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The Situation In Lebanon


Sassun

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Shahan, I've met a lot of Armenians like you who for some unknown reason (jealousy? hypocrisy? closed-mindedness? confusion? lack of education?) continue to live in the U.S., profit from all that the U.S. has to give them and then bad-mouth and complain all the time. You don't have to love the U.S., you don't even have to like it, but to be so a hypocrite as to continue to remain in this country? How do you face the mirror every day?

I think it is you who is getting offended by my commenting on the American way of life. (for 99% of Americans; the 1% in ANY country live like kings.)

 

It depends on the types of lifestyles you've lived.

 

If you haven't experienced a great lifestyle in Armenia or Iran from where you come from, then of course you will like the U.S. -- you can at least get an education and get a decent job, which you might not have been able to do in Armenia or Iran; or live in freedom, which you might not have been able to do in Iran.

 

It's all relative.

 

If you've seen a better life than in the U.S., you'll criticize it and you'll want to live somewhere else.

 

If you've only seen a WORSE life than in the U.S., then you'll love being in the U.S.

 

The fact that you launch a personal attack against me questioning my education, "jealousy, "close-mindedness", etc. only shows that you haven't tried living in other parts of the world that might have a better style of living than the "average American life" and it shows that you haven't interacted with people who live in other parts of the world such as Canada, Western Europe, even Lebanon, to get THEIR opinion on what they think of the average American life...

 

As to why I live in the U.S., that is a personal reason. And I can continue to criticize the life I see people living here even WHILE I live here -- no problem there. If you don't try living in different places, then you'll never know the worth of one over the other...

 

L.A. does have its good sides -- but I argue that most of the good things only 1% of the population really can enjoy... ;)

Edited by Shahan Araradian
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As to why I live in the U.S., that is a personal reason. And I can continue to criticize the life I see people living here even WHILE I live here -- no problem there.

 

No problem other than utter hypocrisy. But I wouldn't expect a behavior any less than "biting the hand that feed you" from those who admire the lives of street dogs in Lebanon. Pathetic.

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No problem other than utter hypocrisy. But I wouldn't expect a behavior any less than "biting the hand that feed you" from those who admire the lives of street dogs in Lebanon. Pathetic.

Hmmm... the fact that you and anoushik take so much offense with my comment (so much as to personally start attacking me) is very telling...

 

Perhaps you considered that it might be true??

Edited by Shahan Araradian
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Hmmm... the fact that you and anoushik take so much offense with my comment (so much as to personally start attacking me) is very telling...

 

Perhaps you considered that it might be true??

But how could you ever expect otherwise? Like I said, I'm an American, and here you are commenting how street dogs in Beirut live much better than Americans. Thus, from your writing I conclude that you are saying that street dogs in Beirut live better than me. And you expect me not to react or comment?

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Shahan, the point is not whether it's true or not (that's a ridiculous argument, let's face it) but how you comment your dislike about the U.S., the U.S. that has one of the greatest Armenian diaspora, from where Armenians are able to financially support our developing Armenia. Your comment was very tactless, that's all.
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But how could you ever expect otherwise? Like I said, I'm an American, and here you are commenting how street dogs in Beirut live much better than Americans. Thus, from your writing I conclude that you are saying that street dogs in Beirut live better than me. And you expect me not to react or comment?

I'm not talking about ANOUSHIK. I don't know how ANOUSHIK lives.

 

I'm talking about the average American waking up at 6am to work at a 9-5 and getting home at 7pm with an average $15K credit card debt and $500K mortgage.

 

But then again they say that humans are creatures of habit, and they can get used to ANYTHING...

 

That, I argue, is a life worse than a dog's (indeed, a dog in the U.S. [not only Leb] lives better -- except for maybe that they have been neutered ;) ).

Edited by Shahan Araradian
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Shahan, the point is not whether it's true or not (that's a ridiculous argument, let's face it) but how you comment your dislike about the U.S., the U.S. that has one of the greatest Armenian diaspora, from where Armenians are able to financially support our developing Armenia. Your comment was very tactless, that's all.

Ի՞նչ «tactless»: Կարծիքս է: «Tact» չեմ փորձերկոր ունենալ... Ապրանք չեմ ծախերկոր: Ոչ ալ միտք: Կարծիք մըն է:

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Great point! Guess what? Americans are made up of 300 million Anoushiks.

 

America is full of Anoushik people??? I'm leaving for the South. :)

 

BTW, ANY street dog has a happier life than any humans on Earth. A dog is dumb, anything will make it happy.

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America is full of Anoushik people??? I'm leaving for the South. :)

Aww, how sweet :P

 

But you got my point, right Domino?

 

Here I am, having been at home most day, enjoying an unimportant argument about comments regarding American way of life. Yes, I also work. My working hours are not from 9am to 5pm and most people around me don't work those hours also. Most everyone I know love living here, they understand that in this country you have to provide for yourself and the harder you work the better you live and they all enjoy their lives.

 

Shahan, you don't want those debts? Then don't get that BMW. But if you do, then know that you have to work very hard to pay for it. Generalization? Do you even drive a BMW or any other such cars? I don't know. But my reply is closer to your comment. You also generalize.

Edited by anoushik
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Aww, how sweet :P

 

But you got my point, right Domino?

