Yegparian: Trashing Trump

 

Since the election, I have bided my time and bitten my tongue about the ridiculous things president-elect Donald Trump has been saying and doing.  It’s time to start pointing things out, especially since some of what he represents relates to Armenian concerns in subtle, not-very-obvious, ways.

Donald Trump (Photo: Gage Skidmorru

No doubt you’ve read the news that a group of technology professionals has signed a pledge to not assist in any effort that would create a registry of Muslims in the U.S.  They cited the U.S. internment of its Japanese citizens during WWII, the Holocaust, and the Armenian Genocide.  All of these obscenities required lists, registers, logs, to be implemented.

I would add, as proof of how fraught with risk of abuse lists can be, a recent example from Turkey.

It turns out the names of the tens of thousands of government employees who were removed from their jobs after the July 2016 attempted coup for being associated with the Gulen movement were identified by having their names appear on a server the government got hold of!  We should be loudly denouncing any “Muslim registry” efforts.  This doesn’t mean denying the grief we have endured through the abuse of Islam by Sultans in Ottoman days or ISIS/Daesh today.  It does mean not sacrificing our humanity and legacy as genocide survivors/descendants to blind fear mongering.

Trump’s shenanigans on the international scene are also constantly in the news.  From China to Turkey and elsewhere, his “mouth” (often via Twitter) is creating diplomatic difficulties.  This lecherous boor is being defended by his sycophants and adorers even when he says and does things that anyone else would be shunned and possibly even penalized for.  Couple this with his potential for conflicts of interest based on his worldwide business empire.  Of course it’s not a crime to have such financial success.  But, basic common sense and a modicum of modesty would have kept any decent person from even running for president, precisely for this reason.

However, decent Donald Trump is not, else he would not be mocking all those who supported him by appointing exactly the elitist destroyers of average people’s economic lives to his cabinet.  Neither would some of those people be named to head departments whose very missions they oppose.  Trump is making a mockery of the presidency and the departments he is supposed to use to lead the U.S.

A prime example of the conflicts of interest Trump will often find himself in is the Hanukkah party hosted by Azerbaijan at Trump Tower.  Imagine!  And it can only get worse since there is really no way to disentangle himself from his business interests.  No one is buying the poppycock about his kids taking everything over.  Really?  Would you trust a guy who has repeatedly not paid his employees/contractors and declared bankruptcy?

Regarding trust, or more aptly mistrust, let’s talk recounts.  Trump claimed that elections were rigged against him.  Yet he won.  Now that the Green Party’s Jill Stein has called for recount in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, he has spoken out against it!  Why?  What is he afraid of?  What’s wrong with reconfirming the security, integrity, and accuracy of the voting systems and actual counts when so many questions have been raised about them?  What is he trying to hide?  Why the inconsistency?

Despite all this despicableness, Trump will be president for the next four years, at least.  So, as Harut Sassounian wrote, we must develop ties, connections, and relations with the Trump administration, but that doesn’t mean staying silent about his egregious actions and utterances.

Finally, just to correct up an apparent misconception, let me clarify my position relative to the Clinton-Trump match-up.  I write this because readers have posted comments to at least one of my pieces asserting that I supported Clinton over Trump.  Incorrect! I have only contended that she is far more competent for the job in all sorts of ways and since one of the two was going to get the presidency, as a citizen, I’d rather see Clinton in that position.

Now, let’s all get busy navigating the maze that will be the next four years of pursuing the Armenian Cause in Washington, D.C.

Garen Yegparian

Garen Yegparian

Asbarez Columnist
Garen Yegparian is a fat, bald guy who has too much to say and do for his own good. So, you know he loves mouthing off weekly about anything he damn well pleases to write about that he can remotely tie in to things Armenian. He's got a checkered past: principal of an Armenian school, project manager on a housing development, ANC-WR Executive Director, AYF Field worker (again on the left coast), Operations Director for a telecom startup, and a City of LA employee most recently (in three different departments so far). Plus, he's got delusions of breaking into electoral politics, meanwhile participating in other aspects of it and making sure to stay in trouble. His is a weekly column that appears originally in Asbarez, but has been republished to the Armenian Weekly for many years.
Garen Yegparian

