We can answer to this question by asking another question: “Is there any place that Armenians don’t go to?”
Since this is the first optimistic article of 2006, I don’t want it to be short.
Armenians have always visited different places. Before all Armenians used to go to Sochi, now they go to Dubai.
For example before the New Year holidays we always visit markets, and after the celebration we visit our relatives and friends. During the Soviet times all Armenians used to go to the “bright future”. But now everything is different. Some people say that they want to go to Europe, but they go to Russia (despite the fact that Russians have increased the price for gas). There are people that say that they want to go to the US (for these people it is worth to mention that though Russians have increased the prices for gas, but still the prices they offer for us are cheaper than for Ukrainians). As for the others, they have either left for Russia or for the USA. Although people say that all roads lead to Rome, Armenians don’t go to Rome. Even more, Armenians don’t even go to Turin, because this will cost more. If they go there to take part in the winter sport competitions, they will place 89th maximum (this time the slogan of these sportsmen will be: “Let’s go to Italy, there are a lot of beautiful places there to see”). I am not sure what the coming generations will say about our culture, but one thing is clear: currently our culture moves to “Electric stations”, where it is written everywhere: “Danger!” As for Mr. Hoveyan, he doesn’t know that when he used to be just a representative of the intelligentsia, our electricians had learned how to make maneuvers.
As for Armenian science, no one knows where it goes to. Because if we pay attention to the fact about who those people that get scientific candidacies are, we will see that our science is on a level, where even Viktor Hambartsumyan and Mergelyan can’t do anything.
So where do Armenian businessmen go? It is difficult for them to survive, because every three-four years they have to look for a new person to back them up. As for politicians, these last years they are looking for strong people to back them too. Some of them look for strong people to back them in other countries, and some of them here in Armenia. In spite of all these things there are parties that are ruled by powers outside Armenia. For example several years ago “Legal State” used to be backed by strong powers in Armenia. But now they are already ruled by powers outside Armenia. As for ARF and ANM, they have always been ruled by powers outside. As for communists, they came here from outside and concentrated all their small powers in Armenia. But there are other political parties that feel comfortable under the local powers’ cover too.
I think the reason for this is the fact that these last days instead of going to work people go to different places to have fun. On Christmas day instead of going to Church, they go to casinos, in the evening they go to “Valem”, they go to concerts not to listen to music, but to show themselves and their new dresses, as for theatres, they don’t visit theatres at all. But since I am optimist I think if Armenians have been able to survive throughout the centuries and enter the 21st century, they will be able to succeed as well. All we have to remember is that there are rules that we follow everywhere, but not in Armenia. And if we start to learn the mistakes made by ourselves and other people, even more, if we stop wasting everything, we will succeed more than we have succeeded for sure.