Thursday, February 14, 2013 *************************************** WHO LOVES ARMENIANS? **************************************** In his youth Zarian loved Armenians because he saw himself as a messianic figure and his fellow Armenians as a crucified nation. In his old age he saw himself as a victim of intolerance and envy, and he died with the conviction that he had been murdered. * Saroyan loved the whole world including Armenians but he couldn’t stand his own family including his half-Armenian son and daughter. * Michael (GREEN HAT) Arlen loved his fellow Armenians too but he warned his half-Armenian son to stay away from them. The son followed his father’s advice with only one interruption that lasted long enough for him to write PASSAGE TO ARARAT that became a best-seller. * Because I hate myself, some of my critics tell me, I am in no position to love or understand my fellow Armenians, and armed with that conviction they feel justified in calling me “son of a Turkish whore,” among other abusive terms. * I have noticed that Armenians who speak endlessly of love are the least lovable specimens and though I have tried very hard to love them I have failed. But that’s my fault rather than theirs. # Saturday, February 16, 2013 ***************************************** LIES, BIG LIES, AND CONTRADICTIONS ***************************************************** In politics don’t judge the man, judge the men behind the man. * The same Leonardo who said war is “pazzia bestialissima” (the most beastly madness) also designed war machines. * Even Jesus failed to unmask Judas until it was too late. * If Zohrab was Talaat’s dupe, who among us will dare to say he is nobody’s dupe? * One reason I keep coming back to dupes is that I have been one most of my life… with no end in sight. * If I were to make a list of Big Lies we believed in, I would begin with “The Turks would not dare to massacre us,” and end with “Russians are our Big Brothers.” * To preach love and legitimize hatred is a contradiction, and yet most religious leaders appear to be unaware of this fact. * Love of God (religion) and love of homeland (patriotism) have justified more crimes against humanity than hatred of the Devil. # Saturday, February 16, 2013 ****************************************** WHO LOVES ARMENIANS? (II) ************************************** There are systems of ignorance as surely as there are systems of knowledge and we choose both by the degree of flattery they contain. * Christians believe they are worthy of the Crucifixion, Jews believe they are the Chosen, and Muslim believe non-Muslims to be “infidel dogs.” * What about Armenians? To begin with we don’t much care about Turks, Kurds, Azeris, Georgians, “onion-head” Russians, and the so-called “civilized West” which fought its lousy World War I instead of coming to our aid. Neither are we fond of Protestants and Catholics even when they happen to be fellow Armenians. Native-born Armenians look down at Diasporans (“aghber”) -- I have myself been called “a piece of shit” by a fellow Armenian born and raised in the shadow of Mt. Ararat. * Who loves Armenians? Not even Armenians. As the popular refrain has it: “Mart bidi ch’ellank!” Literally: “We will never acquire the status of human beings.” # Thursday, February 14, 2013 *************************************** WHO LOVES ARMENIANS? **************************************** In his youth Zarian loved Armenians because he saw himself as a messianic figure and his fellow Armenians as a crucified nation. In his old age he saw himself as a victim of intolerance and envy, and he died with the conviction that he had been murdered. * Saroyan loved the whole world including Armenians but he couldn’t stand his own family including his half-Armenian son and daughter. * Michael (GREEN HAT) Arlen loved his fellow Armenians too but he warned his half-Armenian son to stay away from them. The son followed his father’s advice with only one interruption that lasted long enough for him to write PASSAGE TO ARARAT that became a best-seller. * Because I hate myself, some of my critics tell me, I am in no position to love or understand my fellow Armenians, and armed with that conviction they feel justified in calling me “son of a Turkish whore,” among other abusive terms. * I have noticed that Armenians who speak endlessly of love are the least lovable specimens and though I have tried very hard to love them I have failed. But that’s my fault rather than theirs. # Saturday, February 16, 2013 ***************************************** LIES, BIG LIES, AND CONTRADICTIONS ***************************************************** In politics don’t judge the man, judge the men behind the man. * The same Leonardo who said war is “pazzia bestialissima” (the most beastly madness) also designed war machines. * Even Jesus failed to unmask Judas until it was too late. * If Zohrab was Talaat’s dupe, who among us will dare to say he is nobody’s dupe? * One reason I keep coming back to dupes is that I have been one most of my life… with no end in sight. * If I were to make a list of Big Lies we believed in, I would begin with “The Turks would not dare to massacre us,” and end with “Russians are our Big Brothers.” * To preach love and legitimize hatred is a contradiction, and yet most religious leaders appear to be unaware of this fact. * Love of God (religion) and love of homeland (patriotism) have justified more crimes against humanity than hatred of the Devil. # Saturday, February 16, 2013 ****************************************** WHO LOVES ARMENIANS? (II) ************************************** There are systems of ignorance as surely as there are systems of knowledge and we choose both by the degree of flattery they contain. * Christians believe they are worthy of the Crucifixion, Jews believe they are the Chosen, and Muslim believe non-Muslims to be “infidel dogs.” * What about Armenians? To begin with we don’t much care about Turks, Kurds, Azeris, Georgians, “onion-head” Russians, and the so-called “civilized West” which fought its lousy World War I instead of coming to our aid. Neither are we fond of Protestants and Catholics even when they happen to be fellow Armenians. Native-born Armenians look down at Diasporans (“aghber”) -- I have myself been called “a piece of shit” by a fellow Armenian born and raised in the shadow of Mt. Ararat. * Who loves Armenians? Not even Armenians. As the popular refrain has it: “Mart bidi ch’ellank!” Literally: “We will never acquire the status of human beings.” #