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Here's to The New Year: The Worst Is Yet To Come

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  • Here's to The New Year: The Worst Is Yet To Come

    The Armenian Observer
    January 5, 2014 Sunday 11:08 AM EST


    Here's to The New Year: The Worst Is Yet To Come

    by Artur Papyan

    Festive Fireworks on New Year's Eve in Yerevan's Republic Square, 01Jan2014
    I'm the most optimistic person I've met in this world. And yet, when
    the lavish fireworks broke into Yerevan's arrogant night sky on New
    Year's Eve, my heart squeezed with sorrow.


    The Armenian authorities are spending 20 milion AMD ($50,000 US) to
    celebrate the coming of a year, which in president Serzh Sarkissian's
    words [1]will see Armenia become a full member of the Customs Union.

    'Armenia is creating a new reality which will make her more protected
    and more competitive,' Serzh Sarkissian went on to say defending his
    sudden decision to turn away from the world's biggest market and
    Armenia's largest trade partners and side with[2] the group of
    countries with some of the world's most corrupt and autocratic
    regimes.

    Sadly though, most people I talked to in the past few days are
    embracing the accession into the Russia-led Customs Union as the only
    salvation this country has. And they find amazing justifications too:
    'no more problems migrating to Russia', 'bringing more Russian troops
    to Armenia', 'no more rising of the prices for natural gas' and a
    personal favorite of mine: 'Putin will show these bloody oligarchs how
    to behave, because he cares more about the people in Armenia than our
    current rulers do!' Yep, that's a favorite one, except that I have a
    problem with every one of those perceived benefits.

    We have got to stop migration from Armenia, not encourage it by
    forging ties with Russia. Our brothers (and even my very own sister)
    are creating worth for the Russian Empire instead of staying home and
    developing our land.

    More Russian troops? When we already have enough of them to invade
    Yerevan and other key cities in a matter of two hours if Putin decides
    he doesn't like what the Armenian authorities are doing!

    Not rising the gas prices? But this is also depriving Armenia of any
    rights to negotiate better gas deals with Iran!

    I've been too unhappy with the developments in the country to blog for
    much of the past year. But looking at the pompous fireworks of the New
    Year makes me want to shut it down for good. Because this is a blog
    about the democratic, economic and human development of Armenia and I
    see none coming in the coming year.

    I guess I should just sit back, relax and enjoy the firkin fireworks!

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