Who will be the First to Tell Serzh Sargsyan the Truth?
“1. Boss is always right, 2. If boss isn’t right, see p. 1”
One may come across with the list of these expressions in almost all the offices of Armenia, which either subordinates post on the walls humorously, or directors post on a flat surface, again as humor. Such posts may be found from kiosks of taxi service controllers up to academic institutions and public administration offices.
This banality introduced as humor, in fact, is more serious, than any official order or command. As it isn’t a document issued by any formal institution, but a psychological deviation, fixed in consciousness and subconsciousness. Moreover, this mechanism works with the following principle—the more incompetent is the leader, the more veracious he/she is.
This banality on household level, manifested in everyday life, in fact, is the expression of the phenomenon, which with more sonorous wording is called personality cult or lack of dissent. Particularly among us, Armenians, this phenomenon has special deep roots, as we, Armenians are a leading nation, which loves bosses, we are dictating and expressive nation, listening and non-contradicting, non-contradicting and serving as a vassal, we are a nation introducing “who’s the donkey, I’m the pack,” subject to psychological diagnosis as a democratic wisdom…
Servility is a state of mind, compulsory component of which is acceptance and worship of the leader’s infallibility. Servility is anti-democratic and anti-humane psychology, as it makes a faulty person infallible, instead of variety of opinions, voice of people, everyone, accepts the voice and decision of the leader. This is the most vicious of the defects with the deepest roots in Armenia, as those roots are in our five-century-old culture and a few-centuries-old genes.
Sustainability of not having a state on public level, and without a state, as a nation, historical destiny of existence on individual level equalize those qualities to servility and subservience. Those very qualities lay on the basis of public administration, from bottom to top, those very qualities lay in all political parties and other groups.
If you don’t believe, you may read official and political parties’ newsfeed of September 8—the Executive Body meeting of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) took a decision to nominate Karen Karapetyan as a candidate for the prime minister of Armenia. Unanimously. Without even any sneezing or yawning. “1. Boss is always right, 2. If boss isn’t right, see p. 1.” You may read the same about any decision made by RPA, which, despite what and whom it concerns, is being unanimously accepted.
Meanwhile on the ground of real democracy lays “Boss is always wrong” principle, which provides the opportunity to the subordinates to speak, express opinions, contradict, debate, which as smart people said, is the most productive and non-alternative way of trust. And prior to the truth in the book, which for the majority of RPA members is a heavy and black square box, written: In the beginning was the word, i.e. the idea, the opinion.
The RPA Executive Body is comprised of maybe 1-2 dozens of members. Number of members, probably, is being counted by a few dozens. Is there anyone among those many adults, who dares to say Serzh Sagrsyan the truth?
A few decades ago Stanislavski replied to that question, “I don’t believe.”
By Garnik Gevorgyan
