YEREVAN—Motivated by the recent ferment over the disputed Feb. 18 presidential elections and fed up with the ongoing deficit of democracy in Armenia, hundreds of diasporans streamed into Yerevan this past Sun., May 5, to serve as election observers and media representatives in the city’s municipal race.
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For a comprehensive account, read Maria Titizian’s absolutely terrifying account in Asbarez.
Great idea! Diaspora election observers. Maybe Armenia’s Diaspora ministry can take the initiative in asking different Armenian organizations in the Diaspora to send volunteers to Armenia at the time of elections. These volunteers can then be trained by either the Diaspora ministry or foreign NGO’s on how to be election monitors and used during election.
This would served as a way to not only monitor the elections and make certain that the elections are transparent and fair, but also will serve as yet another way of connecting Armenia and the Diaspora, helping the two sides bridge the gap of animosity and distrust that exists between the two.
Why do diaspora Armenians so eagerly try to find ways to throw dirt on Armenia?Can’t you accept that there is a difference in mentality between the Armenians in Armenia and diaspora.Just leave it alone and be happy that we not only survived the earthquake and the war but created two republics. Some Soviet republics couldn’t even claim their independence and are still in Russian federation.
No, Ani, we will not accept the notion that there is somehow a “difference of mentality” between Armenians in the Diaspora and Armenia. That is a racist and self-hating idea that I have pointed out many times, and that is usually shared by the apologists of the regime. We all are Armenians, we care about our brothers and sisters in Armenia, and we want them to have the kind of state that they deserve. And we will do everything in our power to make sure that the people of Armenia have the government that they deserve.
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The idea that somehow the “mentality” of the folks in Armenia is incompatible with democracy is promoted by the regime and is absolutely false. Many Armenians leave Armenia and go to countries like the United States precisely because they are sick of the mentality of the regime and the oligarchs.
And by the way, the Diasporans are not throwing dirt at Armenia. They are pointing out the dirt that is smothering Armenia (i.e. corruption, rigged elections). And we are trying to make sure that the dirt (i.e. people’s apathy towards their country, emigration) will not cause the loss of the two republics that we created.
Ani:
you are correct: dirt is being thrown.
some misguided Diasporans or enemies posing as Armenian Diasporans are hell bent on causing damage to our little jewel RoA: either out of failure to understand the geopolitics of South Caucasus and the region at large, or out of malice.
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And this line is the joke of the month: {“… we care about our brothers and sisters in Armenia”}.
This same poster calls our heroic brothers and sisters of Artsakh – “separatists”: a term used by invader AzeriTatarTurks and Turks to denigrate and delegitimize the indigenous native inhabitants of our historic lands.
And the same poster keeps spreading disinformation that Serj Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan are “Azerbaijani citizens”.
(Well, No, buddy boy: they _were_ Citizens of USSR, like everybody else in USSR).
So, stand your ground Ani: we the silent majority, both in RoA and Armenian Diaspora, need to keep resolutely countering the fringe malcontent minority.
It’s interesting how “we” (two posters) can claim to be majority. It’s also interesting why this imaginary “majority” chooses to remain silent if it cares for Armenia so much. It’s also funny how some of our self-hating pseudo-patriots pretend to care for Armenia or for our “brothers and sisters in Artsakh.” It’s amusing how the poster above, for instance, who calls our people “sheep” left and right and blames the victims of the Armenian Genocide for their tragedy, claims to be offended for Armenia’s president.
[Is Turkey’s Consul Unhappy that not All Armenians were Slaughtered like Sheep?](Friday, May 7th, 2010 Posted by Harut Sassounian)
http://asbarez.com/80515/is-turkey%E2%80%99s-consul-unhappy-that-not-all-armenians-were-slaughtered-like-sheep/
{“I am very proud of grandma Gadar, because at a time when more than a million Armenians were being marched to their deaths by the genocidal rulers of Tekin’s ancestors, she and her fellow Zeitountsis — men, women and children — defended themselves valiantly and refused to be slaughtered like sheep”}
So much for the sheep, buddy boy.
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And we are the silent majority by simple deduction: how many of your noisy fringe minority showed up to the ‘massive’ RoA presidential election protest on April 9th, 2013 in Glendale that your fringe minority buddies were calling for ? Anybody ?
Out of an Armenian population in Glendale of about 90,000 ?
1,500 Armenians showed up to protest in front of the consulate of Axerbaijan in West LA in 2012: there is your silent majority.
Several thousand showed on April 24th, 2013 in front of the Turkish consulate in LA: there is your silent majority.
And the silent majority does not need to uselessly shout and scream in the streets like the noisy fringe minority: we help our bothers and sisters in RoA and indigenous brothers and sisters of NKR quietly.
Just because people do not protest in front of the Armenian consulate does not mean they support the regime. There is heavy construction going on on the streets around the consulate (especially Central Avenue), and one can go crazy just driving through there. As for thousands protesting in front of Turkish and Azeri consulates, there is a well-established organizational structure (ANCA, the youth organizations) that primarily focus on Genocide recognition. The pro-democracy forces are still in the process of organizing, which hopefully will produce results soon.
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I highly doubt Sassounian ever blamed the Genocide victims for the Genocide anywhere in his articles. I also highly doubt he said anything like this:
“no wonder we were slaughtered like sheep by Turks. Turks glorify their military, while we glorify our spoiled brats.” Avery // February 26, 2013 at 3:17 am //
http://armenianweekly.com/2013/02/23/a-story-of-defiance-activists-reject-international-observers-assessment-of-election/
Trying to compare yourself to Sassounian, kiddo, is like a mosquito comparing itself to an elephant. Sassounian has always showed his sympathy for his people and never blamed the Genocide victims for the Genocide.