Opinion
Beyond US Recognition of the Armenian Genocide
For years, the U.S. Department of State has urged Presidents and Congress not to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Many reasons are given, but the real reason is that the threat of recognition was a valuable weapon to be used against the Turkish government. Recognition of the Armenian Genocide was not the sole tool, but it was an effective tool with little real cost to the U.S. government. In that sense, the Armenian American community served a valuable role in continuing to raise the issue in Congress.
The landscape has changed
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The problem with post-recognition efforts is that Armenians are not ready to “start pressing for reparations and restitution.” As you point out no diasporan organizations are actively campaigning to make headway on these issues for reasons I have never clearly understood. The Armenian government does not express any desire to address the issue of reparations, as it has no preconditions for establishing diplomatic relations with Turkey (the negotiations for which already seem to be failing). Until Armenians on a united front are willing to discuss and work towards realizing the transfer of reparations and restitution, no post-recognition progress will be made. In fact, assuming that the US finally accepts the Armenian genocide, all potential efforts could perhaps come to a complete standstill. Armenians cannot afford to be stuck in a “now what” situation. US recognition of the Genocide should not be an end-all solution.
Let’s face it, in this world, it’s a rare person indeed who stands up for what is right and trusts that if they do the chips will fall where they may. No, everything is weighed out politically.
Most people, including most US politicians, have yet to grow a pair.
In recent weeks, Turkish and odar media reps have noticed that comments about land reparations have cropped up after a long, dormant period with no mention of it. It is not hard to imagine what they will say if and when there is no talk of reparations at all: not only the usual blasphemy that such claims are supposedly unjustified, but that by their very silence on the matter, Armenians have obviously relinquished territorial claims and can never, ever reintroduce or advocate for them!
I am finally reading a statement that echos what I’ve been saying to friends for the past couple of years. I have yet to hear a compelling argument or reason why we should continue with the drive to have a president use the word genocide or have the US congress pass a resolution. It appears we are stuck on the word. What is the end game and is this (clamoring for recognition…) the best way to get there?