After running a string of editorials against the Armenian Genocide Resolution (fourth item) – plus an anti-Armenian diatribe written by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan – The Wall Street Journal belatedly lets the other side present its case when it’s too late to resuscitate the symbolic bill. On Friday’s edition of “The Journal Editorial Report” on FOX News, Paul Gigot, editor of The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page, interviewed Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) who authored the resolution.In his introductory comments about the segment Gigot notes that Schiff has “more than 70,000 ethnic Armenians in his Los Angeles district.” In the second of its three editorials torpedoing the resolution, The Journal noted:
California is home to the country’s largest number of politically active Armenians. Speaker Pelosi has many in her own district. Mr. Lantos represents the San Francisco suburbs. The bill’s leading sponsors include Representatives Adam Schiff, George Radanovich and Anna Eshoo, all from California.
Since when is it somehow sinister for a congressman to represent his constituents? Only when they’re Armenian, right Gigot?
In the beginning of the interview (video) Schiff makes the same point about the Bush Administration’s incomprehensible foreign policy inconsistency in appeasing the Turks but antagonizing the Chinese that The Stiletto argued last week:
GIGOT: This atrocity occurred 90 years ago. Why bring it up now at this delicate moment in the Middle East?
SCHIFF: We have tried to recognize the genocide really for years, even decade. We introduced this resolution before the Iraq war and the administration said now is not a good time. We introduce it before the war in Afghanistan and the administration said it wasn’t a good time, before 9/11 and said it wasn’t a good time.I … watched the president bestow the Medal of Honor on the Dalai Lama and I was proud of him. I was proud of him doing that notwithstanding the fact China protested that it was deeply offensive to our strategic partner in China.
Someone asked him, Mr. President, why do you risk antagonizing China? The president earlier said that preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon could be so important it might stop World War III. Paul, you know whose vote we need on the Security Council to pre-investment Iran from getting the bomb? We need China’s vote. But, you know, the president said when America stands up for human rights and freedom, America is always serving its national interest. The president was right then.
Schiff also tackled the issue of free speech restrictions in the supposedly “democratic” Turkey:
GIGOT: Congressman, the current dispute in Tibet is ongoing and it is about human rights in Tibet now. This resolution is 100 years ago.
SCHIFF: … Just last week, Turkey brought up on charges the son of a murdered Armenian journalist in Turkey, who was killed this year, on charges of publishing his father words about the genocide. Is that freedom in Turkey to speak out about the genocide not important? Is the freedom of expression the freedom to talk about some of the darkest chapters in the history of the world not important? Why is freedom in China important but freedom in Turkey of so little value? …
The interview then took an ironic twist, with a Dem asking, “What would Reagan do?”:
GIGOT: Congressman, there is a long list of people on the other side of this. General David Petraeus, head of American forces in Iraq, eight former secretaries of state, including Madeleine Albright. When this issue came up in 2000, President Clinton called the Republican speaker of the House, then Denny Hastert, and asked him to pull this so if wouldn’t compromise our situation in the Middle East. He did. Why shouldn’t the Democrats now, at the request of an American president, decide to pull something like this at a similar moment?
SCHIFF: Paul, these eight secretaries of state you mentioned, this was their policy. They are defending their policy during those - the administrations of those eight secretaries they were willing to deny the genocide and become complicit in Turkey’s denial.
The last president, Paul, who had the courage to recognize the Armenian genocide, was President Reagan. What would you have said to President Reagan if you were his advisor? Mr. President, I know you talk about the United States being a moral beacon for the word but we are in the middle of the Cold War this was antagonize Turkey. Mr. President, you shouldn’t do it. …
As for the canard that acknowledging this crime against humanity will hobble our efforts in Iraq and in the larger War on Terror, Schiff said:
I think the president needs to look to the greater war on terror and say what about our moral standing in the world. What role does it have when we espouse truth about history in terms of fighting this ideological struggle in the war on terror? That’s not General Petraeus’ responsibility. It is the responsibility of the president.
I think Ronald Reagan had it right and I think this president has it wrong.
Meanwhile, The Stiletto’s pal at The Oread Daily* reports on Armenian citizens of Israel protesting the government’s policy of Armenian genocide denial – as well as on Turkey’s thinly veiled threats against its “ally”:
Armenians in Israel are calling on a state that should understand their anguish to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
Armenian-Israelis marched in Jerusalem’s Justice Square singing and chanting Armenian songs and slogans. The protest was attended by two parliamentary officials, Yaeer Tsaban and Khayeem Oron, who both gave speeches castigating the denial of the genocide by the Israeli government.
