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Beyond Nationalism: The Case for Engaged Patriotism on the Eve of the 100th Anniversary of Statehood
May 28 just passed and Armenians celebrated Republic Day—the holiday that commemorates the day when Armenia became a republic and a reference to the first modern Armenian state of 1918 since the loss of Armenian statehood in 1375.
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This article makes a very compelling case, but sidesteps the elephant in the room–Russia, which also has no progressive political values. Armenia’s leadership in Yerevan serves at Putin’s pleasure as they syphon financial and natural resources away from Armenia’s citizens via taxes, bribery, foreign aid skimming, and back room deals. The criminal oligarchs still run the country with impunity and the government uses the “enemy” and threat of anihilation to keep the status quo. Armenian political life is rotten from top (Kremlin) to bottom. Good luck with that, ARF. You made a deal with the devil thinking that you could be a counterweight. But just like 100 years ago, the first republic needed Russia for protection and succumbed just to keep a semblance of nominal statehood. Why haven’t the authors addressed this obvious parallel? History repeats itself and so do the flawed solutions. Being self sufficient economically, politically and militarily without interference from Mother Russia is the challenge of the times.
Two excellent visionaries. Nationalism is not stable in these globalized societies. Even Armenians find themselves spread around with their different career interests, and in other international communities with different values. I remember a course offered at York University in Toronto, titled “Imagined Societies” which refuted the idea of fictional nationalism.
We have to come up with different values for unity, which will help the entire communities in Armenia and in the diaspora to build up the nation. Right now we are only “clapping” for leaders, who have nothing to say except their rhetoric. They have made themselves elites by constantly alienating others with their ideas.
Thank you for an excellent research.
Well said. Now we need a plan of action that is very specific and to the point..
If ARF claims to be a nationalist party + the facts that it is in power at least half of the years of the Third Republic + the statement of the quthors that Armenian nationalism was unable to create… (the three points mentioned in the article), I deduce that not the Republic of Armenia is a failed state, but the ARF and the first violin, the Republican Party of Armenia both are FAILED PARTIES. The Armenian State almost two decades is dying during the governance of these two pseudo-nationalist parties. ARF is invited to do open and sincere self-criticism. Most of the population of RA are cursing the above-mentioned and corrupt political parties which have been turned to mafiosi gangs sucking the blood of the nation in the Homeland.
Very good article Good job…
Most diasporans have a skewed vision of Armenia, either too positive or too negative. At least this article had a more realistic viewpoint for a change. Calling Ron Paul a populist idealogue raised a red flag though, and makes me question the credibility of the authors. Ron Paul is a physician that served 23 years in congress, and warned about the dangers of uncontrolled spending of U.S. taxpayer money by government, especially in defense spending. I cannot fathom how being elected for over two decades is populist, or how advocating for something as practical as balanced budgets makes one an idealogue.