Friday, 29 March 2024

E Editorial

Will the magic triangle be built?

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The basic way of the formation of societies is a triangular structure, comprised of the government, middle class and the masses of people or the issue of relationship among the three sides of the triangle. Still the ancient Greeks (in the person of, for example, Plato), the ancient Indians, the ancient Chinese and others viewed the relationship of that triangle as a key prerequisite for stability and establishment of prospering societies.

When the ruling class relies on the masses of people, declaring the middle class an enemy, we deal with the formation of totalitarian or authoritarian (dictatorial) regimes. This was the case during the rule of Stalin, Hitler and the Latin American dictatorship. It was the same in ancient times, for example, Nero was a popular emperor, no matter how much we read books about his lawlessness today. It is not accidental that people unacceptable to the regime were declared enemies of the "people", "nation", "chosen race", and the masses perceived them as "their" enemy, and not as the ruling class.

And when the ruling class relies on the middle class, we have an oligarchic or authoritarian system, in which the people are oppressed, but the number of beneficiaries who become or are ready to become the pillars of power is also large. This is a simplified representation of the classical scheme. Of course, real life is richer, more diverse and complex, but the diagram is understandable.

Before 2018, there was a semi-oligarchic scheme, abundance of corruption, and also an emerged middle class. For better or worse, the country was functioning, there was more or less stability, and everyone knew his/her place, whether he/she accepted it or not is another matter. Of course, you cannot call it a fair system, because the social lifts did not work, there was no prospect of development, etc..

After 2018 the regime was changed and the above mentioned triangle started to be formed based on other relationship. The middle class, which is corrupt, was declared the "enemy of the people" by the ruling echelon, and "proud citizen" ("proud proletariat", "proud Aryan", "proud" Muslim, Venezuelan, Libyan and others) was declared  as the main thesis of its rhetoric and "returning what was stolen from the people, penny by penny, to the budget" became the government program. This reminds us of the slogans of the regimes of other such countries. Adhering to the rules of the genre, the government acts on behalf of the people and acts for the people. Naturally, such power has also enemies, ostensibly "to lay on the asphalt", "plaster on the walls" or, at best, "cut the arms."

However, since 2018, the "people's government" has registered unprecedented failures in almost all spheres, as a result of which the life of a "proud citizen" has become worse, and it is not even necessary to talk about value system and security issues.

As we see, both before 2018 and after 2018, the "triangle" was built wrong. Or maybe we should think about building a "new triangle" that will be able to act more justly, efficiently and harmoniously?

The Armenian Center for National and International Studies

Yerznkian 75, 0033
Yerevan, Armenia

Tel.:

+374 10 528780 / 274818

Website:

www.acnis.am

  

The views of the authors do not necessarily reflect those of the Center.

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