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LABORATORY MUTATION OF REALITY
Siranuysh Papyan
Lragir.am
17:25:04 - 19/03/2012
Interview with Hayk Martirosyan, Candidate of Historical Sciences,
a doctoral student in political science at the Sorbonne, an expert
on media and political technology (New York)
Election processes have already been launched in Armenia but there has
been no talk show or debates on this issue yet. Is this a continuation
of the policy of the previous elections or Serzh Sargsyan did not
accept the opposition's proposal to hold debates?
Informational programs on the Armenian television don't enable to
make objective conclusions: they either have a clear direction or they
are amorphous. This reflects the culture of the Armenian television,
rather its absence.
Armenia cannot stay far from global processes: the Internet and
media come to the first horizontal lines. And in Armenia the media
revolution occurred rather abruptly. But the internet has not yet won
the TV. In countries such as Armenia, television is still popular. In
the U.S. and UK, TV is growing into internet, while Armenia in this
regard is still in the Middle Ages.
Informational blocs and socio-political programs have been in a
miserable state in Armenia since independence. The television has
always been under control, and I think it will be so in the near
future too. This is something particular to the East.
What do you think about the new media and what is their role?
What the media and Facebook and Twitter did in the Middle East is
the best example. In 2008, Obama fulfilled an unprecedented election
campaign in internet. In Armenia, internet is not a property of the
large masses, but is role is increasing. The youth in the capital uses
internet in Armenia which is politically inert and immature in the
intellectual sense. So, the role of the internet in the election should
not be overestimated though it should not be underestimated either.
Can we say our youths are self-determined citizens?
There have always been and there are competed self-determined citizens
but they did not show civic consciousness. As to the internet-activism,
it is formed very slowly. There is no need to expect net revolutions
in Armenia.
There is dignified youth in Armenia, but the overwhelming majority has
superficial interests, they are far little educated. The determined
youth in Armenia which follows the fascist leader, has undergone
laboratory mutations and this is a national tragedy. But, at the same
time, there are constructive internet-activists who influence on the
formation of the public opinion. I think there is no critical mass
of internet-activists in place yet.
Total "republicanization" is happening in the Armenian universities
while you say the youth is not politicized.
When I used to study in the university, then-Chairman of the National
Academy of Sciences, not the rector of Yerevan State University Radik
Martirosyan punished those who were against Levon Ter-Petrosyan's
regime. The, he punished those who recalled Ter-Petrosyan. This is
the mirror of the political field of Armenia. Students need to study
in universities instead of dealing with politics. Though the youth
in the whole world is the most active mass, in Armenia it became a
miserable remnant of the soviet past.
Are there parties in Armenia the ideology of which is based on the
public interest?
I think there are as well as there are such public figures,
journalists, but the society has not achieved the level to vote
for ideology.
Why have journalists suddenly started running for the parliament?
In Armenia, the image and reputation have always been valued highly.
As to the journalists, so in the West, people with humanitarian
leanings run for the parliament - lawyers, political scientists and
journalists. Former journalists have a great influence in the U.S.,
Britain and France. In Russia and Armenia, journalists, unfortunately,
do someone else's orders, and in this case their impact on the real
policy is zero.
This is not even a deal because many journalists don't have enough
weight to make a deal. I think this is just a copy of the Russian
processes. A new fashion started - to introduce to parliament people
who will restrain the negative reaction of the society.
Besides, I think for example, Shushan Petrosyan can be a more useful MP
than many of the current MPs. Though the entrance of the show business
to the parliament is as harmful as the oligarchy's presence there.
They say Serzh Sargsyan promised the West to hold fair elections and
called on everyone to check them.
It is necessary to believe, it is impossible to live without trust.
But I don't think the election will be based on Norwegian standards.
The point is not the pledges but the political system.
Perhaps, it will be half a new, rejuvenated parliament but in terms
of the content, there will be little difference.
Siranuysh Papyan
Lragir.am
17:25:04 - 19/03/2012
Interview with Hayk Martirosyan, Candidate of Historical Sciences,
a doctoral student in political science at the Sorbonne, an expert
on media and political technology (New York)
Election processes have already been launched in Armenia but there has
been no talk show or debates on this issue yet. Is this a continuation
of the policy of the previous elections or Serzh Sargsyan did not
accept the opposition's proposal to hold debates?
Informational programs on the Armenian television don't enable to
make objective conclusions: they either have a clear direction or they
are amorphous. This reflects the culture of the Armenian television,
rather its absence.
Armenia cannot stay far from global processes: the Internet and
media come to the first horizontal lines. And in Armenia the media
revolution occurred rather abruptly. But the internet has not yet won
the TV. In countries such as Armenia, television is still popular. In
the U.S. and UK, TV is growing into internet, while Armenia in this
regard is still in the Middle Ages.
Informational blocs and socio-political programs have been in a
miserable state in Armenia since independence. The television has
always been under control, and I think it will be so in the near
future too. This is something particular to the East.
What do you think about the new media and what is their role?
What the media and Facebook and Twitter did in the Middle East is
the best example. In 2008, Obama fulfilled an unprecedented election
campaign in internet. In Armenia, internet is not a property of the
large masses, but is role is increasing. The youth in the capital uses
internet in Armenia which is politically inert and immature in the
intellectual sense. So, the role of the internet in the election should
not be overestimated though it should not be underestimated either.
Can we say our youths are self-determined citizens?
There have always been and there are competed self-determined citizens
but they did not show civic consciousness. As to the internet-activism,
it is formed very slowly. There is no need to expect net revolutions
in Armenia.
There is dignified youth in Armenia, but the overwhelming majority has
superficial interests, they are far little educated. The determined
youth in Armenia which follows the fascist leader, has undergone
laboratory mutations and this is a national tragedy. But, at the same
time, there are constructive internet-activists who influence on the
formation of the public opinion. I think there is no critical mass
of internet-activists in place yet.
Total "republicanization" is happening in the Armenian universities
while you say the youth is not politicized.
When I used to study in the university, then-Chairman of the National
Academy of Sciences, not the rector of Yerevan State University Radik
Martirosyan punished those who were against Levon Ter-Petrosyan's
regime. The, he punished those who recalled Ter-Petrosyan. This is
the mirror of the political field of Armenia. Students need to study
in universities instead of dealing with politics. Though the youth
in the whole world is the most active mass, in Armenia it became a
miserable remnant of the soviet past.
Are there parties in Armenia the ideology of which is based on the
public interest?
I think there are as well as there are such public figures,
journalists, but the society has not achieved the level to vote
for ideology.
Why have journalists suddenly started running for the parliament?
In Armenia, the image and reputation have always been valued highly.
As to the journalists, so in the West, people with humanitarian
leanings run for the parliament - lawyers, political scientists and
journalists. Former journalists have a great influence in the U.S.,
Britain and France. In Russia and Armenia, journalists, unfortunately,
do someone else's orders, and in this case their impact on the real
policy is zero.
This is not even a deal because many journalists don't have enough
weight to make a deal. I think this is just a copy of the Russian
processes. A new fashion started - to introduce to parliament people
who will restrain the negative reaction of the society.
Besides, I think for example, Shushan Petrosyan can be a more useful MP
than many of the current MPs. Though the entrance of the show business
to the parliament is as harmful as the oligarchy's presence there.
They say Serzh Sargsyan promised the West to hold fair elections and
called on everyone to check them.
It is necessary to believe, it is impossible to live without trust.
But I don't think the election will be based on Norwegian standards.
The point is not the pledges but the political system.
Perhaps, it will be half a new, rejuvenated parliament but in terms
of the content, there will be little difference.