THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: HOW TO SELL IT
By Avedis Kevorkian
4 July 2009
Philadelphia, PA USA
Shortly after the April 24 "Go to Hell" message to the Armenians from
the Liar in the White House, President Medz Yeghern, a contact at
the National Space Agency sent me a photo taken from space showing
a large number of people standing in a large circle and pointing to
the person on the right and asked what I made of it.
I told him that it was a couple of million Armenians and they were
pointing to the person to their right and blaming that person for
the fact that President Medz Yeghern had not kept his promises to
the Armenian about the Armenian Genocide.
He wanted to know what it was all about. I explained that when he was
a candidate for office, Medz Yeghern promised all sorts of good things
to the Armenians but after he won and was inaugurated, he received
his instructions from Ankara and reneged on all his promises, and
the Armenians were now trying to blame someone.
"So," he said, "there’s nothing significant about it, right?"
"Yes," I said, "there is nothing significant about it. Armenians are
always blaming others for whatever happens or doesn’t happen."
"I should throw the photo away?" he asked. "Yes," I said, "it is
worthless.
I am throwing away my copy, as well."
Now that the blame-game has all but died off, however, I thought
it was time20for me to express an opinion or two. And, to do so,
I must discuss the fine art of selling. Yes, I know that Armenians
are expert businessmen.
But, somehow, they don’t translate their business acumen into matters
political.
Two men want to buy suits. The first man goes into a men’s shop, takes
a suit off the rack, tries it on. The salesman says to him. "Please
buy this suit, because I get a good commission." The second man
goes into a men’s shop, takes a suit off the rack, tries it on, and
the salesman says to him, "Oh, Yes! This is you. You look ten years
younger. In fact, perhaps you shouldn’t buy this suit because all
the women will chase you down the street."
Which salesman made the sale?
Now, let us reverse the direction, and talk about two other
salesmen. The first salesman goes to President Medz Yeghern and says,
"We were the first Christian nation and we were the victims of the
first Genocide of the Twentieth Century, so you should say so because
it is the right thing to do." The second salesman goes to President
Medz Yeghern and says, "If you use the ‘Genocide’ word, we will kick
you the Hell out of the Inçirlik airbase in our country."
Which salesman’s message got across?
Whenever I have taught or lectured on public relations, and when
speaking to potential clients (so they have no misgivings of my
approach) I say, "It is not wh at you want, it is not what I want,
but it is what the editor wants that gets used."
Just one of many possible examples. Many years ago, I represented
both the local Foster Care organization as well as the Foster Care
Agency of the Federal Government (they were not connected, though
they knew each other).
When I reached my office one Monday morning, there were three messages
from Washington, and one from the local director with the note,
"Call me first."
I called her and she explained that she had been in touch with
Washington, knew that I had messages from the Washington director,
and explained the background. It seemed that a comic on his program,
on Sunday, had done a very nasty skit on what was the life of a child
in foster care, and, it turned out that the comic had been a foster
child and had an unpleasant experience. Washington, my local director
said, was demanding that I do something.
I called Washington, got the background (again) and her firm views
that I "demand" that the network apologize. I told her that networks
don’t apologize. But, I said I would try to do something.
I called CBS (the network) and spoke with a couple of people, both of
whom were sympathetic. I will spare the details of the conversations.
Eventually, I was referred to a producer asking what could be done. I
said that during National Foster Care week, later that month, there
wou ld be a major conference in Atlanta, and that it might be a good
idea if CBS would cover. There was a pause, and then the one word,
dear to the hearts of public-relations people, "Exclusive?" I said,
"Of course."
Again, I will spare the details. We agreed that the conference would
be given fifteen minutes on the morning program, and that would
include "eavesdropping" on a round-table discussion, and film of two
foster-care homes–one a ghetto family and one an upper-middle-class
family.
I called my Washington Director and told her what we agreed. She was
elated. She said that she would re-arrange the seminars and talks and
selected one of great public interest, and re-set its time. Meanwhile
I worked with my local director, and she selected two homes. I called
CBS and told the producer what was done, and she set a date for a
camera crew to come to Philadelphia.
To sum up. The 15-minute segment was introduced with the announcement
that a discussion was "in progress" and a brief filming of the
discussion, then the scene changed to the ghetto home and the interview
with the two foster parents and two of their foster children, then back
to Atlanta, then to the upper-middle class home and the two foster
parents and their two foster children, and then back to Atlanta,
and a prepared sign-off.
Needless to say, both my clients felt that I could walk on water.
I narrate the above not to boast, but to indicate that begging would
have achieved nothing, but I was able to give the producer something
she could legitimately use.
Now back to the hapless Armenians.
The reason that no one truly gives a damn about the Armenians is
because the Armenian message is "I want" and not "I give."
It’s bad enough that Armenia has no natural resources America wants and
needs (natural gas, oil, minerals, etc.), but it is common knowledge
that the country is run by crooks and thieves and thugs. So, the only
possible "offer" Armenia could make to America is to pretend it has
clout and muscle with both Moscow and Tehran and that Armenia would
be an ideal middleman between Washington and Moscow and Washington
and Tehran. It could offer to conduct some quiet diplomacy and create
greater understanding between Washington and the two countries.
Failing that, the Armenians in America must ask what they can give
the Liar in the White House. That can be summed up in two words:
"Votes" and "Money" Like all presidents, Medz Yeghern has his eyes
on a second term, already.
However, he needs to get over a vital hurdle–the elections of
2010. The message that the Armenians should send to the White House
is that all Armenian votes in 2010 will go to Republican Party
candidates–Governors, Senators, Representatives–with the aim of
giving the Republicans the control of the State Capitols and=2 0of
Congress. And, the suggestion should be made that there is always
April 2010 for him to keep his pledges and promises, if he wants his
party to get the Armenian vote, in November 2010.
As to money, it is a fact that, in politics, it talks very loudly.
Armenians should start thinking very seriously of being major
contributors to the two political parties–the American political
parties, that is. This is especially important with candidates in
areas where there are no meaningful number of Armenian voters. An
example will serve.
There was once a very influential Senator, Henry Jackson of the State
of Washington. He was so pro-Israel, he was known as the "Senator
from Israel." He was not Jewish, and the number of Jewish votes in
his state, when he was active, was 0.06 percent! But, Jackson was
the darling of the Jews and he was supported financially almost
beyond measure.
You can be sure that during and after campaigns, politicians carefully
scrutinize the list of donors. If they see Armenian names, they will
think Armenian. If they see no Armenian names, they will ask "Armenian
who?" You can be sure that on November 5, when president-elect
Medz Yeghern looked at the list of donors, he saw very few Armenian
names. Thus, it wasn’t a very difficult decision to say, "To Hell
with the Armenians."
The time to think of punishing Medz Yeghern is now. While the y are
in the process of dealing with Medz Yeghern, the American Armenians
should also contact their local Republican parties and ask who they
can help and how they can help.
Before anyone says anything, let me say it first. Voting for the
Republicans is not a reward for past support. The Republicans have had
their share of liars. But, in the present circumstance, the Republicans
are being used as messengers to the present Liar in the White House.
Oh, I forgot to mention that the first suit salesman was Armenian,
and the second suit salesman was Turkish.