Sunday, March 19, 2006
******************************************
We are outraged whenever Turks accuse us of massacring them. I am not. I even welcome this development because, for a change, I begin to see myself not as the offspring of perennial victims but as a human being. To paraphrase Shakespeare in THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, “I am an Armenian. Hath not an Armenian eyes? Hath not an Armenian hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? If they massacre us, shall we not massacre them?”
*
Once upon a time I believed in our moral superiority. I know better today, and whenever I hear someone making such claims, I add hypocrisy to his list of failings.
*
In his POLITICAL PARANOIA: THE PSYCHOPOLITICS OF HATRED, co-author Robert Robins says all stories of “good against evil” are just that, stories, and as such are viewed with some degree of justified skepticism.
*
Again, let me add, repeat, and emphasize, I am not questioning the reality of the Genocide and Turkish responsibility, only our claim of moral superiority. Whenever we portray Turks as bloodthirsty Asiatic barbarians and ourselves as the first Christian nation and the cradle of civilization, who believes us? Surely not the Germans, or Americans, or Russians, or Muslims, or Hindus, whose innocent victims number in the millions too.
*
I say these things for two reasons: to enhance our credibility in the eyes of the world; and to tear ourselves away from the comfortable reality to which we have become accustomed and which may make us vulnerable to the charge of racism.
#
Monday, March 20, 2006
*************************************
There is a natural tendency in all of us to divide people into friends and enemies, or good and evil, and judgments into true or false. But reality is more complex, and more often than not it can be simultaneously good and evil as well as true and false.
*
When someone tells me, “I don’t like Armenians,” my first impulse is not to accuse him of being an enemy but to ask myself, “Are we likeable?”
*
Nobody is perfect. We all have our share of failings. Whenever I mention one of them, however, I am told it is not a specifically Armenian failing but a human, therefore, a universal failing. Which raises the question: What is our view of humanity? Turks we call Asiatic barbarians, and the West a bunch of double-talking degenerates.
*
If we are like everybody else, we must also have our share of barbarians and
degenerates who pretend to be civilized. Don’t get me wrong. If I am disappointed, it is not in my fellow Armenians but in myself for overestimating them and for failing to see them as they are – human beings with their share of contradictions, wounds, and complexes.
*
We like to say that we have massacred no one, but we forget to add, only in our version of the story. And if we are like everyone else, our version of the story, like everyone else’s, must be full of holes.
*
Am I saying we are as bad as Turks? No, I am saying not all Turks are “as bad as Turks,” and not all Armenians are morally superior. Collective moral superiority, or any other kind of superiority, is a myth created by the likes of Hitler. Which amounts to saying it is not just a lie but a Big Lie, and thus the source of some of the worst blunders and crimes against humanity.
#
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
******************************************
Alain: “There is no doubt whatever that on certain occasions Alexander, Caesar, and Napoleon behaved like fools. It has been my aim in life to avoid emulating them.”
*
The credibility of historians, even the best among them, has been questioned by fellow historians since the beginning of historiography. Herodotus, “the father of historians,” has also been called “the father of lies.” More recently, Arnold J. Toynbee, one of the greatest historians of the 20th Century, has been dismissed as “a prophet of mumbo jumbo.” And consider the case of Edward Gibbon (1737-1794): in his universally acclaimed DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, he portrays Romans as the good guys and Christians as the villains. To say that Armenian historians are more trustworthy than Herodotus, Gibbon, and Toynbee is to certify our status as perennial dupes.
*
Again, my intension here is not to question the reality of the Genocide but our version of its context, or rather our treatment or cover up of its context.
*
If Turks disagree with us, and now with themselves (as the Orhan Pamuk episode
suggests), it may be because the Armenian side stresses the facts, and the Turkish side stresses the context; and the context, to put it in a nutshell, was the very real threat of annihilation not only of the Ottoman Empire, which was moribund, but also that of the Turkish nation.
*
In the Turkish version of the story, the slaughter of Armenians was a case of self-defense or justifiable homicide. Armenians were not alone in threatening their survival, of course. There were others. Many others. But they were beyond Turkish reach. We weren’t. And that was our misfortune. It is true, Turkish conduct was savage to the point of being irrational. But who has ever been able to reason with a man who is convinced his own existence is in peril?
*
Did we act reasonably when we drove the Azeris (most of them innocent civilians) from Karabagh? Is Israeli conduct towards Palestinians consistently reasonable? Even many Jews say it is not.
*
Speaking not as a historian but as a human being, I view the Genocide not as a clash between good and evil but a result of two enormous miscalculations or blunders: (one) that of our revolutionaries or freedom fighters (in our version of the story, terrorists in theirs) in thinking that with such mighty allies as the Russians and the Great Powers of the West, we couldn’t lose; and (two) that of the Turks in assuming that unarmed Armenian civilians were a real threat to their survival.
*
Alain: “I have at no time believed that it is possible to create a new philosophy. What I have been doing instead is re-creating the best of what has already been said. But is this not also creating in the best sense of the word?”
#
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
**************************************
Judging by the number of books that tell you how to solve problems, there must be two or more solutions for every problem. But judging by the number of people who don’t read books, the nation must be lousy with people drowning in unresolved problems. You may now guess what happens to such a nation when it goes out of its way to solve the problems of other nations.
*
And now, from the sublime to the ridiculous: I am an Armenian. As if that weren’t enough, I also write for Armenians. Two jumbo-sized problems right there. Which may explain why so far I haven’t been able to solve a single problem. Which may also explain why I have a grudging admiration for our Turcocentric pundits who have been successful in convincing their readers that on the day Turks repent three golden apples will fall from heaven and we shall live happily ever after.
*
As we wait for that day, here is a piece of advice you may wish to keep in mind: Never marry a woman whose three previous husbands committed suicide.
#

ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP, EUROPEAN UNION MUST BE INVOLVED IN SETTLEMENT OF SOUTH CAUCASUS CONFLICTS DEEPER

Noyan Tapan
Mar 21 2006

TBILISI/BRUSSELS, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN. For guaranteeing its own
security, the European Union must be involved in settlement of the
South Caucasus conflicts deeper for those don’t break up as wide-spread
wars in the neighborhood of Europe. Such an opinion was expressed
by the International Crisis Group in its March 20 message. The
“Conflicts Prevention in South Caucasus: Role of European Union”
new report of the International Crisis Group studies efforts of
the European Union to touch upon the strengthening round Nagorno
Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Osetia and points out its possible
additional activities. “Brussels started to touch upon the challenge
of a deeper involvement only recently. There were few promising steps
but there is still a long way to pass,” Sabine Freizer, the Caucasus
Project Director of the International Crisis Group stated. Mentioning
that the UN in Abkhazia and the OSCE in Nagorno Karabakh and South
Osetia were engaged in conflicts settlement till the recent times,
but the negotiations having lasted for dozens of years didn’t reach
all-embracing agreements of peace, the International Crisis Group
expresses confidence that the European Union has a greater role to
play and can complete the UN and OSCE efforts “having authority of an
“honest mediator,” different soft and rough levers of influence and
possibility of proposals to be deeper integrated into Europe.” For
avoiding instability of its own borders, the European Union wants to
create round it a circle of effectively rulled countries. This is
interested in South Caucasus also for the reason that it wants to
secure accessibility of oil and gas of the Caspian region, develop
transportation and communication corridors between Europe and Asia
and limit such dangers as smuggling, trafficking and degradation
of environment are. According to the International Crisis Group,
as the European Union will hardly propose membership to Georgia,
Armenia and Azerbaijan in the nearest time, it must find newest means
to stipulate its assistance a!