 

Here I am, having been at home most day, enjoying an unimportant argument about comments regarding American way of life. Yes, I also work. My working hours are not from 9am to 5pm and most people around me don't work those hours also. Most everyone I know love living here, they understand that in this country you have to provide for yourself and the harder you work the better you live and they all enjoy their lives.

 

Shahan, you don't want those debts? Then don't get that BMW. But if you do, then know that you have to work very hard to pay for it. Generalization? Do you even drive a BMW or any other such cars? I don't know. But my reply is closer to your comment. You also generalize.

Հասարակ ամերիկացին Անուշիկին չափ խելացի չէ բայց... after all, Անուշիկը հայ է ;)

 

As for me... I'm smart enough not to have any debts; on the contrary, only assets that pay dividends :D I'll let someone else get that $45K loan on a new Beamer.

Edited by Shahan Araradian
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Great point! Guess what? Americans are made up of 300 million Anoushiks.

 

What about her? Or am I being too mean and stereotypical :P http://www.pubfoto.com/albums/gioxx-comics/difference_european_vs_american_girls.sized.jpg

Edited by AK-47
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From all these comments that personally attack Shahan's opinion, I must say that this concept of "Freedom of opinion" that the USA glorifies itself on is beginning to look biased. It's can't necessarily be true that everyone is or can have a good life in the States. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. The ethnic minorities continue to be sometimes discriminated (cough Katrina cough).

 

And it's arguable that the harder you work, the better you live. People on lazy chairs make more money than people who bust their asses and live paycheck to paycheck. A guy with a baseball bat who takes steroids makes more in 1 week than most people will make in their lifetimes. Յամենայն դեպս, Ամերիկա չեմ ապրիր ես ուրեմն անձնական experienceի կարծիք չեմ կրնար տալ:

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From all these comments that personally attack Shahan's opinion, I must say that this concept of "Freedom of opinion" that the USA glorifies itself on is beginning to look biased. It's can't necessarily be true that everyone is or can have a good life in the States. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. The ethnic minorities continue to be sometimes discriminated (cough Katrina cough).

If you give an opinion other than the ones that Oprah, Seinfeld, or someone on Friends approves of, then you'll be barked at in the U.S. It's because Americans don't like others to even think or even question their way of life.

 

Wallaw... How can someone POSSIBLY live better in Lebanon? Unfathomable!!! Montreal? What you talking about? In that cold?

 

And it's arguable that the harder you work, the better you live.

That's a myth to make employees work harder... It's only large business owners and capitalists who live well in the U.S. (1% of the population). Everyone else are debt slaves.

 

Meanwhile, the masses -- even those with a good "education" -- barely are surviving. (You'd be surprised at the situation in California. The average couple needs to make a combined $150K gross to own a simple condo.)

 

People on lazy chairs make more money than people who bust their asses and live paycheck to paycheck. A guy with a baseball bat who takes steroids makes more in 1 week than most people will make in their lifetimes. Յամենայն դեպս, Ամերիկա չեմ ապրիր ես ուրեմն անձնական experienceի կարծիք չեմ կրնար տալ:

You are right. The capitalists get their 10-15% dividends every year, kick back, play golf, or enjoy the other pleasures of life by simply OWNING a corp, shares of it, or some other assets. Meanwhile, the masses work 9-5 simply to pay RENT and survive.

 

And we're even talking about the "educated" Americans... The "system" really has got them trapped. And again, the big bucks are really being made by the big investors and business owners -- the corporation.

 

Just like the American media has gotten the American people fooled on the war in Iraq (that it benefits Americans; meanwhile it's for the benefit of Israel and some U.S. corporations, at the expense of the American people) similarly it is true in everyday life in the U.S. -- (most -- 95-99%) people have been steadily made used to the debt slaves that they have been turned into.

 

They say that if you repeat something enough times, people start to believe...

 

It's no wonder that the organic growth of California's population is negative -- that is, it is only the new immigrants to California that have a positive population growth (native Californians have on average less than 2 kids...)

 

Again, these are all my opinions from what I've seen on the ground here... I think the smarter ones are the ones who work in California for some time and move back to a cheaper place (e.g. I see a lot of Indians who do this).

Edited by Shahan Araradian
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'"New York, Boston, California, inch aghvor inch siroun inch khaghagh"

 

Seriously though... The only ones who have fulfilled the so-called "American Dream" are probably very few.

Edited by Dave
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From all these comments that personally attack Shahan's opinion, I must say that this concept of "Freedom of opinion" that the USA glorifies itself on is beginning to look biased....

 

If he is here to enjoy the freedom of speech and to use it to insult me, at the very least he should be able to take insults back. That is the American way. Every chance he gets he insults people who don't think the same as he does. And we are supposed to "accept" this because it's the American way? Come on now. The ironey is, Shahan bashes America and Americans yet he wants his opinion respected under the freedoms this country provides.

 

I would love to see him go to Iran and say similar things about Iran. They would cut off his balls :D Yah the US is a horrible place to live ... just so so horrible.

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I am really sad about this and dissapointed. I am supposed to go to Syria as a family vacation, and we might not be able to go since what happened in Lebanon. I still want to go to Syria, and were still deciding. I want to go so badly, and if only Syria and Lebanon could be in peace. I mean the Armenian and Lebanese Christians get along, why cant the rest do the same thing. Edited by Peter Oundjian
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