Israel has acknowledged that massacres were perpetrated against the Armenians and expressed sympathy for their suffering. But the government has stopped short of calling it genocide.
So how can the Israeli government join the ranks of pragmatic deniers? Just like US leaders, they don’t want to tick off the Turks.
But the Turks don’t seem concerned with saying things that sure as hell ought to tick of the Israelis.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan on visit to Israel last week, told The Jerusalem Post,
“All of a sudden the perception in Turkey right now is that the Jewish people - or the Jewish organizations, let’s say, and the Armenian diaspora, the Armenian lobbies, are now hand-in-hand trying to defame Turkey, and trying to condemn Turkey and the Turkish people. This is the unfortunate perception right now in Turkey. So if something goes wrong in Washington, DC, it inevitably will have some influence on relations between Turkey and the US, plus the relations between Turkey and Israel, as well.”
The Turks have implied that this whole episode could put the Jewish community in Turkey at risk.
In other words, the Turks are threatening to counter charges of genocide against Armenians by committing genocide against Jews. The OD post also quotes a recent article in Haaretz pointing out that in characterizing the Armenian genocide as a lie, Turkish officials make their case using anti-Semitic invective. At least the US can take comfort in knowing that the Turks treat all their allies like turds.
*Disclosure: OD has posted items from The Stiletto Blog, and we often exchange friendly correspondence on topics of mutual interest.
Note: The Stiletto writes about politics and other stuff at The Stiletto Blog.















17 users commented in " The Armenian Genocide Resolution: The Other Side Gets Not So Equal Time "
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Truth and Honesty Are The Best Policy ! Congress is doing the right think else US would become a denail State!
NO to double moral standard, when it comes to crimes against all hunanity!
There is much talke abour “Turkish Pride” What is “American Pride” to cede to Turkish Blackmial or the well know American values are Justice, Moral and freedom!?
Maybe the passage of H. Res. 1016 is the pride of America and Turkey has to undersand this!
This an immoral act from a part of the media to abuse H. Res. 106 (Armenian Genocide) to attack Speaker Pelosi and US Congress.
The problem is , Turkey has managed to blackmail US and to create panic in White House by blackmailing and using the US media. US like Israel are becoming a denial state!
President Bush did wrong as he attacked US Congress openly on H. Res. 106, while this was asked by politicians in Ankara to do so! This was nothing but a trap.
Why should the “partnership” of US with Turkey be build on the foundation of lies and denial ? this is the denial of Armenian Genocide (for another more 85 years) and “Kurdish issue” by Turkey”.
Turkey is acting more and more like a failed state.
.
Denying the Armenian Genocide is denying a part of American history. Because many American diplomats, US organisation not only tried to stop this genocide but they save as much “Armenian live” as possible in 1915-1923. By passing H. Res. 106 US Congress is going to pay its respect to those courageous Americans too. There is much talk about “Turkish pride” , maybe the H. Res. 106 is Americas pride!. This is not a question of timing, there is never the wrong time to tell the truth. US didn’t have only “abo grabh”! Moral freedom, justice are American values too. Turkey has to understand this!
The routs from East Turkey to North Iraq goes through home land of those Armenians who were subject of a Genocide. Even many military facilities which Turkey is renting to US is built in Turkey on the home land of Armenians , who are in H. Res. 106 talked about. Many Armenians refuges had found in Iraq a second home land and hope after the Armenian genocide. There new home land and hope is destroyed again by a new war . US media makes no mention of this facts, while attacking US congress on H. Res. 106
The problem is not the timing but “partnership” which US has built with TURKEY on the foundation of denial of Armenian genocide. Therefore it seems there will be never the right time to pass a House Resolution on Armenian Genocide, as it was in the past never the right time for this.
Truth and Honesty Are The Best Policy !
Regards
Edic
BACK in 2000 !!!
GEORGE W. BUSH RECOGNIZES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Republican Candidate Calls on Americans to Remember and Acknowledge “Facts and Lessons” of the “Genocidal Campaign” against the Armenians
George W. Bush for President
February 19, 2000
Mr. Edgar Hagopian
Mr. Vasken Setrakian
Dear Edgar and Vasken,
Thank you for your inquiry to my campaign regarding issues of concern to Armenian Americans.