nd use influence. The Actions Plans of the European Neighborhood policy
is at the stage of summing up what, according to the message, creates
a proper opportunity for strengthening the EU role, especially if
the peaceful settlement of conflicts is defined as an obligation. The
International Crisis Group expresses opinion that the newly appointed
EU Special Representative must be an observer in negotiations going on
round Abkhazian, South Osetian and Karabakh conflicts. The European
Commission made significant allocations for reconstruction works in
South Osetia and Abkhazia. It must estimate how it may start to do
more on Nagorno Karabakh and round it. “The European Union attempts to
define its role in the new neighborhood where there is neither peace
nor war. If the European Union isn’t able to fulfil its imagination
of a safe neighborhood, its confidence in the region and in general,
compared with Russia and the U.S., will suffer. It’s more worrying if
the conflicts in South Caucasus continue to strengthen, the European
Union may be unready for the issue of finding a response to wars of
its neighbors,” Nicholas Whyte, the Europe Program Director of the
International Crisis Group stated.

ETHNIC MINORITIES’ COUNCIL CREATED ATTACHED TO OMBUDSMAN OF GEORGIA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 21 2006

AKHALKALAK, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Ethnic
Minorities’ Council was created attached to the Ombudsman’s staff
of Georgia. According to the “A-Info” agency, Beka Mindiashvili,
the general expert of the “Tolerance” center attached to the
Ombudsman’s staff regulates works of the Council. According to the
expert, the goal of creating the Council is formation of a civil
forum of ethnic minorities of Georgia. Though the Council has no
executive levers, according to B.Mindiashvili, it can have an active
role in the authorities-ethnic minorities relations. The European
Center for Minorities Issues in Georgia gave the idea of forming
the Council. According to the declaration made public beforehand,
the Council staff is open for organizations representing people
belonging to ethnic minorities as well as for organizations working
in the sphere of protection and civil integration of ethnic minorities.

INFORMATION PROGRAMS OF AKHALKALAK AND NINOTSMINDA TV COMPANIES TO PASS TO SELF-FINANCING

Noyan Tapan
Armeninans Today
Mar 21 2006

AKHALKALAK, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The “Objective”
and “Andradardz” (Reflection) everyday information programs broadcast
by the Akhalkalak ATV-12 and Ninotsminda “Parvana” TV companies
will pass to self-financing from now on. Only two years ago those
programs started to be broadcast by financial-technic assistance of the
Tbilisi Office of the OSCE Commissioner for Ethnic Minorities and the
“Internews.” According to the “A-Info” agency, today the project has
already been completed, and the TV companies themselves will decide
the future of the information programs. According to ATV-12 Director
Vahrad Tkoyan and “Parvana” Director Kostandin Vardanian, in spite
of difficulties, an attempt will be made to keep the information
programs for there are of great demand among the local inhabitation.

ARMENIAN-INDIAN COOPERATION MUST BE IMPLEMENTED IN ALL SPHERES OF CULTURE, RA MINISTER OF CULTURE EMPHASIZES

Noyan Tapan
Mar 21 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Gevorg Gevorgian, the RA Minister
of Culture and Youth Issues received on March 21 the Indian
cinematographers who are on a working visit in Yerevan. The Armenian
and Indian cinematographers discuss issues of shooting Indian films
in Armenia as well as development of the Armenian-Indian joint film
industry. Touching upon the two peoples’ historic ties and contacts,
RA Minister of Culture and Youth Issues Gevorg Gevorgian mentioned
that today this friendship starts to develop consonant to the new
times. The Minister expressed confidence that the Armenian-Indian
cooperation must be implemented in all spheres of culture, including
the sphere of film industry. G.Gevorgian appreciated the Indian
cinematographers’ wish to shoot Indian films in Armenia, but,
according to the Minister, development of the joint film industry is
more important. Producer Ashok Mehta, the owner of the “Bollywood”
Indian great studio mentioned that during the initial period they
will shoot only Indian films for what they, first of all, need to get
acquainted with the nature and sightseeings of Armenia. Besides, they
want to get acquainted with the Armenian cinematography closer. Ashok
Mehta is sure that development of the Armenian-Indian joint film
industry will be beneficial for producers of the two countries, and
the result will be perceptible. He mentioned that Bollywood has great
financial resources and shoots 1000 films a year. Film Director Arman
Manarian, pointing out the Armenian-Indian historic contacts, proposed
to shoot a joint historic film. And director Haroutiun Khachatrian, the
“Golden Apricot” International Film Festival Director, mentioned that
the festival directorate has a great wish to have Indian films in their
programs and to invite their authors to Armenia. H.Khachatrian invited
the Indian cinematographers to participate in the “Golden Apricot”
festival to take place in summer. The Indian cinematographers will
visit the “Hayfilm” studio on the same day to get acquainted with the
technical capabilities and films of the film library.

