Tragedy as regularity or the chief threat for Armenia

Aravot, Armenia
March 27 2018
Tragedy as regularity or the chief threat for Armenia

Ruben Mehrabyan
[Armenian News note: the below is translated from the Russian edition of Aravot]
 
The dramatic developments, which unfolded in Kemerovo [reference to the 25 March mall fire, which claimed lives of 64 people, mostly children], is sure to turn the spotlight on many more things. This enormous human tragedy began with a chance factor with a number of systemic regularities in the depth of it.

Kemerovo fire and Armenia

Certainly, it is Russian society that has to see to all this, particularly as what this implies is simple things, if you ask me. And besides, I would not have touched on this issue, had Russia not penetrated into Armenia to such a degree or played as destructive a role as it currently does.

The Kemerovo tragedy exposes the very systemic gangrene, which has affected "one sixth of the world [an _expression_ used to refer to the Soviet Union]". In the established system, each link, starting with the Emergencies Ministry and ending with the presidentcy, is not only a bubble, but also these bubbles burst over the heads of their own citizens, claiming their lives and their children's lives. And all this unfortunately happens against the background of cynical and thick-skinned indifference, which ensures this "state system" operating on the territory of the homicide, which is still called a "state", owing to a misunderstanding.

To add insult to injury, this kind of state also ensures our security, trying to explain to everyone and his brother how 'important" this is for us. As regards TV stations belonging to this "state", different not quite sober and quite hysterical people philosophise about a multi-polar world, nuclear weapons, and "the Russian world", raising the eternal Russian question: "And do you respect me?"

No, we do not respect! And we are not going to respect. Do not hold your breath! How can one respect petty thieves, who have captured a whole state, who are engaged in terrorism, using chemical weapons and showing support for terrorists, who "take under their wings" different organised criminal syndicates in other countries, who get involved in affairs, which go beyond their capacities, and who embezzle astronomical sums of money, remaining as they are: Petty thieves plundering themselves?

At first, the United States and the EU countries began kicking off spy nests in their countries, which are called "embassies" through a misunderstanding. As for Moscow, it is "indignant", considering everyone as "Russophobes", while it is Moscow proper that tries to intimidate and blackmail "Western partners" by means of its animated films.

All this is on the surface and those, who have eyes will be able to see and those who have ears will be able to hear. However, as one can see, Yerevan apparently has problems with both eyes and ears.

Russian troops in Armenia, Caucasus, Ukraine

On that very Monday, when the whole world made statements about the suspension of the Russian presence, the press service, which was formed under the name "the Southern Military District of the Armand Forces of the Russian Federation", announced "good news" about the subdivisions of the Military Police of the Russian Federation to be deployed in Armenia. According to the statement, they are being formed "to maintain military discipline, ensuring road traffic safety and guarding the facilities of the Gyumri-based garrison of the Russian military base in Armenia". The statement also said that the service personnel would also receive special equipment and be armed with standard weapons, military hardware and special means. Moreover, "by the beginning of the summer training, it is planned to form yet another military police subdivision in the Yerevan-bases garrison."

So, is this now a "nation-army" [reference to the blueprint of the Armenian government for the development of the army]? Or a new manifestation of "both … and" [reference to Yerevan's declared balanced relations with both the EU and Russia], which no-one knows anything about, except "the Southern District of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation? And all we have for the moment is the given statement and a deafening silence on the part of official Yerevan. And in this context, instead of offering condolences to Putin, who, together with his friends, has led his nation to serious trouble, it would be better to offer condolences to the Republic of Armenia. The thing is that whatever is called political field does not aim to steer clear from all this. Instead, it is turning into a constituent part of this entire ailment, infecting the whole texture of statehood.

This is not "Russophobia" or a mere assertion, but just a statement of simple and direct cause-and-effect relationship. And what has this formation under the name "Southern Military District of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation" been engaged until now? It was engaged in counterinsurgency in the North Caucasus, occupation of [Georgia's breakaway regions of] Abkhazia and South Ossetia, invasion of east Ukraine, infiltration of "little green men" all over Crimea, turning the whole Black Sea into the sources of danger, terrorist activities, and subversive acts on the territory of Ukraine, abduction of people from the territories of Georgia, and mobilisation of mercenary soldiers to this end. And following all this, it is engaged in "ensuring Armenia's security" and securing the sanctity of "centuries-old brotherhood", arming Azerbaijan to the teeth.

It appears that this is not enough for Russians. They fall short of the "military police", which would comprise mercenary soldiers, to "ensure" "military discipline", road traffic safety, and other marvellous things, if you can believe this.

Armenia in need of 'defence from defenders'

All this would have been funny, of course, if it was not so sad. After all this, there arises a question: After all, who is going to ensure Armenian citizens' security in a situation, when the country's doors are open wide to this danger with Kemerovo mines, which its citizens learn about from statements from outside?

They are not going to defend us. This is for sure. We first and foremost need defence from defenders of the kind, as well as from those, who have eyes, but are not able to see, and those, who have ears, but are unable to hear, allowing to turn the country into a mine field in this unpredictable world.

For our "strategic partner", tragedies have become regularity. And Armenia needs to dissociate itself from regularities of the kind, repulsing this regularity.

As for Moscow, it did not trust tears earlier. However, now that it has been captured by petty thieves, it is not only your tears that it does not trust. It does not care a damn about your tears from head to heels, all your "agreements" on CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organisation] and EEC [Eurasian Economic Union], your "both … and" and your "tourism commercials" at least to the same extent as it cares about the lives of its own citizens and their children.

P.S. I would like to extend my deep condolences to the families and friends of those who died in Kemerovo.