Feature Stories society politics
Alec Yenikomshian
In addition to being a necessity in and by itself, the establishment of a healthy and just system and an adequate social structure in Armenia is, as previously mentioned, the only way to remove the country and the people from the unavoidable path leading to dissolution.
The conception, drafting and establishment of the principles and of the program of such an alternative system must be the result, to the greatest extent possible, of widespread public debate. It cannot be the end result of the thinking process of just one or two persons. What follows below is based on personal convictions, but isnթ§Չ-Չ§t set in stone. These ideas are presented as a call for public discussions. Moreover, they represent just an outline and are not intended to depict a clear and complete line of action. I do not suggest either that the points made represent in any way something new. Some of them have been alreadyթԹ uttered by various individuals.
The systemթ§Չ-Չ§s essential components
Letթ§Չ-Չ§s summarize briefly then: The ruling system in Armenia is anchored on the greed of a group of people full of an unquenchable desire to constantly increase without restrictions its material wealth. All the dominant economic, social and political relations within Armeniaթ§Չ-Չ§s society, as well as the dominant value system, stem from this reality. If, in other countries, due to unique historical developments and prevailing objective factors, a similar system anchored on such roots may possibly not deprive the country and people from a certain measure of vitality even in the long run, in the case of Armenia, such a scenario is ruled out. In addition to being essentially inhumane and immoral, such a system in Armenia is out and out destructive because of the shaky internal situation stemming from prevailing objective conditions and because of the unique position the country occupies within the global system.
To make a U-turn on the road leading to destruction and to become a country that not only doesnթ§Չ-Չ§t repel Armenians but actually attracts them, it is necessary for Armenia to have a society where :
– All the biological-survival needs of citizens, as well as their essential material needs derived from the current historical development stage of society and civilization are met.
– The conditions necessary for RoA citizens and Armenians, to fulfill their human essence and ethnic identity, and to be free and creative human beings are ensured.
-թԹ Healthy approaches target the balanced fulfillment of the needs and interests both of the individual and of the collectivity as a whole, and the balanced fulfillment of their material as well as spiritual needs and drives, and these approaches keep step with global developments based on similar balanced principles.
Of course, the nation is more than the numerical sum of its sons and daughters, and national and state interests and objectives, more than the sum total of individual interests and objectives. However, the strength of the nation and of the state corresponds to the strength of the citizens and of the civil society of that particular nation. Consequently, the strict adherence to the above-mentioned principles is the unavoidable prerequisite for the strengthening of the nation and of the state and for the acquirement of the capacity to withstand successfully outside challenges.
The establishment of a system and of a social structure based on the mentioned points demands the existence of a dedicated and determined group of individuals and the drafting and execution of a corresponding plan of action in correlation to the existing human and material resources and to the potential of the nation and of its people.
The human factor is of primary importance
Letթ§Չ-Չ§s start with a few simple but essential facts. The program formed on these points will remain a mere scrap of paper and nothing will change, as long as those who put forth such a program are not themselves the bearers of the principles and values underlying it. This generally refers to the society as a whole, but before anyone else it especially refers to those who are the proponents of radical change. Nothing will change as long as the internal human drive for material accumulation and for power to rule others still prevails over another internal drive թ§Չ-Չ that of creating, of mastering oneթ§Չ-Չ§s own life; or in other words, the need for and the drive for self-actualization (this concept includes the fulfillment of all essential material needs). The latterթ§Չ-Չ§s domination of the former is what leads to harmony amongst people. It also leads to the achievement of self-realization of the entire society and of the entire nation, as wel as to that of the highest possible degree of freedom.
The struggle between these two drives is endless and necessitates constant efforts to keep the drive for internal enrichment overriding the material accumulation and domination drive.թԹ An appropriate social and educational system is the best way to make this accessible to the general public.
From the get-go, however, the system will require that only those who have been able to fully repress the drives of accumulation and domination and who are lead by only sincere ambitions will fill the governing circles. As proof of their sincerity, all those who present themselves as proponents of changing the current destructive system will be obligated to prove their sincerity now by their everyday conduct. They must be endowed with morality on a practical basis, not dazzled by material possessions, abstemious and incorruptible, true patriots, show solidarity towards others, be true stewards of the environment, be industrious, stimulate collective and equal work, respect and protect public property, etc. Only by displaying such conduct on a daily basis can they prove that they will support the same values if they assume pivotal posts in the ruling circles.
This will be the best way to make these same values understandable and examples to be followed by the society.
The targeted directives of the program
What must the main directions of a program based on the above principles and the general national-state interests be?
– The preservation and development of Artsakh with its current borders; The principled approach towards the issues ofթԹ the consequences of the Genocide and of the relations with Turkey; Guaranteeing the continued Armenian identity of Javakhk.