ISSUE OF CLEANING OF CULTURE VERY IMPORTANT FOR RA MINISTER OF CULTURE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 21 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Gevorg Gevorgian,
the RA Minister of Culture and Youth Issues, has no information about
getting flats of the cream of the Cinematographers’ Union of Armenia
from the many-storied being built on the Cinema House. Even more, as
the Minister informed journalists during the March 21 meeting taken
place in the Ministry, he has had no contacts and meetings with anybody
during the recent two months. “I’m continuously engaged in problems
of the Ministry, have no contacts with my friends as well. As for
the Cinema House, I had a phone conversation with R. Gevorgiants,
the Chairman of the Cinematographers’ Union. The latter said that
this is done in the name of the cinema union, which will enlarge
the territory of the Cinema House by few times. Besides, the owner
of the building promised more than 200 thousand dollars by which
the Cinema House will be re-equiped with dolby stereo system. If it
is so, then it will be good. As for giving flats, I don’t think,”
G.Gevorgian emphasized. According to the Minister, at the meeting
with representatives of the creative unions of the country recently,
everyday issues weren’t discussed but a dispute concerning perspectives
of development of culture was promoted. “For me the issue of cleaning
of the culture is very important as a regress, introduction of
alien elements and continuous fall of the national are noticed in
all the spheres,” Gevorg Gevorgian mentioned. The Minister informed
that according to the preliminary agreement, programs of the Russian
“Kultura” TV will soon be broadcast 24 hours in Armenia. According to
G.Gevorgian, it’s also envisaged to give 8 hours of that TV channel
to similar Armenian programs. And the RA Minister of Culture didn’t
like composer Armen Martirosian’s “Without your Love” song performed
by singer Andre for the “Eurovision” concert program.

TURKS’ DEMONSTRATION IN LYONS NOT TURN INTO DISORDERS ONLY OWING TO INTERFERENCE OF LEGAL BODIES

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 21 2006

LYONS, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Getting the
agreement of the Lyons Mayor’s Office, Turkish organizations held a
demonstration in the city on March 18, officially formulating that
as an action directed against contsructing the monument to the 1915
Armenian Genocide victims. But, as Noyan Tapan was informed by the ARF
Dashnaktsutiun “Nor Seround” youth union, it became clear just at the
beginning of the demontration that it pursues just another goal, to
insist that “Armenians are liars, and the victims are Turks.” Starting
just from this moment, the “Nor Seround” union started a spontaneous
responding action. The by-passers joined the small group of “Nor
Seround,” exclaiming: “Not to Fascism, Yes to History.” Young people
representing most different nations and political movements expressed
their solidarity to heirs of the Armenian Genocide victims. “We
must ask ourselves a question about the real inspirators of Turks’
gathering,” Tade Karapetian, the head of the ARF “Nor Seround” union
stated. “This event coincides in a strange way with strengthening
of the betrayal mission in Europe which is financed by the Turkish
state,” he emphasized. It’s mentioned in the information of the ARF
“Nor Seround” union that the Mayor’s Office endowed the demonstration,
in spite of alarms expressed by the union. Those alarms were justified
as the demonstration participants headed by an extreme grouping,
meeting participants of the peaceful anti-demonstration on their way,
provoked red-tapes which weren’t continued only after the legal bodies’
interference. “It’s intolerable that the French state <…> allows
holding of a betrayal and Fascist demonstration in its heart. Did
France forget that it has recognized the Armenian Genocide?” Armen
Serobian, the “Nor Seround” union speaker stated. He emphasized that
only the inhabitants of Lyons who come to oppose such a gathering
reminded that democratic values are still secured in France.

