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Sunday, April 01, 2012
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ARE WE A GREAT NATION?
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Some troubles fall on you when
... you least expect them
like a thief in the night.
The Genocide was not one of them.
A series of massacres had already taken place
making Turkish intentions abundantly clear.
Now then, what does that tell you
about our leadership
that clung to the absurd notion that
the Turks wouldn’t dare to finish the job
because the West wouldn’t allow it?
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And now that the Obama administration
has refused to use the G word,
what are our prospects?
How many more millions of dollars
do we have to waste on politicians
to whom truth and honesty might as well be
words in an alien and incomprehensible tongue?
Do we give up?
No, of course not!
Instead we assign the job
to a dream-team of lawyers
willing to work pro bono,
and we concentrate all our efforts
on improving conditions in the Homeland
where, as I write, another genocide is taking place –
genocide by exodus.
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Notwithstanding our propaganda,
we are not a great nation;
neither are we a people like any other people.
Once upon a time we were slaves;
we are now slaves of former slaves.
We have committed the worst blunders
that a nation can commit.
There is only one thing left for us to do now:
not to repeat the same blunders.
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Monday, April 02, 2012
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GUILTY AS CHARGED
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They Ottomanized us to the same degree that we Armenianized them (in the sense that they no longer look like mongrelized Mongols) with one important difference: whereas they borrowed the best from us, we assimilated the worst -- namely their contempt for human rights, intolerance of dissent, and subservience as the only proof of good citizenship -- a good Armenian is one who says “Yes, sir!” to his leaders.
Our tribal leaders may say all kinds of nasty thing about one another but that option is not open to the ignorant masses.
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Don’t think of me as a witness who speaks the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; but as someone who is reacting to an unbearable reality. You are free to agree or disagree with me. All I ask is that you take my testimony under consideration.
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Once in a while a reader writes to express his agreement. But so far none of our leaders has gone as far as acknowledging my existence, which suggests I may well be on the right path.
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All our great men – from Abovian to Zarian and from Khrimian Hairik to Komitas – were victims of our own brown-nosing mediocrities. I am not implying I too am great. All I am saying is that I am on their side. If that’s a crime against humanity, I gladly plead guilty as charged.
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Tuesday, April 03, 2012
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HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE
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We are responsible for everything that happens to us – not when it happens (by which time it may be too late) but before, when we engaged in wishful thinking based on false assumptions – “Talaat is not like the Sultan,” “the West is one our side,” “the Russians are our big brothers.”
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We are not the scum of the earth even if we have been treated as if we were not only by alien tyrants but also our own. What could be more cynical than equating patriotism with subservience to a gang of incompetent charlatans on the grounds that they know best what’s good for the nation?
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Sartre said “Hell is other people.”
He is right.
Hell is other people even when they happen to be brothers.
In our case, especially!...
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Wednesday, April 04, 2012
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A LOSE/LOSE PROPOSITION
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To be an Armenian writer means,
if you are wrong they will disagree with you;
and if you are right they will hate you.
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COMPROMISE
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If there is a word for compromise in Armenian
I wonder why it is seldom or never used.
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SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY
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We slept with the enemy for 600 years –
600 long years during which
instead of making history
we acquired bad habits,
subservience being one of them.
Subservience to top dogs
even when they are s.o.b.s,
and contempt for underdogs
even when they are our brothers.
Subservience to bosses, bishops, and benefactors,
contempt for scribblers.
Subservience to lies,
contempt for the truth.
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