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THE CAUSE OF ARMENIA'S DESTRUCTION
HAKOB BADALYAN
Lragir.am
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments22810.html
02/08/2011
On Zhirayr Liparityan's article
Zhirayr Liparityan, the advisor to Levon Ter-Petrosyan on political
issues, wrote an article entitled the Critical Moment in Armenian
History from the far away United States of America. In his article,
he expresses concern over growing emigration from Armenia.
Zhirayr Liparityan avoids direct dwell on the keys to prevention of
emigration but hints quite transparently that in order to prevent
Armenia from emptying it is necessary to normalize relations with
neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan. For this reason, he hints that
Armenia needs to have a legitimate government able to take tough
decisions.
It is commendable that Zhirayr Liparityan, livingfar away in the
United States, after leaving his office in Armenia, still cares for
Armenia and writes long and detailed analytical articles. Of course,
the conclusions he makes, such as the Karabakh issue can be resolved
only if the government of Armenia is legitimate, and Armenia cannot
develop unless it normalizes relations with neighboring countries,
are not new and have been frequently uttered by different politicians
of Armenia.
These two circumstances need to be dwelled on. Let's first dwell on
the conclusion that a legitimate government can resolve the Karabakh
issue because it can make tough decisions which will be acceptable
to the public. Those who think so believe that the Armenian society
is unable to think and it is composed of idolaters who do not accept
the decisions of non-idols and accept those of their idols.
For instance, if Serzh Sargsyan tells the society that the
Karabakh issue must be resolved through territorial concessions,
the society will reject, while if the same statement is made by Levon
Ter-Petrosyan, the society will accept. This is the logic.
In reality, any legitimate government which will try to resolve the
Karabakh issue the way the current illegitimate government does will
eventually become illegitimate. It's not legitimacy that determines the
public attitude toward the decisions of the government but legitimacy
is determined by the attitude of the society toward the decisions.
At least, it is necessary to instill the consciousness in the social
and political life of Armenia in order to create a civil society rather
than a community of idolaters when the society grants legitimacy to
the authorities on the basis of the solutions proposed to it rather
than likes or dislikes.
The next issue is the impossibility of Armenia's development without
normalization of relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan. It is beyond
dispute that with normal economic, political, social and cultural
ties and open borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan Armenia could develop
better and faster.
But do you think Turkey and Azerbaijan will ever attempt to normalize
relations with Armenia seeing how our society is set to think that
without them the Armenians and Armenia are doomed? In this case,
why should Turkey and Azerbaijan agree to normalize ties and open
borders with Armenia if by not doing so they doom Armenia to death?
Consequently, as long as this idea persists in Armenia that we have
no chance without Turkey and Azerbaijan, Armenia will be condemned
to hopelessness.
Certainly, open borders and zero problems with neighbors is a
perfect condition. Indeed, it is necessary to work hard toward such a
situation. But how? What is the price to be paid for it? How much do we
need to yield? Turkey and Azerbaijan demand concessions. Perhaps, they
will always do, when they see how the Armenian political class keeps
convincing its society that without concessions and reconciliation
with Turkey and Azerbaijan Armenia will be ruined, and there will
never be development and democracy in Armenia.
In reality, Armenia was destroyed by all the national elections
since 1995, every time they were rigged. Armenia was destroyed
by unfair political competition through election fraud and other
means. Armenia was destroyed in the result of lasting degradation of
public administration, when people who are for holding on to power
through violence are encouraged and promoted. They first retained
power through violence for Levon Ter-Petrosyan and afterwards were
set to get power for themselves through similar methods. Armenia is
destroyed by the introduction and adherence to savage values, rather
than the European values. Armenia is destroyed by the deprivation of
the society of its creative potential and promotion of brutal animal
instincts. Armenia is destroyed because the failure political class
or the so-called political class is trying to assure the Armenian
society that its destiny depends on one thing, and it is necessary to
do everything for reconciliation with Turkey and Azerbaijan, instead
of inspiring self-confidence, strengthening thinking and capacities.
Similar thoughts brought about the genocide of Armenians in their
own homeland because the so-called political class was set to seek
reconciliation based on concessions with the Ottoman Empire, or the
Russians or others until it finally wasted the potential of Armenians
to resist, and the genocide ensued.
A rational man can never be against reconciliation and regional
integration. This is important and necessary. But rational formulations
of reconciliation and integration are required. For this reason,
it is first of all necessary to define the national interest,
to understand the amount of resources in place, to use them as
effectively as possible. In order to prevent emigration and promote
development, Armenia should first of all use the existing resources
in semi-blockade, it should build a modern state, a society based on
European values and it should establish Constitutional order. There
are many unused resources, and in case they are used effectively,
Armenia can improve its social and economic situation considerably
and increase its political potential. After that we will be able to
see what we can do in the regional and international relations and
what our target is.
And if we are unable to do this, to use these resources effectively,
the resources which we may have after the opening of borders will
also be ineffective.
