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1. The Armenian American Community, and the ARF in particular, fought a long, hard battle to gain the independence and freedom of the Armenians and the Armenian State that was decimated by both Rusia and Turkey by the infamous Treaty of Lausanne. Although Armenia gained its independence of the Russian portion, Armenia has not gained its independence from the Turkish Portion of the takeover and is now being blockaded by Turkey onthe east and Azerbaijan on the west. In addition, it was the American Armenians who succeeded in getting the U.S. Congress to give Armenia over $90 million every year since its existence, which is something that goes unacknowledged. Sadley, however, Diasporan Armenians were and are being told to refrain from “interfering” in the internal affairs of the Armenian State and the Armenian Political System, cannot obtain dual citizenship without paying an exhobitant price and are excluded from Armenia’s political and economic life.  Thus, those of us who fought for what Armenia now is and has, are told to “buzz off” because swe are not needed. No wonder that Armenians both within and without are turned off and turned away from Armenia’s troubles. So Armenia continues to suffer, its people are turned inward, and its Diasora are turned off. The dilemma continues.

2. Many thanks to the Armenian Weekly and Christian Garbis for an insightful interview.
   One question that never seems to be asked in interviews such as these is “How can Levon Ter-Petrosyan be seriously considered a reform leader when it was he who rigged the presidential election in 1996 – stealing the election from Vazgen Manukyan – and subsequently was forced to resign when he was ready to sign away Karabakh’s right to self-determination?
   No question that the Armenian people deserve better than the current regime.  No question that a popular, united call for change, by the people can eventually bring about that change.  But if that change is to bring back Levon Ter Petrosyan – a dictator that banned political parties, closed newspapers, rigged elections and ultimately was ready to sell out Karabakh – then aren’t we going from the frying pan straight into the fire?
   My best wishes to Raffi in this latest effort to bring about change in Armenia – but giving legitimacy to fake reformers like Levon Ter Petrosyan as part of that effort seems blatantly counter-productive.

3. Mr. Arabian: I have a lot of respect for you, for you allow your name to be posted (as opposed to a pseudonym). I agree with a lot of what you write, but wish to suggest two points:
   1) While it is true that the US has been allocating $ 90 millions annually to Armenia, and they have done good work with that money, this is a pittance compared to what makes Armenia survive at this time (remittances from ex-patriate Armenian workers);
   2) It costs “nothing” for any of us to obtain Armenian citizenship which opens the right to vote in Armenian elections. You may be mistakenly refering to the 10 years special residency passport, which requires the payment of a $ 400 fee, and allows diasporans to live and own land in Armenia, but does not give us the right to vote.
   Respectfully 

4. I wrote  twice  here on this forum w/rgd to dear Raffi´s Hunger Strike.Quite a few words of both priase to him as well as what  he stands  for etc., First  one disappeared,did  not go through.
   2nd one  also  pulled  the disappearing act..
   So right now  this a is test.if it goes through I shall follow more at length,next.

5. Hye, Gregory, I agree.  We Armenians of the diaspora are not as other 
   natiionals who came to the USA for other reasons – but they were not fleeing from the Turks and their Turkish Genocide of our Armenian nation.  Our Haiastansi brethern must recognize and understand this – that our Survivors fled for their lives… they had not any other choice – but to flee to civilized nations, settled there, raised families there, and YET through all their pain of their memories of the horrors, raised families who have remained dedicated to Hai Tahd, now the 2nd, 3rd, 4th generations – nearly 100 years!! That in itself is amazing!!  Our ARF, in all their efforts (all their pluses and minuses) have remained strong, have carried our torch for our Haiastan. (A DerBedrossian’s position was against ARF formed in Haiastan to belong with the world-wide  ARF is of the mentality of those who are not patriots – are of communist mentality – of those who steal and take from Haiastan’s citizenry).  Haiastan has not had any patriots in their leaderships into today, 2011!! All these leaderships have ‘stolen/taken’ from the citizens of Haiastan.  Diasporan Armenians have been the ‘givers’ to Armenia!
   Our Haiastansi brethren must be made aware that the diasporan Armenians are not the enemy…
   Our Haiastansi brethren, especially the mislead leaderships to date, must know that although ‘hoghn vrahn chenk’ (we are not on our Armenian lands) our hearts, our minds and our efforts are for the success of the fledgling nation of Haiastan has never been questioned, never denied by the ARF and its followers.
   Again, diasporan Armenians are not the enemy of the citizens of Haiastan… it is  leaderships  of Haiastan who pursue this policy – THESE HAIASTANSI LEADERSHIPS ARE ENEMIES OF FLEDGLING HAIASTAN!! Manooshag

