WE HAVE DEPRECIATED US
October 10 2013
On the advice of one of my friends, I read Shahan Natalie’s article
“The Turks and Us”, and those who have not done it, I will also
recommend reading it. I, especially, liked the following idea:
“Take any newspaper. We will find brilliant editors there who own
the destiny of the political world. And, neither the editor, nor the
reader will once ask a question: ultimately, who reads these articles.
Would we like to lead Poincaré, Mussolini, or Lloyd George with
our political wisdom?” It was written in 1928, but, agree that it
is very topical. I, particularly, recalled a commentator, who, let’s
assume, after voicing strong accusations against Erdogan, completes
his judgments with the following rhetorical question: “How come, Mr.
Erdogan?” Probably, it seemed to the commentator that the Turkish
Prime Minister is anxiously sitting in front of the TV and waiting
to see what assessment the Armenian publicist is going to give to
his activities. It seems to me that Natalie had presented one of
the most important defects of our political thought: it seems to us
that we need to explain the world, its elders, and the leaders of
the countries how good and fair we are, and how insidious and beast
our enemies are, and if the elders and leaders understand this, they
will definitely begin supporting us. This erroneous view was also
criticized in 1997 by Levon Ter-Petrosyan. “Indeed, they (Russian
authorities – A.A. ) do not realize the strategic interests of their
country. Is it Armenia that should make them understand? Aren’t those
giving lessons to Russia put themselves into a ridiculous situation
by discrediting the image of the Armenian?… And, finally, still how
long the fanaticism of becoming a toy of Russia or any other country,
by self-deception, should be the lifestyle of an Armenian?” Indeed,
there is no need to admonish, and persuade somebody, to demonstrate
your perfection and advantages; every country, friendly or hostile,
moreover, every superpower will pay you the price that you deserve.
Repeating this indisputable truth becomes important during today’s
“Customs-European” debate. The problem, therefore, is raising own
price. Shahan Natalie was offering tools for it, which in today’s
world are applicable in this historical phase. The tools that we need
to apply regardless of the independent state, reached the goal in
one case, Artsakh liberation. In the domestic political, economic and
cultural life, in this sense, we have nothing to be proud of. We have
depreciated our price with our actions. … And supplicating justice
from the world is simply ridiculous. As Shahan Natalie wrote, “the law
is dominant in the political life, and forget the justice. Because,
ultimately, the justice is relatively one word: what is not fair for
us is just for the other.”
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
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From: A. Papazian