The twentieth century was marred by wars of unimaginable brutality, mass murder and genocide. History records that the Armenians were the first people of the last century to have endured these cruelties. The Armenians were subjected to a genocidal campaign that defies comprehension and commands all decent people to remember and acknowledge the facts and lessons of an awful crime in a century of bloody crimes against humanity. If elected President, I would ensure that our nation properly recognizes the tragic suffering of the Armenian people.
The Armenian diaspora and the emergence of an independent Republic of Armenia stand as a testament to the resiliency of the Armenian people. In this new century, the United States must actively support the independence of all the nations of the Caucasus by promising the peaceful settlement of regional disputes and the economic development of the region. American assistance to Armenia to encourage the development of democracy, the rule of law and a tolerant open society is vital. It has my full support.
I am encouraged by recent discussions between the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The United States should work actively to promote peace in the region and should be willing to serve as a mediator. But ultimately peace must be negotiated and sustained by the parties involved. Lasting peace can come only from agreements they judge to be in their best interests.
I appreciate the tremendous contribution of the Armenian community to the United States. The Armenian community has been and will continue to be a model of dedication to values of faith and family.
Sincerely,
signed
George W. Bush
Turkey is exporting its aggresive denial policy (a secound killing) and some countries are acting in the same way as German Empire actted during the Armenian genocide . When it come sto Armenian Genocide Turkey is demanding: “Dail D For Denail”
The Foreign Relations Committee signed a check for 485 million to Turkey days ago. What is that all about? Sorry money for Turkey for offending them? We all know all that money does not go to Turkey, strings are attached to contracts here at home.
More lobby money against H.R. 106 on the tax payers dime.
Washington is raping us. Bush asked for 42 Billion dollars to spend in Iraq war on the endless “war on terror”, and Congress is signing the check?
We are in debt to China, India, Japan our greatgrand kids will be trying to pay this debt.
Our political system is broken worse yet we have Washington lackys in the mass media as lap dogs.
Turkish lobbyists ….
De Volkskrant
Dutch daily newspaper
19 October 2007
By our correspondent Philippe Remarque
…
.
Watch now the Turks. How it works exactly is hard to find out. ½It½s better
to ask the PR office which is hired by Turkey says the office of
representative. The PR-office replies: We don´´t communicate on this
matter.
Fortunately, America keeps close record of the currency flow. The documents
show that former representative Livingston, now an influential lobbyist, has
received 12 million dollars from Turkey in the last 8 years in order to
prevent successfully the adoption of the Genocide resolution. He is now
active again according to the registers. Take for instance representative
Bobby Jindal who received from Livingston 10 thousand dollars donation for
his campaign for governorship. Two months later, Jindal withdrew his support
for the Genocide resolution.
Turkey also brought into action former presidential candidate Dick Gephardt.
He is lobbying now against the Genocide resolution for an annual pay of 1.2
million dollars.
Regards
edic
Thanks for the passion you bring to this. The Stiletto would like to ask you and others you know who share your opinions a huge favor: Can you comb through your favorite news/commentary sites and blogs and find examples of Turks who came to this country as students or for some other reason and learned for the first time about the Armenian genocide or that their schools and government had been lying to them. Please cut and past the link and the comments in an e-mail to: thestiletto@thestiletto.info.
Turkey’s archives are open and Turkish government and public offered a joint study where Turkis, Armenian and all other archives can be examined to identify all facts, including how many Armenians were killed, how many Turks were killed, what were the exact events.
Armenia refused any joint study. Armenians archives are still closed. Unlike the trials that took place after the holocoust, there has not been any trials. Why does Armenia does not want additional investigation? Are they afraid to find out what Armenians did leading up to this? Are they afraid to find out the population of Armenian deaths are much below what they are claiming..or are they afraid to find out how many Turks got killed during the same period. My grand parents town in Sarikamis - close to Kars got burned down by Armenian Gangs in 1912. Most of their friends and relatives died. My grand father got killed as well. My father moved to Istanbul with his mom and 4 brothers and sisters.
