Armenia's political establishment lacks 'sense of state'

Today, few know when "professional patriots" first appeared. Some believe this happened during World War One, while others say it occurred during the Anglo-Boer War.

In any case, describing the events of the almost forgotten war in South Africa, Louis Boussenard wrote this term in his famous work "Captain Daredevil: Literature Is Of Khaki Color.” He wrote that “many of the books, films, plays, and poems on war created by truly talented authors enter the treasury of world culture while professional patriotism quickly degenerates to a cartoon sergeant with his famous statement, 'I'll teach you to love your mother, motherland!'"

And what if this professional patriotism is now demonstrated by high ranking diplomats?

This is precisely what is happening in Armenia where Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharian, over and over again, dumbfounds his audience by his "discoveries.” He either declares that the territorial integrity of states is "a medieval mentality” or he undertakes to prove that the self-determination of peoples is "argument number one” in international law. Recently, he even began to inquire: Why can Azerbaijan and Turkey exist on the principle of one nation and two states while Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh cannot?

Unfortunately, it makes no sense to argue with a person like Shavarsh Kocharian and to prove what international law requires and what self-determination is. Therefore, it is much more appropriate to remind the deputy minister that when little kids stamp their foot on the floor crying "why does he have a bike, and I don't?" their mother, father and teacher patiently tell them that one can not have everything you see. Otherwise, it will simply be impossible to live in the modern world both for an individual and the entire state.

Perhaps, Kocharian understands that you cannot ask life to give you a car like Gagik Tsarukyan's, a villa like Aznavour's, a body like Schwarzenegger's, a wife like Brad Pitt's and a "girlfriend" like Pete Doherty's. Tragically enough, a large part of Armenia’s political establishment lacks “a sense of a state.” The people in this country cannot grasp that their country exists in real world, with internationally recognized borders, which nobody is allowed to violate based on the principle of "I'd love to" or "Why they have it, but we don’t?"

They simply fail to understand that the time when the principle "take it as much as you want" that was once used in land division in the Wild West are gone even in the former Wild West, not to mention Eurasia, where the "no man's land" principle does not exist. No matter how many times Armenian historians declare that their neighbors are "barbarians and nomads” and invent legends about the "Stone Age observatory,” the international community will not tolerate the occupation of foreign lands, setting up puppet regimes and seeking their recognition.

Of course, attempts to speak from a position of strength look very effective on the world scene. Vladimir Lukin, a Russian politician who was the Russian ambassador to the United States, once humorously advised: "If you want to spread mustard on someone's sirloin, you should make sure in advance that you have mustard. But if you do have one, do not confuse your sirloin with that of your opponent".

Needless it to explain Armenia for umpteenth time that the balance of powers in the region, large scale emigration and a moribund economy do not enable the country to make terms at all and that if Yerevan furthers drag out the reconciliation and reject proposals advanced by mediators, the situation will not change in its favor.

Thus, people like Kocharian try to assure simple Armenian citizens that their country is strong and influential, it has "principled politics" and everything will change in favor of Yerevan.


Nurani
/Day.Az/