6. I just wrote  on another forum re dear Rafi, whom I have met a few  times.last,when I was in Yerevan 2009 summer. He is a patriot with all the meaning of the word. 
   I wish he stops the hunger strike.Those  whose attn´he is trying to attract  do not deserve  his sacrifice. His stature cannot permit  him to go  on both physically and s`piritually.
   His health may be impaired.Not worth it to make that sacrifice  for those…..
   And one this  morning  on Armenian T.V.  H1 channel had the nerve to say¨what else does  he want ,we do all we can…¨ yes indeed.The  only way out to start a NEW MODE  of Work  by the people,which I advocate,alongside  theirs.For the people to have  that mode  of electoral system and Governance, I have suggested   and still maintain that our HUGE COLLECTIVITIES  of the professional Colleagues  Associations members can achieve  only through their TEAMWORK AND THEIR  YET TO BE CREATED  NATIONAL INVESTMENT TRUST  FUND.HOPE HERITAGE PAARTY DOES  THAT.THE ARF CANNOT, BECAUSE THEY ARE COMMITTED TO THEIR AGENDA,PERIOD. BUT I DO NOT THINK THEY WILL OPPOSE  TO THIS THESIS  OF MINE,BECAUSE IT IS NATION BLDG  NOT DESTROYING.SO  MUCH FOR NNOW

7. Very true, but things has changed …. don’t you think it is time for you to go back to Armenia … and buid it with bricks not words.

8. If Aram is addressing to me  his ¨going back to Armenia  and build  with briks, etc., He is to be badly surprized.Me  and those  like me are doing plenty  from oversea.Supporting NGO´s,donating  CASH  many a time over to Hayastan, whether through AGBU-after earthquake,BEGGING ODAR  GIANT CORPORATIONS  RECEIVING   6 tons  of Food and Airlifting to leninakan ,again AND THEN MONTHLY CASH PAYMENTS  FOR 16 MONTHS, after quake etc., also even now as sponsor to a handicapped childrens´centre  and more  to come yet.Going to RA/Artsakh pertty sooooon,
   so go you grind your oxydated axe  elsewhere….
   May I ask what  have  you done or doing,if you are Armenian.As  here there aare turks and turco azeris on this forum evidently from such like posts  as  yours

9. Right now  the

10. Good and true answers from Raffi Hovannisian.

    1.Republic of Georgia gets some 2-3 billion dollar help per year from US.

      Some 40-50 million US aid to Armenia VERSUS 2-3 billion to Georgia.

    2. I hate to say this, but still I will: 

    Of course, there are Diasporan Armenians (Western Armenians) who are doing fantastic job in Armenia and Artsakh.  That’s true. But they are few. I am not talking about giving money in the first place.

    I do believe that MOST Diasporan/Western Armenians do not (politically) get involved in Armenia, because deep down in their heart they do NOT feel there are the SAME as/one with  Eastern Armenians in Armenia: different language, history,  habbits, etc.

    Diasporans hepled a lot financially. That’s true and that is not forgotton. But I think it was/is , in the first place, some kind of buying of inner peace, to say/think: “Look, I gave X or Y amount of money (or this or that) to this and that”. So  you can sleep in your ARMENIAN bed at night well.

