SMILE, GENTLEMEN, SERIOUS FACE IS NO SIGN OF INTELLIGENCE

The sense of humor of the Russian president is beyond any limit. Putin is playing a game with not only his circle and Russia but also the entire world. Now it is quite possible that Vladimir Putin will appoint himself prime minister before the presidential election afterwards to become his own heir. Power is a cruel thing. Absolute power is twice as cruel. Many might think that Vladimir Putin is seeking for a more distinct and reliable way of continuation of his government through a more favorable heir. In reality, Putin is not trying to find a reliable way for the continuation of his government, moreover, his power is already bothering him. Putin is apparently bored of power, and this juggling with heirs is a sign of his boredom. In ancient times monarchs fought the boredom and melancholy of power by beheading the court from time to time. Many years later civilization invented shopping therapy. It is clear that the Russian president cannot spend days and hours in a supermarket or a boutique. He cannot behead people either. What else can he do except appointing heirs to one post or another.
Perhaps, however, the president of Russia has forgotten that he is the head of a rather influential state, and everyone is following his moves to match their plans. The great powers do not mind. They scan the moves of the Russian president and move on. How about the countries where the political elite’s decisions depend on Putin’s moves? For instance, the political elite of Armenia. Perhaps Levitin will tell today what to do, who arrived yesterday, although he is not a minister any more. Although Levitin himself needs advice what to do. But he had better not stay there. He will get some relief here. Ours will relieve him, but who will relieve ours? Who would expect Putin leave aside Dmitri Medvedev and, more importantly, Sergey Ivanov? The look and smile of these officials on the TV channels showed that even they had not expected such a move. Or they expected but not now, not so suddenly, without warning. And if it gave them a surprise, imagine how the Armenian elite feel. For Armenia is going to elect president only a month before Russia, and since both countries have synchronized their watches to move towards strategic partnership, as the Armenian diplomatic glossary puts it, no doubt they had got synchronized regarding this issue as well. And now Putin autocratically set the time ahead. But did he do it autocratically? Was there no word or hint in Sochi a few weeks before when Putin stated during his meeting with Robert Kocharyan that Armenia and Russia have become real partners? And was it accidental when afterwards the famous presidential poll emerged where Serge Sargsyan was the fourth by popularity rating? Or maybe it was accidental if anything accidental happens in politics and life at all.
Therefore it may not be accidental if Putin’s dismissal of the prime minister brings the famous joke to mind. A man’s house was swarming with cockroaches. They were so many and so brazen that he did not know what to do. He complains to his neighbor that he even used poison but without any use and all he can do is to take this poison and die. The neighbor advises him to go to his place, hit his foot against the floor and order the cockroaches to leave his house forever. “But speak to them with a gloomy face, you shouldn’t smile,” the neighbor warns. The man does what his neighbor tells him. The cockroaches get scared, and sadly leave the house. When the man sees how the last cockroach wants to step out of the door, he cannot help smiling out of delight about the method. The last cockroach, who gives the last nostalgic glance to the room, sees his smile and calls to his friends: “Hey guys, get back, he was kidding!”
Smile, gentlemen, smile, Baron Munchausen said, for a serious face is not a sign of intelligence. Who knows, maybe Putin smiled when he signed the resignation of the government. The charm of power is that you can joke, and if the people around you are concerned and turn to you for a meeting, they will at best go to the heart doctor.
HAKOB BADALYAN

