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THERE ARE NO "INHERENT CHARACTERISTICS"
http://www.aravot.am/en/2012/10/06/117334/
October 6, 2012 12:42
The judgments of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the leader of the opposition
that won the election in Georgia, that Georgians are connected with
their land and Armenians are not, because they prefer to live in
Georgia and not in Armenia just don't hold water (the subsequent
denials basically don't change the essence of that claim). Firstly,
for the majority of Armenians living in the neighboring republic,
Georgia is their fatherland - a few generations of those people have
lived in Georgia, by the way, playing an important role in Georgia's
economic and cultural life. Secondly, the numbers of emigrants from
Georgia and Armenia in the past 20 years are comparable and judging
from those huge numbers, one can draw a conclusion that both of our
peoples equally grasp at their homeland. A person having a certain
educational and mental qualification would understand that and would
think a bit before "comparing nations." Let us assert that neither
Ivanishvili, nor Saakashvili is Spinoza, but regardless of who will be
the head of Georgia in the upcoming years, that country has achieved
considerable progress in certain areas with the active support of
the West, especially the US, and individuals are not so important here.
However, this banal mentality, according to which there are some
characteristics, which are inherent in the given nation, is spread not
only in Armenia and Georgia, but also in many other countries, which
haven't reached a certain level of civilization. For example, when we
say about ourselves that Armenians are not diligent, are fraudulent,
it is ridiculous. In a certain social environment, under certain
social circumstances, our compatriots show quite opposite traits.
Certainly, it is also wrong to attribute a certain positive
characteristic to the whole nation, for example, "cultural nation" or
"hard-working nation." Once we look at the "partying" garbage piled
around our historical monuments, we will give up on this self-praise.
However, I am convinced that in Germany or in Sweden, the majority of
Armenians don't show such an attitude. The same applies to the other
nations - what is usually said in everyday life say about Turks is
nothing more than an empty stereotype restraining one's thinking.
Nations, as well as individuals, act differently depending on what
cultural environment they are in.
Mikhail Glinka, the founder of the Russian classical music, spent the
most of his adult life in Europe. The vices of the Russian Empire,
which we are aware of, were unbearable for the artist. When the
composer left Russia for the last time in 1856, he angrily spat toward
the fatherland on the border (he died in Berlin a year after). I will
not venture to say that Glinka was not connected with Russian soil.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
From: Baghdasarian
http://www.aravot.am/en/2012/10/06/117334/
October 6, 2012 12:42
The judgments of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the leader of the opposition
that won the election in Georgia, that Georgians are connected with
their land and Armenians are not, because they prefer to live in
Georgia and not in Armenia just don't hold water (the subsequent
denials basically don't change the essence of that claim). Firstly,
for the majority of Armenians living in the neighboring republic,
Georgia is their fatherland - a few generations of those people have
lived in Georgia, by the way, playing an important role in Georgia's
economic and cultural life. Secondly, the numbers of emigrants from
Georgia and Armenia in the past 20 years are comparable and judging
from those huge numbers, one can draw a conclusion that both of our
peoples equally grasp at their homeland. A person having a certain
educational and mental qualification would understand that and would
think a bit before "comparing nations." Let us assert that neither
Ivanishvili, nor Saakashvili is Spinoza, but regardless of who will be
the head of Georgia in the upcoming years, that country has achieved
considerable progress in certain areas with the active support of
the West, especially the US, and individuals are not so important here.
However, this banal mentality, according to which there are some
characteristics, which are inherent in the given nation, is spread not
only in Armenia and Georgia, but also in many other countries, which
haven't reached a certain level of civilization. For example, when we
say about ourselves that Armenians are not diligent, are fraudulent,
it is ridiculous. In a certain social environment, under certain
social circumstances, our compatriots show quite opposite traits.
Certainly, it is also wrong to attribute a certain positive
characteristic to the whole nation, for example, "cultural nation" or
"hard-working nation." Once we look at the "partying" garbage piled
around our historical monuments, we will give up on this self-praise.
However, I am convinced that in Germany or in Sweden, the majority of
Armenians don't show such an attitude. The same applies to the other
nations - what is usually said in everyday life say about Turks is
nothing more than an empty stereotype restraining one's thinking.
Nations, as well as individuals, act differently depending on what
cultural environment they are in.
Mikhail Glinka, the founder of the Russian classical music, spent the
most of his adult life in Europe. The vices of the Russian Empire,
which we are aware of, were unbearable for the artist. When the
composer left Russia for the last time in 1856, he angrily spat toward
the fatherland on the border (he died in Berlin a year after). I will
not venture to say that Glinka was not connected with Russian soil.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
From: Baghdasarian