emails

being the lazy person I am, instead of a blog entry I wanted to share an email corespondance with a reader regarding one of my recent postings.

Mr. X wrote
The only sensibly thing you say, Sir, is this:


All this makes me wonder where were all these labels when Armenia was being run to the ground for the last decade, the social deterioration, the increase corruption, the political oppression, and the list goes on. I can only think of one label myself these days “Hypocrisy”. If people think that rights of Armenians to live in safety, or the protection of their rights to criticize the thick-necked “politicians” without “disappearing” the next day is any less of an issue than demanding justice for Genocide, then they are completely misguided.


Where were these “fervent protectors of the rights of the Armenian nation” a year and a half ago when the rights of the largest segment of the nation was brutally undermined? I don’t accept the notion that people who are demanding the resignation of the president are better equipped to lead the country and the nation.

Still I don't see how this necessarily makes supporting the protocols the right course of action. How about just being consistent and say that corrupt drug addicts with a record of gambling who were instated in power as a result of killing of 10 of his countrymen should not be allowed to make decisions of this magnitude that determine the future of the nation. Simplified? Sure is, but at least it is consistent, unlike what you are saying. And what you are saying is going to lead us nowhere—trade, dear Dr. Spurkian, is not a sufficient condition for development. Never has been. Governance, on the other hand, is. When/if you care to make a point how you are going to get the governance issue fixed in Armenia after you signed the protocols with SS in power, you can count on my support (for whatever it's worth). In the meantime, I won't be offended if you take me out of your mailing list.

the response of Dr. Spurkian (you know someone has ego issues when they refer to themselves in thrid person)
Dear x. points well taken, except that in no way I support the protocols in their current format, nor do I support SS in any way (gods forbid). my major "beef" is looking at how the Diaspora never takes ownership and is only good at criticizing Armenia (regardless as to who is in power).


I believe that there should be institutions and mechanism put in place before the border is opened and I don't just mean economic mechanisms rather social and political. The Genocide issue has captured the Diaspora to an extent that they have become obsessed with it and can't see other detrimental issues beyond it.