Boghos

Are you coming to Buenos Aires?

Goodbye shuner! Bravo Arpa jan!

This is the right place for this topic (national). Time to go to Ani! it's been far too long. Also to Van. Enough of you know who.

Unfortunately we have a tendency to interpret history in a way that fits our own stereotypical views of our past. Worse than that we recreate history in a way that all facts do not logically compute. That's what happens when we are condemned to diaspora life.

As usual we pay too much attention to whichever fool-of-the-day has to say about the AG.

Dear Arpa, I haven't been reading the forum much. Sorry. I had the pleasure of meeting Peter Bilezikian and his wife, brother Paul and wife as well in Newton when I was attending McGill in the late 80s. Such nice people. Peter for me was the stereotypical old Armenian from the AG generation that was very kind, patient and had an incredible sense of humour. He held no grudges or ill feelings towards anybody or thing, it seemed to me. Truly a delight.

Ah, yes dear Arpa, I decided to skip this most horrible behaviour that we often have just because I am sick and tired of it. It is quite true that we may have our modest, humble heroes but seem to find supermen outside our own. Thankfully we have quite a few that eschew this idiotic nonsense.

Arpa jan, I really enjoy okra. I remember very fondly my grandmother on my father's side cooking it with tomato and a touch of lemon juice. Later on I learned a very simple recipe of creole okra which is delicious. I do understand some peoples wish to demistify historical figures or institutions. Be as it may, our own myths are rather modest and often anti-heros. Even the most recalcitrant Tashnaks can't really come up with super human idols. Today I think this is a great trait we have. all the best, B.

If I were Ted Bogosian I would choose somebody else to do research on. Rather, I would choose somebody else and actually do the research.

Welcome to Hyeforum. Very interesting! Please do tell us more.

Comedians. But gamavor, seems like Serdjik is very well acquainted with certain parts of Europe, like Monaco for example. These people, the so called Armenian elite, be it political or economic, most of them at least, live in Disneyland. Poor diaspora Armenians many even want to swallow all this nonsense. This whole "we are European gibberish" sees itself represented in the much worse foolishness of getting the AG recognized by the US, or God forbid, Turkey.

Hello Zack, welcome to Hyeforum. I hope you do get to go to Armenia and that you have a good time there.

Iran is becoming our enemy if one believes that it was ever our friend. Such concept doesn't exist and has as much validity as Russia being Armenia's closest friend.

http://hetq.am/en/diaspora/26799/

http://www.reporter.am/index.cfm?objectid=4B4BFD96-3FF3-052C-2B1523A11B929855

I wonder if this is related to the Protocols ) .

I think the reasons for the current state of affairs in Armenia can be found in its recent history, ie. the last 100 years aproximately. The genesis of the Republic of Armenia could be traced back to the first republic but arguably after the Soviets took over there was very little left of what in any case had very little substance. Both because it was very short lived, just two years but also because it was much more a provisional government that did not represent most of Armenia or Armenians. This is was then transformed into the ASSR which went through different political phases echoing what was happening in Moscow: Stalinism, Khruschev's thaw, Brezhnev stagnation, Gorbachov's Perestroika and the combination of the Karabagh Movement and finally independence. History, especially when it comes to ascertain causality is subject to interpretation. But it is a fact that the more illustrated nationalist circles that were represented for example by the Republican Party of Armenian lost out and a combination of less commited intellectuals and assorted criminals took control of the republic. In that sense Armenia behaves precisely as a province of Russia in all regards. There is almost no pride in building a country such as for example the Zionists had when Israel was established. The very few government officials that lower themselves to communicate with the diaspora without an obvious economic or political interest pay lip service to a national cause such as Minister Hranoush Hakobyan. Armenian diplomats abroad mostly behave like small princelings or worse, like small time criminals. Such being the state of the Republic it is no surprise that its self appointed elite chooses to plunder and squander. A complete mockery of the diaspora and Armenians in general. They could be Ukrainians or Bielorussians. It wouldn't make a difference.

This reminds me of a Radio Yerevan joke: "one of our listeners asks: is it true that in both the USSR and the USA freedom of speech exists?, our answer: yes, but in the USA there is also freedom after speech.

No doubt one of the most beautiful places in Armenia. Datev is a must.

It is amazing how Europe at large behaves so naively in the face of the ongoing destruction of its values promoted by new and not so new immigrants. The European Left has been hijacked by political correctness and an endless guilty feeling that leads it to defend the most despicable and backward forces centered in Muslim communities. Books have been written about this such as Londonistan (badly put together) but that title is enough. The European Right behaves mostly as if this issue didn't exist. When the Swiss vote against minarets they are bigots. They are not. They are just trying to protect themselves from what is almost an unstoppable movement towards economic, political and social degradation. I am not even going to dwell on demographics...and people, including many gullible and irrational Armenians are anti-American. It makes no sense.

Bravo!

Interesting observations. Hard to read what is going on in Armenia now but I think your interpretation of facts make sense. No doubt the Turks who came up with the peace initiative with the neighbours under great pressure from the US, and probably especially so in the case of Armenia, have obtained tremendous goodwill from Clinton and are using some of it. Connecting all the dots is a tricky exercise and one is always tempted to use its own version of deductive logic to come up with conclusions. It is hard to dispute that Armenia is the junior partner in this whole story. But what was the alternative?

Krikor's coach was also an Armenian but I think no longer the case. He ended in 4th place and made a GM norm. Giovanni Vescovi won, he plays for a club I am a member of.

Thank you, Arpa jan, nice find. We had the previous ambassador for dinner once, very nice lady. Also one of the diplomats she mentions is close to me. But "schools"we have only one...it just reminded me that the priest called for a donation ) . Forgot to add: "The Lions of Marash" is being translated to Portuguese...These Marashtsis are crazy...

Dear Zareh, Thanks for a most interesting and enlightened answer. I think you make several important points. I completely agree with what you seem to suggest: if we had a really capable and savvy leadership we could get a much better deal. But we don't. On the other hand international conditions allow for some kind of resolution. You also point to geographic determinism, I agree, and that's why in part I think that a deal is a positive because now we have the guarantors of such process in place. This may not be the case in the future. I see it as a window and you see it as door trap. It is probably a bit of both. It is quite unfortunate that Armenia cannot benefit from it small state status as it is usually the case. Two of its neighbors are intent on simply destroying it, that is essentially the question. I would very much like you to expand on Turkey and the Genocide issues. Thank you again.