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12 Comments

  1. There’s so much hatred spewed in this write up. Proper discourse requires a modicum of self control and respect of other viewpoints. Only the future will tell if all the invectives lashed on Trump will turn out to be true. Give the guy some slack, wait for his actions, then judge him based on facts.
    This falacy of a Muslim registry was taken out of context. We all know that it won’t happen. Yet the liberal media and it’s amen corner keep on perpetuating this myth.
    As for the Armenian cause and recognition of the Genocide, neither Hilary nor any of the pretendants to the Presidency would ever risk to alienate the Turks. Because of his impredactibility, there’s a very slight odd that a Trump might break this rule.
    Mr Yegparian should relax; no need to raise his blood pressure uselessly.

    • Self control? There has not been a minute of self control in trump’s agenda during these past two years. He has been mocking, cursing and bubbling lies even on his party candidates.
      The Muslim registry will not be taken out of context. This man is a Muslin hater, his good friend Netanyahu has thought him that, also the construction of wall has been a project of Netanyahu.
      On the other hand Trump’s close ties to Alyiev is not a secret. His enormous contracts in Baku, and his big interests in Turkey will alienate him from Armenians for sure. In spite of his unti- Muslim rhetoric he will establish close ties with Erdogan because of huge profits awaiting for him in Turkey.

    • Post Jan 20, we no longer have to imagine. In a single day, the president issued an order to ban refugees and immigrants from a select group of countries – for no reason other than the dominant religion of these countries – while issuing a statement on Holocaust remembrance day with no mention of Jews. Actions speak louder than words. Brick by brick, the memory of genocide is being dismantled, while the US turns its back on refugees. It’s easy to criticize prior administrations for not taking a stand on the Armenian Genocide. But neither did they take action to bury the dialog. While the people commenting are so busy looking up the mountain at how much further there is to go, the ground we’re standing on is crumbling away.

  2. “So, as Harut Sassounian wrote, we must develop ties, connections, and relations with the Trump administration, but that doesn’t mean staying silent about his egregious actions and utterances.”
    And I would suggest we not stay silent by perhaps publishing in Armenian VS English. He can read English, I’m sure of it. Hahaha

  3. Garen Yegparian, articles like this are why you’re irrelevant. Your lack of political insight is astonishing. Your article is nothing but a regurgitation of MSNBS talking points. You want to participate in the electoral college? Maybe clown college is a better fit for you.

  4. Well said Garen!! The inconsistencies of big mouth Trump will become even more visible as he starts to fill out his cabinet. Let us all await for the specifics on his divestment of his business interests and his tax returns which continue to be audited.

  5. Your attacking a man not even president yet, but your fine with Obama betraying us and straight up lying to us when he said he recognized the genocide and would fight for it? Go back to the democratic party, whining at a man with dozens of years more experience than Obama our wonderful Turkish puppet wont get our interests answered. And serving the democrats like Adam Schiff wont get anything done either, you are just another dumb voting block in California to the democratic party. What have they really done??? NOTHING! Thats what you should be writing about. Not the same child-like banter about how hitlery he his because he wants deportations of illegals. Go learn how to be a real journalist.

  6. Typical leftists. Always outraged, always on the attack, always playing the victim, always lying about everything.
    Yes, unfortunately we Armenians have our share of leftists who are poisoning the minds of our youth too. This article and its author are another example of that sad fact.
    The clueless clown who wrote this article should get couple of lessons in history, civics and common sense. Such double standards with giving obama a pass on his crimes, betrayal of his promises and trashing a man who is not even in the office yet.

  7. The issue isn’t Democrats vs Republicans. Its the US State Department that muzzles ANY SITTING PRESIDENT when it comes to Armenian issues: Trump will be as predictable as all the rest.

  8. “Its the US State Department that muzzles ANY SITTING PRESIDENT when it comes to Armenian issues”
    Hey Joe, go read how the executive branch in the US works and then read your comment and see how out of touch you sound.
    You bet this has democrats vs Republicans thrown i it. Read the article before you comment on it.
    He is giving obama and others a pass on their crimes and betrayals, yet attacking Trump who is not even in the office year.

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