I am Armenian and I am surprised to know that the game “The Weakest
Link” is not played in Armenia. This is a game where democracy is
played Armenian style-Everyone moans and groans. I don’t know whether
historians Movses Khorenatsi or Yeghish have the word “munat” (groan)
in their works, but the fact remains that everyone today, starting from
the president to newborns, moan and groan. I can not say for sure how
much of that is connected with our mentality, but what I can surely say
is that moaning and groaning is divided into different categories.
Let’s list some of them:
1. Family groans
Relations between “Father and Son” have changed within the past few
years. The so-called “children of the generation of the independent
Armenia” demand such things from their parents which seem impossible.
In addition, if the parents do not fulfill the child’s requirements, he
or she says the following sentence as a comeback: “Why did you have me
in the first place if you can’t fulfill my needs?”
2. Daily groans
These groans can be heard everywhere, in any store where the female
clerk smiles her American smile (the owners of the store have told her
to do this) but at the same time shows her Armenian gesticulation (she
has seen this since the day she was born) and talks with the customers.
“This is all we have. If you don’t like it, I really don’t care”. Let’s
not forget the popular Armenian phrase: “What, do you think it’s your
birthday?”
3. TV groans
This is something that refers to all closed and existing Armenian
television networks. The viewer gets the impression that the anchors
have still kept the half-gangster, commanding tone that they have
learned from the Political Party High School in Baku or the years spent
in one of Russia’s north-eastern reformatories. Let’s not even start
with the commercials.
4. Political moans and groans
Everyone knows that groaning is considered holiness for political
interpreters and that talking in a different tone is considered a
foreign language. We all understand the fact that the Armenian
traditional political party had to be named the “Armenian Revolutionary
Moaning and Groaning Party”. It can be seen from some of the members’
faces (except two or three people).
But wait just a minute. Dear first and second presidents, you must not
talk like that with the people. Please try to be more sincere with the
people, the journalists, political figures and oligarchs, the
authorities and opposition. After all, that used to be our
mentality-the mentality that we wish we had nowadays. However, I must
say that even though we consider that as incorrect and something in the
past, we all have that same mentality and it was nice to see our
friends and relatives communicate the Armenian way by saying “tsavt
tanem” (you mean so much to me) rather than showing dull American
smiles or obeying the laws of the European Union. I really hope that we
will go back to those days. This is not a longing, but rather faith in
a brighter future. I have the right.
Optimistic for Armenia’s future,
A.K.