T orient the most actual topic in the society is the fight against the oligarchic system. This movement is first of all targeted against the owner of Harsnakar restaurant Ruben Hayrapetyan, but in case it continues, the movement will enlarge and target the entre oligarchic system. It is difficult to say whether this movement will succeed. However, one thing is clear is that this is a way that Armenia has to pass through and the sooner it does, the better it will be for the society and country. Generally oligarchy in Armenia is identified with a group of limited rich people, monopolists, people who are living their luxury life and doing whatever they want, being the umbrella for the authorities and meanwhile serving for their interests. However, oligarchy is not oligarchs and monopolies only; it is also a sort of thinking and living adopted by not only the odious oligarchs but their supporters, but also the ones that are openly fighting against them, even if it sounds weird. In Armenia besides the visible oligarchs that are associated with super-profits and huge financial resources, there is another cluster of oligarchs, which can be called as oligarchy of mind, idea and thinking, which is oligarchy in the political sector. No state official ever dares to speak out any independent idea if it is not agreed with the top authorities in advance. There have been many situations that the whole top groups of the RPA did not speak anything about important issues till the president would say something. The same thing is happening in the opposition as well. Any ideas spoken on the part of any representatives of the Armenian National Congress that is different than the leader’s opinion, is criticized as it is a “bribed announcement”. The situation is likewise in the PA as well, because in that party only Vartan Oskanyan has the right to say things differing from what Gagik Tsarukyan says, and there are “understandable” reasons for that. The same “idea monopoly” exists in the other small and medium parties as well. Unfortunately the same tendency is observed in the public opinion and social networks as well. Opposing to ideas of certain members of social networks is considered to be wrong criticism. This is how a monopoly of facebook Likes is being formed. Ultimately it turns out that Armenia’s political life, as well as civic initiatives are based on the ideas and thinking of a group of persons and individuals, which are very easy to manipulate such as prices are manipulated by oligarchs. This means that absence of competition, where all parties would be competing with each other, dominates in the civic sector as well. In fact lack of competition could be a result of lack of tolerance.