Frankly, I find it insulting to claim this as Genocide just because a wealthy American Armenian population is threatining their representatives with votes. Those representatives can not act as the judge ant the jury. After an investigation where all archives are examined, if Turks are found to have committed Genocide, I am fine with this. I am curious to find the word to describe the butchering of Turks by Armenian gangs prior to 1915. I guess there is no word since Turks do not have a wealthy majority that can pressure the US politicians same way the Armenians can.
“In other words, the Turks are threatening to counter charges of genocide against Armenians by committing genocide against Jews.”
What utter balooney and demagoguery - and an insult. Just two months ago, Jak Kamhi, a Turkish Jew was bestowed the highest order of Turkey by the President. You wouldn’t see that in any other nation with a Muslim population, would you?
I really would like the person who wrote this article to visit Turkey for himself and stop believing some of the non-sense spewed about Turkey by some people.
I don’t care how many Armenians try to push with all their might that Turks are cold-blooded genocidal butchers.
NO. 1:
Henry Morgenthau’s memoirs (something so often used by those who back the genocide theory) itself claims that;
“The Armenians in Istanbul, Izmir and Aleppo were not harmed.”
For ANY NEUTRAL OBSERVER who wanted to see “what the fuss was all about”, this should raise a red flag:
These were the three biggest cities in the Empire, Istanbul being the capital. So the Ottomans were committing genocide, but somehow didn’t touch the Armenians (most probably the most prosperous among them) who lived right under their nose? WTF? That would be like the Nazis not touching any Jews who lived in Berlin, Warsaw and Frankfurt!!!
WHY?
REMEMBER: (A) massacre(s) becomes genocide when there is a clear indication to kill, and actual killing, of a group for reasons of their ETHNICITY.
As a Turk, I find it extremely weird that Ottomans wouldn’t touch any Armenians right under their nose if they were comitting genocide between 1915-17.
Everyone knows that many Armenians died. But it was war and many ethnic groups were killing each other in a moment of history where “might was right”.
It is tragic, but there has never been a SOUNDPROOF case for genocide.
AS A TURK, I GIVE YOU MY WORD THAT I WILL BELIEVE IT WAS GENOCIDE WHEN YOU CAN SHOW ME OTTOMAN GOVERNMENT ALSO DEPORTED AND KILLED ARMENIANS IN LARGE SCALE FROM ISTANBUL, IZMIR AND ALEPPO BETWEEN 1915-1917.
In fact, the Armenian population in the very capital, Istanbul, was unchanged between 1914 and 1918.
But until that day, NO WAY JOSE. I will always believe that it was a tragedy and will feel sorry for all the Armenians, Muslims, Turks, Kurds, Azeris, Greeks etc who died during the war - but no genocide.
That a massacre occured in not what is being debated. There is a genuine academic debate by serious historians, anthropologists and Middle East experts within the international community as to whether or not what happened constitutes a genocide. History is messy and replete with moral ambiguity.
I doubt that you or the US Congress are qualified to make a judgement on this case. I don’t claim to be an expert either, but I am not the one making the assumption that the atrocities - while tragic - constituted a genocide. Sentiment is one thing, but in fact historical accuracy matters here.
The Turks and the Turkish government have acknowledged countless times that there were widespread massacres of the peoples of Eastern Anatolia - Christians and Muslims alike.
I don’t disagree that Turkey could be more transparent on this issue, but their reticence neither undermines nor proves the arguments of those who debate this issue.
The US Congress is not a body that enjoys the respect of the international community or has the capacity to objectively parse the evidence and override the respected and studied opinions on a vigorous debate that has been going on for almost a century.
This is politics pure and simple. Frankly, I am surprised that the Armenian community has agreed to prostitute their supposedly sacred issue, so that a castrated Democratic congress can score political points against George W Bush. It certainly undermines the legitimacy of the claims they espouse to achieve.
The US Armenian ethnic community is small, regionally concentrated and excercises disproportional political influence. The selfish and narrow interests of this tiny community now threaten to further undermine our national interests in a perilous region.
The House Democrats, who have been an utter failure in their ability to curtail the Iraq war, the signature issue of the 2006 campaign, are resorting to cheap back door politics by cynically forcing this resolution.
Those who argue that Democrats lack the capacity to lead during times of foreign crises need no further evidence than this frivolity.
The resolution states that ‘the failure of the domestic and international authorities to punish those responsible for the Armenian genocide is a reason why similar genocides have recurred and may recur in the future.’