HRAZDAN TPP PROPOSES TWOFOLD INCREASE IN TARIFF OF GENERATED ELECTRICITY

Noyan Tapan
Mar 21 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant
(TPP) recently submitted a bid for a twofold increase in the tariff
of generated electricity to the RA Public Services Regulatory
Commission. According to the bid, the current tariff of 11.36
drams (0.025 USD) for 1 kwh of electricity should be risen to 21.36
drams. The ground for such an increase is the rise of the gas price. To
recap, the Hrazdan TPP generates electricity by using gas. The
commission may consider the bid within 90 days, however, according
to NT’s information, the bid will be examined within the next few days.

DATE OF USING BAN ON EXTERNAL CIGARATTE ADVERTISING POSTPONED

Noyan Tapan
Mar 21 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Assembly on March 21
adopted 9 draft laws and a legislaive package which were discussed
the day before. All the drafts, except the draft law on precious
metals which was passed in the second reading, envisage amendments and
additions to a number of laws. Particularly, the legislative package
on making amendments and additions to the Law on Advertising and the
Law on Local Duties and Payments enisages postponing the use of the
ban on external cigarette advertising until October 1, 2006. The local
duties for permission to advertise strong alcoholic drinks and for
poster panels with a blank space have also been reviewed. The package
of amendments to the Land Code and the RA Law on Repressed Persons
which was passed in the first reading, envisages extending the term
of allocation of land plots to repressed persons with the right of
ownership until June 30, 2007. In addition, it is stipulated that
in case of absence of land plots representing the property of the
state and communities, land plots shall be purshased for repressed
persons in order prescribed by the RA government. According to the
amendments and additions to the Law on Licensing which were adopted
in the first reading, the veterinary-sanitary expert examination, as
well as the production and sale of the main and biological means of
plant protection are considered to be a complex licensed avtivity. The
amendments to the Law on State Duty, which were passed in the first
reading, abolish the current duties for transporting the animals under
state vetrainary control, cattle-breeding production, raw materials,
forage and loads from one administrative territory to another. A state
duty in the amount of 200 state basic duties was set for production
of biological preparations, sera and disinfection means used in the
vetrainary sector.

TWO-DAY ARMENIAN-GERMAN INTERGOVERNMENTAL CONSULTATION ON FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION STARTS IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
Mar 21 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN. A two-day Armenian-German
intergovernmental consultation on financial and technical cooperation
started in Yerevan on March 21. The consultation is chaired by
the RA Minister of Finance and Economy Vardan Khachatrian and the
represenative of the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and
Development Rolf Baldus. According to a press release submitted to NT
by the press service of the RA Ministry of Finance and Economy, the
German Ambassador to Armenia Ms Heike Renate Peitsch, representatives
of various Armenian ministries and the KfW Bank Yerevan Office are
participating in the consultation. The consultation participants
are discussing financial and technical programs, which are being
implemented by the German government in such sectors of Armenia
as energy, health, environmental protection, infrastructures and
the mortgage market development. The cooperation programs between
Armenia and Germany were launched in 1993 – at first as technical
assistance programs, later – in 1995, also as financial assistance
programs. Since 2001 – after intergovernmental negotiations, regional
programs have also been implemented within the framework of the
Caucasian Initiative. The Armenian-German finnacial cooperation is
focused on the three main sectors: energy, financial/private sector,
and water supply and water sewerage. Some relatively small-scale
grant programs are also being carried out in the spheres of health
care and environmental protection. In addition to bilateral programs,
new regional programs “The Caucasian Initiative” were launched. They
include financial and technical cooperation programs in the three South
Caucasian countries in such spheres as energy and private business
sectors, fight against tuberculosis, and biodiversity protection. It
is already envisaged to implement programs aimed at developing the
mortgage market through the Armenian-German cooperation. So far, about
185 mln euros has been allocated to Armenia within the framework of
the Armenian-German financial cooperation.