It was only natural that, following the congress of the Armenian National Congress, pro-government propagandists would become more active. Given their intellectual and cultural limitations, they were bound to target Levon Ter-Petrosyan. In substance, however, the imagination of these warriors of the propaganda front rarely ventures beyond the familiar clichés of “the cold and the dark.”
Should my friends in the ANC respond to this kind of propaganda? I am not convinced that it is possible to influence the opinions of those fixated on “the cold and the dark.”
There is a segment of the electorate that simply cannot be persuaded—or even reasoned with. Let me offer a telling example. In one of my recent videos, I tried to explain why I currently consider conservative ideology to be preferable. In response, a pro-government user commented: “You’re a conservative because you defend and preserve everything associated with the rejected former regime.”
The pro-Pashinyan electorate has little grasp of even the most basic knowledge, has little understanding of the country’s real challenges, and is only capable of repeating formulas circulating on social media. It is precisely this audience that the aforementioned propaganda targets. As for trying to convince them that there are—and have been—issues far more important than “the cold and the dark”… I have great respect for those in the opposition who still attempt to explain such things to them.
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I doubt there is much point in trying to explain anything to a certain segment of pro-government voters. That said, there is something I am certain about.
Recently, it became known that Robert Kocharyan has decided to take part in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Of course, it would have been better had this not happened: the second president is unlikely to secure even as many votes as he did in 2021, and his candidacy will inevitably provide ample material for government propaganda. But if my view is of any interest to the opposition, I would argue that it is not worth campaigning against Kocharyan or the Armenian Revolutionary Federation that supports him. Let the ruling Civil Contract Party do that. Sharp “intra-opposition” disputes play directly into their hands. By the same token, Kocharyan’s supporters would do well to refrain from scoring points at the expense of other opposition forces.
I am convinced of one thing: all genuine opposition forces should focus solely on Nikol Pashinyan and maintain a stance of benevolent neutrality toward one another.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