This is complete nonsense. Surely you are not claiming that the reason the US delayed its involvement in the Bosnian, Rawandan and Sudanese crises is because the US has not yet acknowledged that Armenian deaths constitute a genocide?
How utterly ridiculous.
Quite right Baris.
Pelosi lobbied for this resolution to pass because she’s got a lot of Armenian voters in her district. Same goes for Schiff. They thought that it would be easy for them to get it passed - after not being able to push through bills that would actually accomplish something - and thought that it would not have any impact in the real world.
Something else people seem to forget is that the resolution speaks about 1915-1923. This while the deportations ended in 1917. Why 1923? Why? That’s right, because the Turkish Republic was established in that year. Make it 1923 and suddenly the Turkish government is morally and… oops… financially responsible.
Listen - what happened to the Armenians is horrific. Many of them were killed; probably between 800,000 and 1,000,000 died during the years of the deportations of most Anatolian Armenians. However, the perpetrators were to a large degree Turkish Muslims acting on their own initiative, Kurdish groups and, lastly, some officers, etc. Meanwhile, the Ottoman government was, according to the authority on the Ottoman Empire and Turkish history Bernard Lewis, disgusted the by the reports.
If we want to label it genocide, we have to prove that the government ordered the killings. As far as we know, it didn’t. You could also say that condoning it, would be enough, but research shows that they didn’t ‘condone’ it either - they were simply unable to do anything about it but punished many of the individuals responsible for the massacres when they could.
There is, no matter what people say, disagreement about this among historians. There are several great historians who believe that what happened wasn’t genocide. A few: Andrew Mango, Bernard Lewis, Norman Stone, Stanford Shaw, David Fromkin, Justin McCarthy, Guenther Lewy, Kamuran Gürün, Michael Gunter, Gilles Veinstein,Roderic Davidson, J.C. Hurwitz, William Batkay, Edward J. Erickson and Steven Katz.
Yes, these are people who actually know what they’re talking about.
There is a legitimate historical controversy concerning the interpretation of the events in question and most of the scholars who have propounded a contra genocide viewpoint are of the highest calibre and repute, including Bernard Lewis, Stanford Shaw, David Fromkin, Justin McCarthy, Guenther Lewy, Norman Stone, Kamuran Gürün, Michael Gunter, Gilles Veinstein, Andrew Mango, Roderic Davidson, J.C. Hurwitz, William Batkay, Edward J. Erickson and Steven Katz.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. A good number of well-respected scholars recognize the deportation decision in 1915, taken under World War I conditions, as a security measure to stop the Armenians from co-operating with the foreign forces invading Anatolia.
On the legal aspect, the elements of the genocide crime are strictly defined and codified by the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Genocide, adopted by the General Assembly on 9 December 1948. However, Armenians, claiming that “the evidence is so overwhelming”, so far have failed to submit even one credible evidence of genocide.
__________________________________________________IT IS A BIG LIE
Stiletto asks : “Since when is it somewhat sinister for a congressman to represent his constituents?”
Here is the answer : It is sinister when that constituency is made up of a hatemongering, well-heeled Armenian lobby whose not-so-hidden agenda is to do irreparable damage to our 60 year-old friendship and alliance with our important NATO ally, Turkey. It is not only sinister but damn near tantamount to disloyalty and treason when a U.S. politician damages our vital, overall national interests just so he can get his grubby hands into the deep pockets of the hate-obssessed, bordering on the psychopathic, Armenian lobby. One would get you ten that if it were not for the rich, pushy and arrogant Armenian pressure group, neither Pelosi nor Schiff could tell Armenia from Albania.
Here is my question for Stiletto and the ethnic-vote chasing political prostitutes who voted for the “Armenian Bill” :
If instead of 70,000 Armenians, Rep. Schiff’s district had a 70,000 Japanese-American constituency, would this “humanitarian-motivated” political whore push for a resolution condemning as war crime or genocide, the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I don’t agree with it, but many people in the world - not least the Japanese - consider Hiroshima and Nagasaki a war crime, tantamount to genocide.
How about it, Stiletto? Could you do me a favor and relay the above-question to Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, Joe Knollenberg and Frank Pallone? These honorable representatives are the leading Armenian-ethnic-vote panderers in the House.
Botas,
It is evident that you are not from this Country or are ignorant of the democratic process here in the United States.
