Armenians still lack knowledge of the political basic alphabet and simple guidelines

I began my virtual involvement in the political life of the republic of Armenia starting from the “velvet revolution” in 2018, I participated on the ground in a few meetings, then I returned back to my indirect participation and involvement status, during the peaceful revolution I also had contributed through passing my impressions to my political friends inside the Armenian diaspora, especially in Lebanon, but after the revolution, I stood by only watching from far and analyzing, but only being satisfied to make mild hidden masked disguised criticism.

That all started to change after the 44 day war frustration and demoralization, I started to follow closely, and criticize government fiercely and openly

Until all that changed, when I took part in the 2020 snap elections, through voting, for the side that I alter on considered one of my stupidest political actions, in favor of the Civil contract

And as I entered the political spectrum in full dedication and concentration, I kept formulating the dominating impression, that the children of the Armenian nation, unfortunately, lack the minimum knowledge of the most basic, fundamental guidelines of politics, ideology, principles

The sad part is, I am not talking about the common uneducated, nonintellectual illiterate percentage, but about the educated literate, intellectual, university graduated Armenians, when they start provoking me by making comments, notions or express ideas, the ideas that get thrown, violate the most basic concepts and primitive logic, that I start to wonder, should I discuss their ideas, or start explaining the most primitive concepts and guidelines, so often I think that they tend to ignore simple guidelines on purpose, I think they pretend to be ignorant of the most basic principles on purpose

This is the case not only for the intellectual category, but also for people who are supposed to be experienced after have years of involvement in political activity, on front line leadership positions, through which they are supposed to have matured and in control of above mid-level political guideline knowledge

This has most definitely led to the domination of manipulation, populism, demagogue, opportunism inside the Armenian national political spectrum, no wonder the public opinion still tolerates and blends inside an atmosphere of antagonism, lack of tolerance, absence of communication, absence of serious sincere transparent dialogue, debates and discussions

When the nation establishes clear professional institutions to educate the nation sincerely on political guidelines, our democracy becomes healthy, right now, the only thing running is total manipulation, distortion of concepts, and total absence of political awareness and existence of references and resources to the most basic guidelines

And the Armenian diaspora, who was supposed to provide the means to satisfy this demand, played the worst opportunist role, by, instead of trying to introduce its scientific knowledge of these guidelines, chose to abandon its own knowledge based on decades of experience, and adopt the Armenian approach, which is sadly the inheritance and legacy of the failed science of former Bolshevik republic of Armenia

When the classical forces chose this option as a strategic path, the only remaining mental resistance remaining was the independent Armenian intellectuals, and since the absence of basic guidelines enabled this, huge class of such intellectuals were subjected to total deprivation of spotlights

Yesterday, I was so sad to meet a very enlightened well educated mature sincere Lebanese Armenian friend - who is a very patriot person, who tried to make a half humor comment, with the best well intentioned spirit, when he was surrounded by his other Lebanese Armenian friends, who just like him had settled in Armenia for years, when he asked me if I am returning from the political gathering of the Armenian  Democratic Alliance, and told them that until this day he cannot understand my political identity, because I sometimes express support for the Social Democratic Hunchakian Party, but a short time after that, I begin expressing support to the National Democratic Axis, the way he said it would be translated to only these scenarios to his friends that either I am an opportunist hypocrite, or an unstable person unable to determine my political identity, or both.

The sad thing about his remark was that this person knew well my entire political journey and path in Lebanon, but he could not make the effort to resort to his logic and analysis to find the extremely simple answer, to his wondering question

But why?

Because: ARMENIANS DO NOT HAVE THE MINIMUM POLITICAL IDEOLOGICAL LEVEL OF AWARENSS AND KNOWLEDGE OF POLITICAL IDEOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES

This is our issue, and who should educate Armenians? The classical traditional Armenian parties, they seem to think that that counters their interests, and they were stubborn for years now to take the initiative to educate our generations, to any knowledge outsider their political partisan dogmatism, and now we witness the collapse of these parties, where the absence of a political young generations equipped with political knowledge pushed these forces to total loss of touch and political attraction to the masses

While the answer should have been very easy, the shocking astonishing part is that this same idea has been repeated by political leaders, who once stated in full confidence: “You suffer an issue of loss of identity, you seem to be in quest of your political identity, you declare you are a socialist, and yet go and form alliances with the Fascists”

I never expected to witness such a level of primitive political below beginner level miss-absorb of political fundamentals

To the political figure, I now am obliged to educate a page from the most basic class level one of political basics

All throughout the world, throughout history, when two ideas meet on the crossroads on strategic political vision on internal and foreign policies, on social economic, national, sovereignty, foreign policy grounds, the theoretic ideological differences are put aside, until the common goals that both parties agree upon are realized, after that, those ideological ideas can be discussed, but after the republic is secure, stable, sovereign and a strong democratic national statehood emerges, after that, those ideas can be discussed

As for the sincere friend, you have always witnessed my path, I cooperated in Lebanon with the Lebanese National forces, which stood in favor of Lebanese independence, sovereignty, rise of statehood, a state where the Lebanese National Armed forces – The Lebanese Army and internal security forces, are the exclusive and only armed group with the duty to safeguard Lebanon and its borders, when the Hunchakian party was still outside this concept, I kept my political relations with the Lebanese pro Sovereignty forces, when the Hunchakian party joined the fight for these principles, I  re-cooperated with this party, in Armenia, the main force who carries on the political battle for sovereignty in the NDA, therefore supporting is not an act of opportunism, not supporting it is an act that contradicts my political vision

All that I mentioned must not have needed all these lines to explain, but with the absence of understanding the most fundamental concerts raises the need to explain all these concepts

So often, in most countries, coalitions are formed between various political parties from a diversity of political ideology, left, center and right, they agree on a political program, is that so hard to absorb

Why do we have to look far to find the examples, in Lebanon, 14 March coalition consisted of parties ranging from the Progressive Socialist, Social Democrat Hunchakian party, the Democratic left, part of the communist s(George Hawi), The center liberal future movement, and the right wing Lebanese Phalange, Lebanese Forces (right wing) and the National liberal Ahrar party (Center right)

What combined them was the vision of a free independent sovereign Lebanon, and the establishment and emerging of the Lebanese statehood

Bedros Manoukian