– In the economy, ensuring the optimal level of self-sustainability; by taking into account all possible geo-political developments and global tendencies. The restoration of industry, first in traditional sectors, and then, , parallel to the development of science and education, in the knowledge based ones, in order to keep pace with the world, to ensure a maximum possible level of employment and to reach an optimal level of self- sustainability. -թԹ The strict restriction of the consolidation of the economic means and resources of any particular sector in the hands of private enterprises or holdings.
– The creation for all of conditions of a satisfactory standard of living.
-թԹ A special attention to agriculture and the preservation of the environment.
– The comprehensive development of all regions of the country.
– The organization of Education around three pivotal axis թ§Չ-Չ positive human values, healthy patriotism and knowledge; ensuring theթԹ conditions and opportunities necessary for the flowering of culture, especially national culture; making science once more the focus of attention; the development of modern branches of science.
– Creating conditions aimed at raising the birth level; fostering a true appreciation of the concept of family
– The fostering of harmonious relations and conditions in all the above-mentioned social sectors; ensuring the dignity of work and a fulfilling work environment through equal working conditions and the fostering of self-rule initiatives.
How to achieve the objectives?
What is needed in Armenia, then,թԹ is the simultaneous pursuit and in parallel execution of a set of objectives that supplement one another թ§Չ-Չ national/foreign, demographic, social, cultural/spiritual, liberties and freedom, industrial development, reorganization of agriculture, environmental, etc.
What has Armeniaթ§Չ-Չ§s classic oppositionsթ§Չ-Չ§ response to the countryթ§Չ-Չ§s woes been?
The credo of the opposition թ§Չ-Չin place since the second half of 2007- to the current ruling clan has been the establishment of a թ§Չ-ժfree competitive marketթ§Չ-Թ economy and of democratic rules in the country, or, in the words of L. Ter-Petrosian, that of a թ§Չ-ժbourgeois democraticթ§Չ-Թ system.
Aside that this oppositionթ§Չ-Չ§s record with respect to these principles has in the 1990s been unpromising, and notwithstanding the fact thatթԹ a թ§Չ-ժfree competitive market economyթ§Չ-Թ is a myth, the remedies put forward by this opposition cannot, by themselves, resolve Armeniaթ§Չ-Չ§s main problems. As laudableթԹ as it is, even the mere removal of monopoly privileges and of the artificial barriers placed before small and medium sized businesses is not enough to resolve the problems.
The underlying principle of a free competitive market economy remains, as that of the non-free competitive ones, the pursuit of maximumթԹ profit (the main difference between the latter and the former lying in the number of economic agents and the price mechanism, not the pursuit of maximum available profit). One portion of the above objectives generally falls outside the logic of profit, and it would be a crime to subject them to such logic. Another portion, essentially of an economic nature, cannot be profitable for a certain time and for this reason, without any serious public/state engagement, their achievement would be almost impossible (unless only foreign capital serves as the main investor; something that isnթ§Չ-Չ§t at all desirable).
Besides, an exclusively market economy would, under conditions of internal and particularly foreign competition, imply a fall in the prices of goods and services, which, in turn is possible only by lowering the cost of the factors of production, particularly that of labour. In addition to being unjust in essence, such an economic system in Armenia, given the countryթ§Չ-Չ§s extremely shaky conditions, would be disastrous because, not satisfying the wage earnersթ§Չ-Չ§ (the majority of the population) demand and right to a life with dignity, would surely continue to fuel the deadly course of exodus.
All of the above medtionned set of objectives not only require public/state planning and supervision, but also direct participation. The vitalizing of the economy in general and the establishment and development of strategic branches in particular cannot be realized and serve the set goals without serious public participation, when left exclusively to the market and the market logic. The same applies to the development of the countries different regions, the protection of the environment and almost all the other spheres.
The force representing aթԹ real alternative to the current system must differ from the թ§Չ-ժbourgeois democraticթ§Չ-Թ or the liberal democratic opposition not only on issues linked to Artsakh and Turkey, but equally on program goals and the modes of their realization.
What Armenian desperately needs is a system based on a synthesis of true patriotism, warmth and protection provided by the family structure, a definite emphasis on social issues, freedoms, human solidarity, initiatives liberating manթ§Չ-Չ§s creative potential, conscientious self-governance, the stateթ§Չ-Չ§s direct and regulatory role and the marketթ§Չ-Չ§s harmonizingթԹ horizontal role in the economy. This must not be a mosaic, an eclectic mix of ideologies or systems, but a unique, vital and harmonious whole.
As a nation and state, we have one last opportunity to continue our milenium -old journey on the planet earth and to have our small but shining presence made on the canvas of global civilization created by nations and humanity. This opportunity necessitates that we rid ourselves of the current destructive system and replace it with one based on human and national responsibility.
As to how we can get rid of what exists to build the new, remains the proverbial million dollar question. In addition to a specific conceptualization of the թ§Չ-ժnewթ§Չ-Թ, the formation of a strong core of sincere activists and a consolidation of forces around such an ideal, is, nonetheless, the first step to answering the question թ§Չ-ժhowթ§Չ-Թ.
hetq.am
photo by AAE
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