DO NOT SOIL YOURSELF
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
10/12/09

A couple of days ago, a video appeared in the famous "you tube"
web site which showed the famous sportsman Albert Azaryan and Hrant
Tokhatyan who were making a video supporting Serge Sargsyan within the
frameworks of his presidential electoral campaign. The video showed how
out of the scenario Azaryan insulted Serge Sargsyan and Albert Azaryan
– the former Yerevan Mayor, the Mayor of that period Yervand Zakharyan.

This video is natural to have become an object interesting the
greater part of the society. In addition, not only those who are
so-called members of the internet society, in other words, who have
possibilities to use internet, but also those who do not use it but
know people who do it.

To say that this video caused a shock within the society would be
wrong. It was clear to the greater part of the society that those
intellectuals who used to praise the government, do it proceeding from
their personal interests, expecting governmental favors for them to
have opportunities to earn money and to get awards, medals, gifts,
orders. It is also clear for the greater part of the society that the
same intellectuals praising the authorities, in moments of sincerity,
are ready to insult the government. To this extent, the video did
not bring any news into the public life.

Did it introduce anything new into the life of the government? The news
for the government seems to be the revelation of the real opinions
about them of the intellectuals praising them. Did the government
not know about it? Hardly. The government would hardly be so naïve
to believe that those people who participate in such videos, do it
for their beautiful eyes or effective work. The government knows
everything better and sooner than the society.

If the society knows, the government knows too. If it knows everything,
which the reason why it takes up this way of false praising is. People
ask themselves and others this question very often especially after
the video appeared in internet. Does the government think that if
Azaryan praises it in front of cameras, people, without knowing his
real opinions, will start loving the government more just thanks to
Azaryan? Few will believe that the government believes in this. In this
case, which is the reason why the government makes this step? Perhaps,
the aim of the government is not the praising but showing everyone’s
being corrupt. The government does not surely believe that with
the help of such praising, it will enhance the society’s trust, but
it believes that thanks to it, it will destroy the myth of public
authority. The society will not start loving the government more,
but it is possible to start loving less those people whom it loved
before and who praise the government.

The system needs always fewer preferable subjects for the society,
if possible none. But here, not only the government is to blame but
also those who try to live on account of both the government and
the society.