Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

[Azad]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

I like the azeris and Georgians vs Armenia's perception vs actual corruption.
The Armenian and Georgian difference of corruption is only 2% difference yet the Georgians assume their country is only 1/4 of what the actual % is. We Armenians have the tendency of seeing the world is going the collapse. azeris are living in their imaginary happy world.

[Azad]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

It seams countermeasure is the talk in the last few days.

This is interesting

http://defense-update.com/20170301_sarab-aps.html

The US

https://www.dodbuzz.com/2017/02/28/army-give-m1-tank-new-ammo-active-protection-system/

[Hakob]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

I like the azeris and Georgians vs Armenia's perception vs actual corruption.
The Armenian and Georgian difference of corruption is only 2% difference yet the Georgians assume their country is only 1/4 of what the actual % is. We Armenians have the tendency of seeing the world is going the collapse. azeris are living in their imaginary happy world.

That perception is the result of unchanging government line, with same oligarchs in parliament, slow improvements and worsening economy.
If you want change this perception, that restructuring and reforming of government and economy should be done deep and with real results.
Parliament has to change. Some officials who themselfs created bad names and corruption atmosphere around them have to be replaced( president included).
Economy has to be transferred to progressive and open, lawful field( shadow businesses come out or taken out).
There are other things that have to be done too, like judicial system reforms.
Most of this has been included in New prime minister's program.
People make opinion mostly from actual facts in their lives. Change the facts and you will change opinions.
That is why this elections matter more for ruling government. If it fails, there may be big troubles ahead.

[Azad]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

That perception is the result of unchanging government line, with same oligarchs in parliament, slow improvements and worsening economy.

In small monoethnic societies tribal/family’s preferential treatment is a normal human behavior. The same happens in larger polyethnic societies. Maybe not at the government level but definitely at the private businesses/interest. Just look at Trump how he is openly giving government jobs to all his family members. Don’t believe the West is any better than the old Eastern block. It is all BS garbage! The world is for the ones to grab than you have the ones that want to grab and cannot, they complain.

[armnuke]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

The graph I posted means we perceive things worse than they are.
Simply we should perceive it as they are to make our lives easier.
There's no other explanation, very clear.

[HyeSocialist]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Look at the list of countries Armenia has been lined up with and level of personal experiences with corruption(the green line). So Armenia is in level of countries with endemic corruption that has been persistent in their recent history.
The dot representing perception of corruption in population is the highest in Armenia because of blockade, war and uncertainty of population coupled with overwhelming poverty.
The fact that the dot is so high indicates the level of discomfort and attention in population to issues country faces.
It also indicates that Armenians have the highest probability of resisting and changing corruption at the end.
That gives me hope because I'd rather see this kind of awareness than Tadjikisyan and Azerbaijan, where population is aware only 1/4 of what's going on.
Also, before trying to use that chart to blame the population (like it has been happening in this forum lately in a spirit of "Armenia is good, it's the population that's no good) one has to see that being at war and in geostrategic quagmire that Armenia is, we should never be in that corruption list and level at all.
The efforts to make everyone accept level of corruption in order to help rulers is wrong.
And yes, this oligarchs in power came to it's positions and wealth with African stile mafious murder, corruption and robbery of the nation's wealth starting 26 years ago. People have memory longer that 10 months. That dot represents the awareness of who today's rulers are and how they came to be.
Anybody trying to convince that Samvel Alexanian, who has monopoly over too many consumer products over which mostly does not pay taxes and shamelessly declares that he does not own any businesses repeatedly ( meaning most of his businesses are in shadow) while being a deputat in parliament is only a perception, I say good luck.
Last thing to say is, instead of arguing and trying to shut down corruption criticism here, you guys should go and convince people in Armenia that their opinion about corrupt mafia rulers is only a bad perception. That they are actually living much better, wealthier and happier than they think.
Maybe you will stop emigration that way.
But if this is to keep government out of harms way, it's not necessary.
This oligarchs and rulers are going to be there for a long long time. Nothing can change that, looks like.

I've asked my parents about corruption in Armenia, it seems they all seem to think the country is really corrupt. But when you ask them why? They say things like it is impossible to do business in Armenia. When you ask them if people will shake you down for opening a bookstore or a yogurt stand, they say things like, no, of course not. But if you try to import fuel or sugar, then they will. My question has always been, are people really trying to compete in sugar imports and oil imports? Even in the US those are in the hands of few companies.