Your accusations that the Armenian Lobby is involved in hate mongering is simply false. You have legitimatly no where to back-up your unfounded statement. It is seems to be merely an opinion based on misdirected emotions.
Here in the U.S. our citizenry has a high moral standard above geopolitical interests. Our Government should respect the voice of the people we have a representative form of government through our Congressman.
Membership in NATO and Turkish relations with the U.S. does not give any entity to deny humanrights issues. Everyday the US government avoids and blatently lobbys against the Armenian Genocide acknowlegment is a dark stain on the US government’s moral and humanrights standards. Denial of the Genocide needs to be made public.
Botas you asked a question in your last comments the simple answer is the Japanese-American citizens are welcome to lobby Congress to characterize what happened to them as a genocide.
The Congressman you list are doing what is expected of them under our Constitution, to represent the people of there Districts.
I am sorry, Sherlock, but you have surmised wrong. I am in fact from this country, and I am very well aware of the subversion and perversion of our democratic process by a well-heeled, narrow-interest Armenian lobby that gives every indication that its reason d’etre is to disseminate misinformation and anti-Turkish hate propaganda. For proof, all you have to do is to take a gander at the sites of ANCA (Armenian National Committee of America) and AAA (Armenian Assembly of America). You can also look at the Armenian news site ANN/Groong. Talk about deviant hate behavior. Nuts!
If you want proof of not just hate-mongering but actual hateful deeds, how about the murders of Turkish diplomats in Los Angeles by Armenian terrorists? Does the name, Mourad Topalian, ring a bell? He was the national chairman of ANCA and was even a guest at the White House once. He was later suspected of bombing the Turkish Mission to the United Nations in New York. He pleaded guilty to possession of two machine guns and explosives and served time in an Ohio prison. A fine, upstanding Armenian lobbyist he was.
But never mind Armenian terrorist attacks on diplomats and officials. How about the cold-blooded murder of Orhan Gunduz of Boston by Armenian terrorists in 1982? He was an American of Turkish descent. His only crime was to serve the Boston community as the Honorary Consol of Turkey. How about attacks by an Armenian goon squad upon students at UCLA who had only gathered for a cultural event entitled, “Turkish Night”? How about the bombing of the house of Prof. Stanford Shaw of UCLA? His only crime was to refute the bogus and obscene allegations of hatemongering Armenian fanatics. After the bombing, Prof. Shaw and his family were forced into hiding. I could go on listing further acts of threats, violence and intimidation tactics employed by Armenian nationalist fanatics, but it would take several days and I would end up with carpal tunnel syndrome.
I suspect that Mr. Rich was winking and had his tongue in his cheek when he wrote about “high moral standard.” Otherwise, I would have to conclude that it takes an immense amount of Armenian chutzpah for him to preach about morality even as he sits on the stolen lands of the Native Americans, reaping the benefits of the genocide of that nation. The same goes for the incredible gall and odious arrogance emanating from the Armenian settlers in places like Fresno, Glendale and Watertown. I realize that these settlers have an uncontrollable obssession to vie for as the bestest and mostest champions of “eternal victimhood,” but for them to attain a modicum of credibility, they first need to pack up, get off and return those stolen lands back to the rightful owners, the Native Americans. As these settlers, including Mr. Rich and the politicians who shill for the shrill Armenian lobby leave the stolen lands of the Amerindians, it might possibly help sell their holier-than-thou sermons if they were to also dip in their pockets and pony up their fair share of the forty acres and a mule that were the compensation promised for the crime of anslavement of Africans in America.
The omnipresent ultra-nationalist Armenian lobbyists and their shills in Congress could also help their “Hai Tad” (Armenian Cause) if they were to press for condemnation of Armenia’s savage sneak attack and brutal occupation of 20% of Azerbaijan. Today, one million Azeris are displaced from their homes as a result of Armenia’s butchery and brutality. Barring such a push for condemnation, the Armenian lobby and its bought-politicians reek to high heaven of malodrous hypocricy, expediency and amorality. What was it that Mr. Rich say, “high moral standards?” Nuts!