HAKOB BADALYAN
Lragir.am
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments22810.html
02/08/2011
On Zhirayr Liparityan's article
Zhirayr Liparityan, the advisor to Levon Ter-Petrosyan on political
issues, wrote an article entitled the Critical Moment in Armenian
History from the far away United States of America. In his article,
he expresses concern over growing emigration from Armenia.
Zhirayr Liparityan avoids direct dwell on the keys to prevention of
emigration but hints quite transparently that in order to prevent
Armenia from emptying it is necessary to normalize relations with
neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan. For this reason, he hints that
Armenia needs to have a legitimate government able to take tough
decisions.
It is commendable that Zhirayr Liparityan, livingfar away in the
United States, after leaving his office in Armenia, still cares for
Armenia and writes long and detailed analytical articles. Of course,
the conclusions he makes, such as the Karabakh issue can be resolved
only if the government of Armenia is legitimate, and Armenia cannot
develop unless it normalizes relations with neighboring countries,
are not new and have been frequently uttered by different politicians
of Armenia.
These two circumstances need to be dwelled on. Let's first dwell on
the conclusion that a legitimate government can resolve the Karabakh
issue because it can make tough decisions which will be acceptable
to the public. Those who think so believe that the Armenian society
is unable to think and it is composed of idolaters who do not accept
the decisions of non-idols and accept those of their idols.
For instance, if Serzh Sargsyan tells the society that the
Karabakh issue must be resolved through territorial concessions,
the society will reject, while if the same statement is made by Levon
Ter-Petrosyan, the society will accept. This is the logic.
In reality, any legitimate government which will try to resolve the
Karabakh issue the way the current illegitimate government does will
eventually become illegitimate. It's not legitimacy that determines the
public attitude toward the decisions of the government but legitimacy
is determined by the attitude of the society toward the decisions.
At least, it is necessary to instill the consciousness in the social
and political life of Armenia in order to create a civil society rather
than a community of idolaters when the society grants legitimacy to
the authorities on the basis of the solutions proposed to it rather
than likes or dislikes.
The next issue is the impossibility of Armenia's development without
normalization of relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan. It is beyond
dispute that with normal economic, political, social and cultural
ties and open borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan Armenia could develop
better and faster.
But do you think Turkey and Azerbaijan will ever attempt to normalize
relations with Armenia seeing how our society is set to think that
without them the Armenians and Armenia are doomed? In this case,
why should Turkey and Azerbaijan agree to normalize ties and open
borders with Armenia if by not doing so they doom Armenia to death?
Consequently, as long as this idea persists in Armenia that we have
no chance without Turkey and Azerbaijan, Armenia will be condemned
to hopelessness.
Certainly, open borders and zero problems with neighbors is a
perfect condition. Indeed, it is necessary to work hard toward such a
situation. But how? What is the price to be paid for it? How much do we
need to yield? Turkey and Azerbaijan demand concessions. Perhaps, they
will always do, when they see how the Armenian political class keeps
convincing its society that without concessions and reconciliation
with Turkey and Azerbaijan Armenia will be ruined, and there will
never be development and democracy in Armenia.
In reality, Armenia was destroyed by all the national elections
since 1995, every time they were rigged. Armenia was destroyed
by unfair political competition through election fraud and other
means. Armenia was destroyed in the result of lasting degradation of
public administration, when people who are for holding on to power
through violence are encouraged and promoted. They first retained
power through violence for Levon Ter-Petrosyan and afterwards were
set to get power for themselves through similar methods. Armenia is
destroyed by the introduction and adherence to savage values, rather
than the European values. Armenia is destroyed by the deprivation of
the society of its creative potential and promotion of brutal animal
instincts. Armenia is destroyed because the failure political class
or the so-called political class is trying to assure the Armenian
society that its destiny depends on one thing, and it is necessary to
do everything for reconciliation with Turkey and Azerbaijan, instead
of inspiring self-confidence, strengthening thinking and capacities.
Similar thoughts brought about the genocide of Armenians in their
own homeland because the so-called political class was set to seek
reconciliation based on concessions with the Ottoman Empire, or the
Russians or others until it finally wasted the potential of Armenians
to resist, and the genocide ensued.
A rational man can never be against reconciliation and regional
integration. This is important and necessary. But rational formulations
of reconciliation and integration are required. For this reason,
it is first of all necessary to define the national interest,
to understand the amount of resources in place, to use them as
effectively as possible. In order to prevent emigration and promote
development, Armenia should first of all use the existing resources
in semi-blockade, it should build a modern state, a society based on
European values and it should establish Constitutional order. There
are many unused resources, and in case they are used effectively,
Armenia can improve its social and economic situation considerably
and increase its political potential. After that we will be able to
see what we can do in the regional and international relations and
what our target is.
And if we are unable to do this, to use these resources effectively,
the resources which we may have after the opening of borders will
also be ineffective.