to the streets and drive the dictator from the throne with his viziers, the democrat comes with his viziers, they hang the former ones from all possible pillars, and the regime turns from dictatorial to democratic. It is a romantic notion deliberately presented to society after the revolution, intentional, because revolutionaries, as a rule, are not democratic at all, and they try to keep their power with these myths.
In reality, democracy is not such a beautiful, shiny, and fragrant phenomenon. It is approved, or more precisely, steps are taken in that direction only when it is in the ruling elite’s interests to agree with other elites. If the rulers can keep their seats without collusion with other groups, then there is no need for any democracy. And this is how more than 200 countries live, including Armenia. The government does not need to reckon with anyone in two cases: a) if it uses brute force and b) if it can brainwash the majority of society. In the first case, autocracy is based on fear, and in the second case, on lies.
Unlike those regimes, democracy is based on agreement, cooperation, and even “trade” between elites who do not like each other and have opposing interests. If there is no objective need for “trade,” we get the situation we have. To maintain his power, the leader orders: “catch the devils,” “catch the 5th column”, and “catch Kremlin agents.” It receives strong propaganda support and the consent of the majority of the public. It is an autocracy based on lies.
Sooner or later, this government will change. A new leader will say: “Now I am going to establish a real democracy, but from the beginning, it is necessary to conduct lustrations, vetting, purifications, purges,” and then he will order to hang the CC members from all possible pillars metaphorically. And history will repeat itself.
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Aram ABRAHAMYAN