Final point: It is not smart to evade and duck a question, as Hillary Clinton learned in a recent debate. Mr. Rich, I did not ask if Japanese-Americans can or cannot lobby. The claim that was made by Stiletto was that it is the duty and obligation of a Congressman to do the bidding of his constituents. If that were so, my question stands: If the said politician’s constituency consisted of Japanese-Americans instead of Armenian-Americans, and if those Japanese-American constituents pressured their Congressman to push for condemnation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as genocide, would that Congressman do the bidding of his constituency and denounce the U.S. use of the atomic bomb on Japan? I think the likely answer is : When hell freezes over.
At the risk of beating a dead horse, let me pose a second question in similar vein :If in the near future, a certain constituency in a certain Congressional district, let’s say around the Dearborn, Michigan area, pressed its Congressman to declare Osama bin Ladin as a freedom fighter, would that Congressman do the bidding of that constituency that elected him? My guess is : Like hell he would. But I guess the ethnic Armenian lobby is an exceptional breed. Their bidding must be obeyed. Far be it from me to suggest that this might be due to its incessant, shrill voice and pushiness. And I would not dare presume to suggest that the said politicians are slightly interested in the votes and the deep pockets of the super-duper activist Armenians. Then again, what do I know? Perhaps I am “ignorant” as Mr. Rich asserted. You see, I also believe that the Armenian lobby did not make a multi-million-dollar contribution to the Jewish Holocaust Museum in DC in order to display that fabricated Hitler quote about the Armenians in that museum. My bad. I must have heard wrong. I had heard that the directors of the Holocaust Museum had previously, adamantly refused to post that fake Hitler quote about the Armenians - that is, until the Armenian lobby reached into its deep pockets and shelled out millions USD.
My friend, Mr. Richy, the point is not that the Armenian-Americans or Japanese-Americans do not have the right to lobby Congress. The point is that our Congress people DO NOT have the right to put their narrow, selfish interests before the overall national interests of our nation. What the pushy Armenian lobby is pressing for is insidious. What these people perceive to be be in their interest, is not in the interest of the rest of us 299 million Americans. I hate neither Turk nor Armenian. But it takes a lot of nerve for these Armenian settlers to come to this country and expect us to join in their hatred of another people. If these Armenians want to carry on with old grudges and fight blood feuds, let them go back and do their OWN fighting - instead of trying to get the rest of us Americans to do their fighting for them - just as their progenitors tried to do 100 years ago. It did not work then. It won’t work today. Who was it that said: Definition of insanity is repeating the same tactics and expecting a different result?
Botas,
You have challenged me to look at a few web site which I have and welcome our readers to do the same.
You stated:
“For proof, all you have to do is to take a gander at the sites of ANCA (Armenian National Committee of America) and AAA (Armenian Assembly of America). You can also look at the Armenian news site ANN/Groong. Talk about deviant hate behavior. Nuts!”
I did not find information of hate. The ultimate form of hate against a person is homocide killing mass of people because of race, religion, or even a minority population is genocide in this case the Ottoman government in what is now the Turkish Government.
You refer to individual(s) doing unlawfull acts but does not represent the policy or the the Organizations in question, if so the Organization would not exist in the United States. Terror Groups are not allowed to organize and lobby in Congress.
You attempted to make a “final point” you stated:
“If the said politician’s constituency consisted of Japanese-Americans instead of Armenian-Americans, and if those Japanese-American constituents pressured their Congressman to push for condemnation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as genocide, would that Congressman do the bidding of his constituency and denounce the U.S. use of the atomic bomb on Japan? I think the likely answer is : When hell freezes over.”
I normally do not talk about hypotheticals simply because it is not reality. It is up to the Congressman to decide given his allegence to the Constitution and the rights of representation of the people of his district. But the Congressman does not have to listen to the people of his district if he does not wish too in this case the Japanese-Americans regarding the issue you stated.
Under our laws and constitution Japanese-Americans have rights as do any other citizen. As you have the right to deny the Armenian Genocide commited by the Ottoman Turkish Government.
I am sorry to hear that you do not believe our citizens do not have the right to lobby Congress. If your mistaken view was the case there is no point in having a representative form of government.
What you consider a narrow point of view is actually a human rights issue that is universal. Human rights advocacy also is in your interest as well.
Countries such as Turkey continue to oppress it’s minority populations as it has for over a century you may believe it is justified to oppress minority populations, advocates for human rights believe, it is inhumane and perverse.
It is a US national interest to recognize and help stop human rights abuse foreign and domestic.
