Expert: Armenian society falls into security trap of totalitarianism

ArmInfo.  Alternative Projects group member Vahe Hovhannisyan shared his thoughts on the psychological mechanisms of totalitarianism, drawing on the ideas of the Austrian-  American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Bruno Bettelheim.

In a post on his Facebook page, Hovhannisyan writes that, according  to Bettelheim, the appeal of totalitarian systems lies in the fact  that they free people from internal conflicts, create the illusion of  security, and relieve them of the burden of moral choice.

Applying this theory to contemporary Armenian realities, the expert  notes that just a few years ago, there were people in government and  law enforcement agencies who tried to resist unlawful decisions, but  constant internal conflict gradually forced many to either leave the  system or justify what was happening.

"This provides a sense of security, relieves the fear of being in the  minority, and frees people from the enormous burden of thinking and  making decisions independently," he wrote.

According to Hovhannisyan, this is precisely why attitudes such as  "it doesn't concern me," "they won't arrest me," "I'm just doing my  job," and "I'm not involved in politics" are increasingly popular in  society.  Separately, the expert raised the issue of many being  surprised by the silence of public figures, as well as people who  were once assisted by the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party,  Gagik Tsarukyan. However, Hovhannisyan also writes that even in  extreme circumstances, there are citizens who remain honest. They are  not afraid of pressure and openly speak out against injustice.  According to the expert, it is these forces that bring hope. He  concludes his article by citing Bettelheim's conclusion that  totalitarianism promises people security and freedom from internal  conflict, but this comes at the cost of the loss of independence,  self-respect, and human dignity.

"The price of the peace that reigns in totalitarian systems is the  death of the soul," the author quotes the psychoanalyst.

The "Alternative Projects" group is an Armenian socio-political  platform uniting experts and analysts who regularly publish  assessments of Armenia's domestic political situation, public  administration, and foreign policy. Vaage Hovhannisyan is one of the  group's most active representatives and regularly publishes  analytical publications on the socio-political agenda.

As a reminder, on July 6, Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of the Prosperous  Armenia Party and businessman, was detained and taken to the  Investigative Committee of Armenia. He is accused of organizing fraud  and money laundering on an especially large scale. According to  investigators, between 2022 and 2024, a group operating under his  leadership, under the pretext of developing trade and economic ties  between Armenia and Iran, created joint legal entities with the  participation of Iranian citizens, after which they carried out a  fraudulent scheme, causing damages totaling over $21 million.  Furthermore, Gagik Tsarukyan faces another charge of illegal hunting.  On July 7, the court granted the prosecution's motion to remand  Tsarukyan in custody for two months.