A lot of countries have authoritarian and borderline crony capitalist countries, I mean look at Japan and South Korea. The biggest different I think its the level of inequality. Visibily, Koreans all have a good living standard. However, when one Armenian lives in a mega mansion and another in a shipping container, then we have these perceptions.

The oligarchy would be wise to "spread the wealth" and try to develop the nation instead of plunder it. I'm getting tired of reading about armenian brandy and tobacco production. We get it. Let's hear about something new.

[armnuke]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

^^The new PM Karen Karapetyan is working on changing this.
Last year 48 companies imported banana, and if you have any issues importing something there are hotlines to contact the gov't.

[Shant03]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Serviceman Nver Babajanyan Killed on Same Day as Planned OSCE Monitoring Mission on the Line of Contact

STEPANAKERT, Artsakh (A.W.)—Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabagh) Defense Army serviceman Nver Babajanyan (b. 1980) was killed around 4:50 p.m. on March 1, after being hit by shrapnel during Azerbaijani shelling on Armenian positions in the southeast Martuni direction of the Artsakh Line of Contact (LoC).

Beginning at 11:25 a.m., the Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire several times as they fired 10 shells at Armenian positions using 60mm and 82mm mortars, SPG-9 recoilless guns, and GP-25 grenade launchers, the Artsakh Defense Ministry reported.

According to the press statement released by the Defense Ministry, an investigation has been launched into Babajanyan’s death.

Earlier on March 1, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission conducted a planned monitoring of the LoC in the direction of the Askeran region, near the settlement of Shyklyar, Artsakh Foreign Ministry reported.

From the position of the Artsakh Defense Army, the monitoring was conducted by Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk and his field assistants Ghenadie Petrica (Moldova) and Khristo Khristov (Bulgaria).

On the Azerbaiajni side of the LoC, the monitoring was conducted by field assistant to the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Jiri Aberle (Czech Republic), staff member of the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Peter Svedberg (Sweden), and Personal Assistant to the CiO Personal Representative Simon Tiller (Great Britain).

The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule and no ceasefire violations were registered. However, the Azerbaijani side did not lead the OSCE mission to its frontline positions, according to a statement by the Artsakh Foreign Ministry.

The monitoring mission from the Artsakh side was accompanied by representatives of Artsakh’s Defense and Foreign Ministries.

[Azad]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Japan and South Korea. The biggest different I think its the level of inequality. Visibily, Koreans all have a good living standard. However, when one Armenian lives in a mega mansion and another in a shipping container, then we have these perceptions.

That is the problem ^^^.
If the average income in Armenia will triple, perception will get better.
In order for it to triple, there should be more jobs openings then people seeking work.
To have jobs created, you need what we perceive as "oligarchy". It is the flashy behavior of certain wealthy individuals that makes them look they are corrupt. Some are corrupt.

[Hakob]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

I've asked my parents about corruption in Armenia, it seems they all seem to think the country is really corrupt. But when you ask them why? They say things like it is impossible to do business in Armenia. When you ask them if people will shake you down for opening a bookstore or a yogurt stand, they say things like, no, of course not. But if you try to import fuel or sugar, then they will. My question has always been, are people really trying to compete in sugar imports and oil imports? Even in the US those are in the hands of few companies.

A lot of countries have authoritarian and borderline crony capitalist countries, I mean look at Japan and South Korea. The biggest different I think its the level of inequality. Visibily, Koreans all have a good living standard. However, when one Armenian lives in a mega mansion and another in a shipping container, then we have these perceptions.

The oligarchy would be wise to "spread the wealth" and try to develop the nation instead of plunder it. I'm getting tired of reading about armenian brandy and tobacco production. We get it. Let's hear about something new.

Small businesses thrive only when money is not concentrated in few hands and people have it to spend. You can open up bookstore, no problem, but local people have to buy so you prosper.
I think, biggest reason for such a high public conception of corruption is because unlike other nationalities we have deep knowledge of the world. Unlike Azeris or Tadjiks, most people in Armenia have pretty good idea of life elsewhere. Maybe it's a curse but it's not a fault. They want to live like French, Germans or Dutch. But one problem persists is the Soviet legacy.
I sincerely hope that we as a nation can "make a bed to our height" so to speak.
Anyway, let's transfer this conversation to "Armenian politics", there is a man down in Artsakh.