<< | Home | >>

Translate

RSS © Lragir

Headlines for September 14, 2007

THIS YEAR’S TELETHON WILL RAISE FUNDS FOR MARTUNI
The next telethon of Armenia Foundation will be held in November to raise funds for the reconstruction of the region of Martuni, said Michel Tancrese, coordinator of Artsakh programs, to karabakh-open.com. According ...
U.S. AMBASSADOR APPOINTMENT WAS NOT FORGOTTEN
Rudolf Perina, U.S. Charge d’Affaires, a.i., told Armenian reporters on September 13 he hopes the appointment of the U.S. ambassador to Armenia has not been forgotten. He said we will have an ambassador ...
SMILE, GENTLEMEN, SERIOUS FACE IS NO SIGN OF INTELLIGENCE
HAKOB BADALYAN
The sense of humor of the Russian president is beyond any limit. Putin is playing a game with not only his circle and Russia but also the entire world. Now it is quite possible that Vladimir Putin will ...
ROBERT KOCHARYAN LEAVES FOR GEORGIA
The Armenian president Robert Kocharyan is soon visiting Georgia on Mikhail Sahakashvili’s invitation. The speaker of the president of Armenia Victor Soghomonyan announced September 14 that Robert Kocharyan’s ...
ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED THE HEIR’S NAME
The Armenian president Robert Kocharyan is not going to announce the name of the person whom he sees as the next president because he has already announced his name for several times, said the speaker ...
EXPECTATIONS FROM CO-CHAIRS ARE AS USUAL
The speaker of the president of Armenia Victor Soghomonyan told reporters on September 14 that official Yerevan’s expectations from the recurrent visit of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are as usual. ...
DASHNAKTSUTYUN MAY MAKE NO DECISION
It is probable that the ARF Dashnaktsutyun will not make the decision it has been announcing after the parliamentary election regarding naming president. The General Meeting of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun ...
MCA-ARMENIA AND HAYJRNAKHAGITS INSTITUTE SIGNED CONTRACT
Millennium Challenge Account – Armenia announced the award of a consulting contract to “Hayjrnakhagits Institute” CJSC for the design and construction supervision of a project that will rehabilitate six ...
PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATION DISAPPROVES RAFFI HOVANNISIAN’S INITIATIVE
In the news conference on September 14 the reporters asked the speaker of the president of Armenia to comment on the initiative of the Heritage Party, the bill on the recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh. “If ...
MAJORITY VOTED FOR ARA HARUTIUNYAN
A few hours ago the meeting of the NKR National Assembly ended, which affirmed the nomination of Ara Harutiunyan, Karabakh-open.com reported. The president had nominated Ara Harutiunyan for the post of ...
KOCHARYAN-ALIYEV MEETING IS POSSIBLE
It is possible that the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will meet in early October in Dushanbe during the CIS summit, said the speaker of the Armenian president Victor Soghomonyan on September 14. ...
ARMENIAN PRESIDENT HAS NO NEW EXPECTATIONS FROM NEW TURKISH PRESIDENT
Does the president of Armenia expect a breakthrough in the Armenian and Turkish relations from the new president of Turkey, the Armenian reporters asked the speaker of the Armenian president on September ...
TWO COMPANIES BID FOR ARMENIAN RAILROAD
The minister of communication and transport Andranik Manukyan told reporters today the Russian Railways and the Indian Railways companies bid for the concession on the Armenian railroad company. Andranik ...
SERGE SARGSYAN HOPES HIS VISIT TO MOSCOW WILL NOT BE CANCELLED
Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan stated September 14 in Yerevan he hopes his official visit to Moscow in late September will not be cancelled. Serge Sargsyan said this meeting is important to meet with the ...
HALF A BILLION DOLLAR RUSSIAN INVESTMENTS THIS YEAR
On September 14 Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan and the Russian acting minister of transport Igor Levitin held a news conference in Yerevan. Sargsyan and Levitin head the Russian-Armenian intergovernmental ...
ARMAVIA TO BUY PLANES ON VTB LOAN
VTB Bank will lend 50-60 million dollars to Armavia to buy 2 Sukhoi Superjet 100 planes in 2008. At the end of the meeting of the Russian-Armenian intergovernmental commission the president of Armavia ...
REPUBLICAN OFFERS TO SET UP BRAIN CENTER
Republican MP Armen Ashotyan hosted at the Pastark Club today complained of the opposition both inside and outside the parliament. He says they are unable to be real alternative to the government, and ...
MTS-VIVA CELL DEAL WAS SIGNED
The news conference of the spokesmen of MTS and Viva Cell is still going on at the Armenia Marriott Hotel, during which the news about the sale of Viva Cell was announced. MTS bought 80 percent of the ...
ARTHUR BAGHDASARYAN MET AMERICAN DIPLOMATS
Today the leader of the Orinats Yerkir Party Arthur Baghdasaryan met with the director of the U.S. State Department’s Caucasian Bureau Paul Waller and Rudolf Perina, U.S. Charge d’Affaires, a.i., the ...
VIMPELCOM TO INVEST 90 M DOLLARS IN ARMENTEL
In 2007 Vimpelcom, the owner of Armentel, will invest 90 million dollars in Armentel, Dmitri Pleskonos, member of the board of the Vimpelcom company, told reporters. The investment aims to improve the ...
MINISTER OSKANYAN VISITED BRUSSELS
At the invitation of the Boghossian Foundation, Minister Vartan Oskanyan traveled to Brussels to participate in the launch of the Boghossian Foundation’s plans for a cultural center bridging east and ...
WHY MTS THANKS ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT
We stated two months a lot of young men are courting Viva Cell but the girl hasn’t made up her mind, said the owner of K-Telecom Pierre Fattush on September 14, who stated that the girl in fact chose ...