Preparing the Diaspora for the Marathon

This is different. Yes, many of us were alive for the liberation war of Artsakh from 1991 to 1994. Same enemy. Same evil intent, but so many differences. During that time, social media either did not exist or was in its infancy. Information on the war was a luxury for the diaspora. The communication infrastructure for Artsakh and even Armenia was still in the future as the priority was to simply survive the onslaught. The common weapons used were small arms (AK-47) and short range artillery. Armor consisted of tanks, many of which were captured by the Armenians and repurposed as part of their arsenal. The “air war” was nonexistent. There were no suicide drones or F-16s. It was a hard-fought ground defense with a high casualty count, both civilians and servicemen. And of course there were no Turks. There were plenty of mercenaries, as the Azeris don’t seem to function without them. After 26 years of unilateral breaches and deceitful negotiations, the Turkish alliance has exposed itself as a barbaric and uncivilized tribe. What each adversarial party has accomplished during the past 26 years offers you a clear synopsis of the essence of right and wrong. 

Artsakh, although officially an unrecognized Republic, has pursued a responsible path of nation building with a solid government infrastructure, market economy and several credible elections. The land is producing, the schools are educating and the people of Artsakh are breathing the fresh air of freedom. Azerbaijan, in a stark contrast, has sunk deeper into the abyss of corruption, and its leaders have resorted to overt racism to teach hatred in a futile attempt to justify their pursuit of Artsakh. The uncivilized behavior of Azerbaijan fits cleanly into the outrageous Turkish intent to reestablish the degenerated Ottoman Empire and the pan-Turkic alliances to Central Asia. As in 1915, the Armenians are in the way. It does not seem to matter that they are an indigenous and peaceful rock in an otherwise unstable region. The bully is enabled by the skittish responses of the United States, Europe and Russia. Ask yourself, what do the countries that Turkey is violating (Libya, Egypt, Syria, Armenia, Cyprus, Greece and Iraq) have in common? They are each a former part of the Ottoman Empire. The intent is clear. What is less clear is the tolerance of the civilized world. It seems endless. While the latest victim of Turkish aggression bravely defends itself, the united Armenian Diaspora has a job to do.