Eric Hoffer and PM Pashinyan

 

For most Armenians, especially those who were born and schooled within the educational system of Armenia under Soviet rule or post independence, the name Eric Hoffer does not ring a bell or automatically creates a link to the first masterpiece(1951) he wrote titled: “The True Believer” .

American academics in the early 1950s had a hard time deciphering the enigma revolving around the $1000 question: “How can a proletarian who spent several decades in menial blue colour jobs, shape such a masterpiece depicting the inner realities of mass movements, that manage to mobilize people with questionable promises, silence the critical faculties of the individual, and turn him/her into a “Blind True Believer” of a leader masquerading with a self serving agenda, wrapped in the flag of patriotism or any other “ISM”?

Many factors played a crucial role in turning the blue collar longshoreman into a literary giant with a unique place in the ranks of the top intellectuals of the 20^th century. Elaborating on the factors that shaped his success is beyond the scope of this article, and readers interested in exploring this dimension of his career can do an online research where plenty of info is available about Hoffer’s academic career path.

The purpose of this article is to use statements attributed to Hoffer and to analyze them within the context of Armenia, especially within the period of 2018-2021, years that witnessed the emergence of “The Velvet Revolution”, the lamentable leadership of PM Pashinyan, The Second Artsakh War, The Capitulation of Nov. 09, 2020, and last but not least the new dangers that are hovering over the Armenian nation following the “Engineered Defeat”.

"The technique of a mass movement aims to infect people with a malady and then offer the movement as a cure." -Eric Hoffer-

PM Pashinyan, for years before the Velvet Revolution, turned the massive presence of corruption within state institutions into a “Malady” though since the early days of Soviet rules in Armenia, corruption was the norm and not the exception. After assigning to “Corruption” a prominent role in the political discourse of Armenia, and making it an integral part of his battle cry, he rallied a substantial number of the Armenian population around the claim that he discovered a very efficient “Cure” that will eradicate corruption and usher a new era of prosperity for Armenia. The claim of a non-existent “Cure” was a pipe dream that blinded his followers who failed to notice that the emperor is naked.

“Propaganda does not deceive people; it merely helps them to deceive themselves." (EH)

The efficient propaganda machine that propelled PM Pashinyan to the key leadership position in Armenia, sold a litany of illusions to the public. The illusions were accepted without any serious scrutiny, because the Armenian polity had a desperate need to deceive itself with the notion that The Messiah from Ijevan will lead the nation to “The Promised Land”.

"The only index by which to judge a government or a way of life is by the quality of the people it acts upon. No matter how noble the objectives of a government, if it blurs decency and kindness, cheapens human life, and breeds ill will and suspicion- it is an evil government." (EH)

What are the events that unfolded since the Velvet Revolution, and what are the conclusions that we can safely reach?

How did the Velvet Revolution impact the collective psyche of Armenia? It created a class of Armenians, mostly bureaucrats, dedicated to a “Trance State of Idleness”. A mental state where the average member of the class goes into a trance to figure out how he/she can accumulate more material possessions by pilfering the revenues of the government.

The most famous “Poster Boy” of the previously mentioned class is the former defence minister of Armenia David Tonoyan. Hand-picked by PM Pashinyan, back in 2018, to overhaul and modernize the Ministry of Defence of Armenia, he was arrested on Sept.30, 2021 for the embezzlement of $4.7 million dollars and the purchase via a corrupt Armenian arms dealer (David Galstyan ) of obsolete weapons destined for the scrapyard. If convicted, Tonoyan, Galstyan, and a long list of Armenian Generals who accepted the delivery of the weapons, and redirected them to the multiple theatres of military operations in Artsakh, will have the blood of 5000 Armenians soldiers on their hands.

Eric Hoffer was right when he insisted that any government that “Cheapens human life” by casually sacrificing 5000 soldiers, to satisfy the greed of a money hungry defence minister and a bunch of army Generals is an EVIL Government.

A mother who lost her child during the Second Artsakh War should settle the destiny of the traitors who have the blood of her son on their hands

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