HOW TO TURN ARCHIPELAGO INTO A MAINLAND
Karen Nahapetyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on July 23, 2008
Armenia

Judging from the announcements made by the newly formed power and
the programs introduced during those 100 days, their key issue is
to raise the people’s standard of life. As a result the number of
those who consider themselves middle class, get proper education and
qualitative medical service, must increase in the country.

For any country the middle class is the factor of the development
from economic, social and political point of view. Should Armenia
manage to become a prosperous country, it can take place only due to
the formation of the middle class, which must make up the majority
of the population and the bases of the national economy, which must
be able and ready to protect and move forward its interests by the
help of the representatives elected in all the levels of the ruling
power and the government.

The issue of the parameters of the middle class has always been a
matter of dispute in our reality. We shouldn’t forget that the level of
income has of course got essential but not decisive significance. The
level of education is no less important, as well as the health,
anticipations of the separate members of society.

Armenian middle class is not exclusively a Yerevan based phenomenon,
as it is adopted.

There are lots of markets and good hotels in the whole country,
conformable houses, and modern cars, etc. In the meantime the demand
towards these goods is increasing day by day. Of course there is a
difference between the living standard of the capital city and the
provinces. To be more precise Armenia is an archipelago of more or less
normal life in the ocean of problems. But there are possibilities to
turn this archipelago into a continent, which is practically possible
to realize.

The biggest problem is the village. The potential of the development
of agriculture in the country is really big and can be used in the
present conditions when the production of food products is becoming
more and more beneficial.

We must take into consideration another psychological factor our middle
class has overcome the cruel test of not only the soviet society but
also the crises of the 90-ies. As a result the entrepreneurs and simply
skilful people gained not only surviving experience but also starting
everything from the beginning, if necessary. It is very difficult to
disappoint these people.

This of course doesn’t mean that the state must wash its hands of
this process. After being formed once, the middle class needs the
permanent support of the government.

The pessimism towards the middle class is mainly linked with
de-politicization. In our country the number of the consumers has
significantly increased, but there is a deficiency of citizens. The
0Amodern businessmen, professionals, or the employees of private
companies consider themselves "adjusters" from the political point
of view. By going deeper and deeper into a more interesting business
life they give the possibility to the bureaucrats to rule individually.

Meanwhile we can’t overlook the fact that life makes the well-off
part of the society shoulder more serious responsibilities. After
the renovation of the houses people usually think about renovating
the stairs and even the yard and the entrances.

At a certain period "number will turn into quality", the
representatives of the middle class will understand that they must
be more organized and stand on their rights.

The situation when those who pay taxes to the state will break
the national tradition of being patient and will demand detailed
report from the state officials about their activity is far not
fantastic. Thus the country will have a responsible ruling power and
real citizens.

And only after that can we speak about the existence of real democracy
in the country.