    I do think too that Diasporan Armenians (specially in US) are TOO MUCH concentrated on Genocide recognition. It’s become an identity and way of life.

    Genocide recognition is important, but it must be only a PART of life.

    I do understand the feelings. But right now there are liberated territories in Artsakh. Is THAT NOT a good compensation AT THIS MOMENT? It is RIGHT THERE, dear Diasporan Armenians.  So you are waiting for….?

    It is so easy to complain. Just go and make it YOURS.

    Armenia is not only downtown Yerevan.

11. Varaz Syuni,
    Are  you certain Georgia gets 2/3 billion dollars a year.I thought it did not surpass the One billion.How come? have you stopped to think WE HAVE GIVEN MORE  TO THE U.S. BY WAY OF MORE  THAN 10,000 SOLDIERS MARTYRED IN WWII.THEY SAY IN NORMANDY YOU CAN GO SEE  THOUSANDS  OF ARMENIAN NAME GRAVES…TO THE RUSSIAN, WE GAVE  MORE  THAN 200,000 YOUNG ARMENIANS LIVES,ALSO IN FRANCE FEWER BUT WE DID.ALWAYS ON TEH SIDE OF THE SO CALLED GOOD  GUYS–
    IS  THIS THE    R E  W  A  R  D  ?
    agood dashnag  friend when i told him 12 yrs ago that we brough billions  of dollars from middle east coutnries when had to leave  those war torn,civil, revolution etc.,he cut me short  and said also consider the sweat  we mixed  on these soils  working    and paying  taxes…what the HELL  HAVE THE GEORGIANS  DONE, TO PLEASE U.S.–
    SHALL  I SAY? i WILL INDEED, tHEY PRETEND THEY ARE GOING TO STOP big bear RUSSIA FROM BEING THE CAUCASUS….AND  PEOPLE  LIKE  a-bUSH GO FOR THAT…
    wHY DO i WRITE a-bUSH.tHIS IS  WHAT KATIA pELTEKIOAN CORRESPONDENT TO aRMENIAN groong  AGENCY USED  TO WRITE HIS  NAME.wHEN ASKED WHY THE …big  A…she said just take  that  – /hyphen  off and then read  it…
    SoTHIS IS WHAT WE GET  EH?
    never  mind we have also bright  minded  .One  in S.of France  has  written a book titled  ÉSH NAHADAG  HAY ZHOGHOVOURT..TRYING TO MAKE  US UNDERSTAND  THAT WHAT  n  a patriot  like    Njdeh  has written LONG AGO-I HAVE  HIS BOOKS, IS CORRECT. WE MUST  NOT PRAISE  OR WORK AND OR FIGHT FOR  O D A R S ,  ONLY FOR US

12. They just announced Raffi’s theatrics is over. Thankfully, since Armenians are not sub-Saharan natives, most intelligent Armenians see through this political circus orchestrated from abroad. Armenia’s political opposition is a bad joke.

13. Varaz Syuni in Amsterdam:

    Very insightful re Diaspora/Western Armenians vis-a-vis RoA/Eastern Armenians – and sadly true.

    Disagree about Genocide Recognition efforts: it HAS to continue, for a lot of strategic and tactical reasons.
    Although, you are right in that not nearly enough is being done on liberated, historic Armenian lands: AG Recognition should not take that much effort, and no reason there should be an Either/Or choice: it should ‘And’.

    Re Georgia and US$2- US$3 Billion: it would be almost impossible to get the real figure, because Georgia is a special ‘darling’ case for the NeoCon West: a lot military and non-military money is being pumped into it off-books – to keep it in the Western camp and use it to threaten Russia. It could be $1 Billion, $2-$3 Billion, or $5 Billion.