You may not know this factoid but the Turkish government has (and still does) invested tens of millions of dollars lobbying Congress to deny the Armenian Genocide. I believe it is perverse to have foreign countries meddle in our domestic issues of our constituents. Yes it is a domestic issue if citizens of our country bring it to the attention of our US representatives of government.
Also my name is not “Sherlock” or “Mr. Rich”, let’s keep this civil.
Well, my friend, Richy,again you dodge. We prefer to get our song and dance from Astaire and Kelly. And it would be a far better thing you do to leave the tap dancing around an issue to the professional tap dancers like Hillary Rodham and Mitt Romney.
You duck numerous questions posed, and cherry-pick. And even then, you manage to contradict yourself. Now, my disingenous-morality preaching friend, please pay close attention. This is no “hypothetical.” This is you in your own words :
“Our Government should respect the voice of the people…”
“The Congressman you list are doing what is expected of them under our Constitution, to represent the people of there Districts.”
“But the Congressman does not have to listen to the people of his district if he does not wish too…”
Jesus H. Christmas, fella! Talk about turning logic on its head! Where did you buy this kind of upside down logic? At your local Armenian lahmajun and falafel store? If this ain’t a sophomoric attempt at having your cake and eating it too, then my name is Gagik Gugukian. Which is it, fella, a Congressperson DOES or does NOT have to listen to his constituents?
I am courteous enough to reply to every point and claim you make. In your next reply, I hope you will extend the same courtesy and not practice evasion and dissembly.
Your claim : Turkish gov’t spends millions lobbying the U.S.
My reply : The amount spent by the Turkish gov’t pales in comparison to the gazillions spent from the deep pockets of the well-heeled Armenians in order to feed their idee fixe, i.e. the dissemination of their bogus “Armenian genocide” allegations. And we’re not even mentioning the monetary value of the billions of man-hours spent by Armenians in writng to editors and talking to anything that moves, about the “Armenian Cause.”
Since you are a “high morals” type of fella, you should not dodge but answer straightforward morality questions :
When do you plan to pack up, leave and return the stolen land you sit on, back to its rightful owners, the Native Americans?
When do you plan to make good on the promise of 40 acres and a mule as compensation for the enslavement of Africans in this country?
Until you make atonement for the above-mentioned crimes against humanity, your preaching of morality is beyond odious. We might as well listen to preachings about the value of human life from Linda Kasabian, the Charles Manson disciple and participant in the Tate-Labianca slaughters. Or how about a lecture on the virtue of virginity from Kim Kardashian and Cher Sarkissian?
My holier-than-thou friend, please refrain from this puerile effort at twisting my words or putting words in my mouth. I never said and never would say, the citizenry do not have the right to petition our gov’t. By making such absurd intimations, you betray your young age and lack of life experience. In any event, as you grow older and wiser, you will be shocked to learn that the world actually does not revolve around Armenian ultra-nationalists and their psychotic obssession with badmouthing anything Turkish and spewing hatred.
And do us a favor, Richy, please don’t presume to lecture us on U.S. history, constitution and government. Unlike some people, I did not do my studies at the private Armenian schools of Glendale, taught by the Armenian Apostalic Church. Nor did I memorize the U.S. Constitution at the Armenian kebob restaurant. My studies were conducted at P.S.#2, Central High and William Paterson University in New Jersey, the land of the Delaware and Nanticoke/Lenape Indian tribes. I can tell you one thing though : Jefferson, Hamilton, Franklin and Co. could not have imagined remotely, an arrogant, pushy, odious hatemongering lobby such as the Armenian lobby.
We await your answer giving us your departure date and your handing over the stolen land back to the Native Americans.
You may not agree with the way US politics works but the reality is a matter of fact, in my few sentences that you have quoted.
Your attempt at condecending rehtoric directed at my previous post only reflects upon your lack of candor and respect toward others.
Our readers may go back and read the history of the Ottoman Turkish genocides against Armenians and realizes if they are a direct decendants from even your family that you not only have blood on your hands but your an active member in double killing the Armenian victims.
I would only hope that you are ignorant of the facts of history and my learn what the Ottoman Turks did durring the genocides. Knowing the truth and working against it which your previous posts seem to suggest, is nothing short of in-humanity toward man, not only Armenians but all humanity.
Do not represent yourself (in your posts) as a living example of mans-inhumanity-to-man.
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