14. Varaz Syuni, 
    You have not mentioned the illegal and dishonest leaderships of Haiastan who are most guilty of stealing from the citizens of Haiastan.  Too the strengths of our Armenian diasporans in their efforts for our Haiaastan.  When patriots replace this caliber, the communistic mentality of these self-centered, misdirected, and ill equipped leaders – then our Haiastan, a small nation, will stand tall amongst the civilized nations.
    Your comments reek of negatives:  you negate what the ARF and today the ANCA have accomplished – bringing and continuing our Haiastan, not within – but even outside of a Haiastan (USSR) all of these years.  Thus honoring our Survivors who fled to all the nations of the world.  Today we are MIASIN the world over – after nearly 100 years!!  How many nations, outside of their own lands, continue to exist?Today, based upon accomplishments outside of our homeland – has been the deciding factor, today, for the supports and strengths that are/will be there for our Haiastan when the misfits, these leaders to date who have stolen even from their own citizenry – AHMOT!  You throw up all your questions… For in ‘complaining’ you are not able to resolve or see that, historically, what has been accomplished today, the resurrection of our people via their ongoing efforts – together with  the  2nd, the 3rd and now the 4th generations – an accomplishment that is uniquely Armenian!!  Manooshag

15. Genocide Recognition AND strengthening the RA.  Is there really a choice?  We need both!

16. Gregory, ayoh!  I believe it is the leaderships, all of whom are of the communist mentality – who take/steal and to hell with the citizens of Haiastan!  Too, from the first president, DerBedrossian, until today with Serge and his cohorts… they have all been self seekers, and too, ill equipped mentally and politically to lead our homeland. Diasporan Armenians have offered much to Haiastan and too,  when patriots come into power, as historically, so many great dedicated and honest men who gave their all for the nation that they loved, for the citizens whom they loved… These misdirected, and unprepared, and actually not even the brightest have delayed the advancement and the progress that Haiastan is due and worthy of.
    Twenty years, of misfits, misleading our nation… One thing that impresses me is that the Armenian nation’s citizens are highly educated, aware that  their leaderships – have actually dishonestly ascended themselves to the presidency…  Armenia’s history, of brilliant, honest and dedicated leaders is now shamed by these who have come forth with their self centered concerns… and their idiotic policies while using the benefits derived from the diasporans.  Yet will not include the diasporans who have been – for all the years these leaders were within the USSR – the diasporans have learned and advanced in the realm of world politics… and more!  Todays leaders have been not patriots – they are as the Turks – using the mode of ‘controlling’ the citizens of the Haiastan and too diaspora who seek to raise Haiastan to join with the civilized nations of the world.
    Patriots, both men and women, so many who seek  to advance  Haiastan.  Too, I count the diasporans as patriots – carrying the torch for our  AZAD ANGAGH HAIASTAN… for nearly 100 years!
    Manooshag

17. Hye Gregory, ayoh! It is the misdirected leaderships who these 20 years have been ‘receiving’ benefits for Haiastan – from the efforts of the diasporans in USA – who take and steal from their own nation and citizenry (atypical of those of the ‘communistic’ mentality). Too then have the GALL to assume the stance that the diasporans are not worthy to be considered as of Haiastan – these diaporans who give with their heart, mind and souls – which ALL these 20 year leaders lack.  These leaderships have been as harmful to our fledgling Haiastan as have been the Turks and their ongoing abuse of Armenians, until today, 2011. These same leaderships of Haiastan, too, are also the enemies of Haiastan.  Usually the enemy is from without – but our citizens of Haiastan, too, have their enemy from ‘within’… illegally self seekers, stealing from our Haiastan… not only ill equipped, not only inexperienced, but NONE PATRIOTS. Today, these leaderships, too, are they enemy of Hiastan – AHMOT!! Only men and women – patriots –  shall bring Haiastan to the levels it is worthy and deserving.  Too, then our Haiastan, a small nation, but it shall stand tall together with all the civilized nations of the world – ARSHANEE.  Manooshag

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