Author’s Note: Continuing on with the theme of education, the fourth installment focuses on the need to build an economy based on education, research and innovation to tap into the global value chain as a sustainable path for the country’s future. This will require strong will, detailed planning, sacrifice and transparency and accountability, all in short supply in the current realities of the Armenian nation. We either sit idly by and become a Turkish vilayet, as dreamed by the current collaborator regime, or be a nation worthy of having our own country, one that meaningfully contributes to the world.
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No donation to Armenia till Armenia run by Diaspora not russian communistic soviet minded leftovers which is ruined armenia thefted diaspora funds
Great information. The problem Armenia has had for the last millennium, which has steadily grown worse, is ISLAM. The country is now surrounded on three sides by somewhere around 200 million moslems, and most of them have no more respect for Christianity and Armrnians, than they do for a bug on the sidewalk.With a Prime Minister who is not only a coward but also rather secretive and clearly not someone who cares much for Artsakh, which is a very poor area, the future of the entire Armenian area is hanging by a thread. Pashinyan is trying to walk a tightrope between two very aggressive dictators, Aliyev and Erdoğan,one the one hand, and a tremulous and insufficient attempt not to abandon Artsakh to its fate.
All players and countries in the area must understand that it is totally, fully, completely, utterly IMPOSSIBLE for Artsakhians and Armenians to EVER live in a country either run by or partly inhabited by ( Sunni ) Moslems. That is the Red Line of all red lines.The so-called but non-existant ” International Community ” which usually means America and a couple of vassal states is a total irrelevance.
Nagorno Karabakh is ARMENIAN. No Azeris have any desire to live in these cols Highlands. At any rate, Nagorno Karabakh is an independent country,presently illegally occupied by its neighbour. When you are faced with a rabid dog or a mou tain lion intentvon turning you into lunch, YOU HAVE TO FIGHT. What has the useless Pashinyan done in 2 years since the end of thecshort war ? NOTHING. He has had plenty of time to build up and professionalise the Army, but he has wasted all that time,leading to increasing aggression by Azerbaijan. He needs to be removed.
Armenians are incapable of self rule, especially in a violent and complicated place like the south Caucasus. This subject matter is therefore a waste of time and energy.
Armenia’s natural place in the world today is in a very close union with the Russian Federation. Armenia was resurrected in the early 19th century by the Russian Bear. For the past two hundred years, as well as for the past 30 yesrs, Armenia has been able to live in a Turkic/Islamic neighborhood like the south Caucasus only because of its ties to the Russian Bear. Nevertheless, the post-Soviet years have revealed, or should have revealed beyond any doubt that Armenians are
NOT ready for independence. The reality of the matter is that Armenia’s independence from Russia will only translate to Armenia’s dependence on Turkey. If for any reason Russia decided to pull out of Armenia today, Armenia will disappear from the world map on the very next day – despite any effort by the diaspora. Armenians need to be mindful of the fact that on the global stage, the existence of an Armenia ONLY serves Russia’s and Iran’s interests and no one else. Western powers, including the US, have been very detrimental to Armenia and Armenian society in general. If it is to recover from its post-Soviet ailments, Armenia must serioudly limit its exposure to the toxic West.
For better or for worst, Armenia is wed to Russia. Yerevan must deepen its ties to Moscow. Armenians need to start thinking about entering into a union with Russia. For better or for worst, Armenia must also maintain good relations with Iran. Yerevan must develop better ties with Tehran. All other so-called solutions or remedies for Armenia’s ills today are simply a waste of time and energy…
I have got a question. Do you think the Russians are allies? Russians have given Armenian lands to Azeris, Georgians, Turks. They are playing their own games. Do you mean it serious that Armenians should trust in Russia? The point is the lack of Visions and diplomacy in the leadership. The Elite is still living in Soviet times but the War 2020 has shown us where we are and who is standing with us. No one! But yes Russia and Iran are important. Forget the West or try to influence it.
Wow. A concerned ‘Armenian’? Proposing to unite with the crumbling Russia? A Tataro-Mongolic-Slavo nation governed by a bloodthirsty wannabe blond Genghis Khan slaughtering the brotherly Ukrainians? Armenia belongs to the Western Civilization, far from a totalitarian and bloody Russia.
A state of roughly 3 million people will not revive itself economically when irridentist and revanchism plagues the people’s Minds. Countries like Estonia, Singapore, Lithuania, Switzerland, Belgium etc didn’t make it by claiming lands from their neighbors and involving themselves in needless Wars to expand territory. They prospered by settling their differences with their enemy neighbors, trading with them and leveraging their neighbors population for export, finance and investment. The truth remains that an Armenia not at peace with all its neighbors is an Armenia going nowhere.
This is a dangerous suggestion. Russia may still “sell” Armenia or parts of it after union with Russia, if its interests dictate that course of action. It depends what Turkey and Azerbaijan are offering in return. The ultimate guarantee of Armenian national survival is a strong economy and military. Full stop. Armenians must work hard to achieve that. There is no easy fix.
I agree with your comment
A difficult but very interesting question to ask is why the Armenian elites in Armenia and diaspora have NOT come up with a plan along the lines that you describe in your essay. Over the years I have watched with alarm and dismay at the lack of vision for national and community strategic planning. People always complain that there is not enough money to realize plans, but actually the problem is much more fundamental. When was the last time we heard a priest exhort his parishioners to unite and bring together the larger community, educational leaders coming together to create centers of educational excellence in Armenia and diaspora as you describe in your essay, political leaders reaching across the aisle to come up with practical plans for the greater good (instead of throwing water bottles across the aisle in parliament or heckling politicians from Armenia on diaspora visits !), and inspiring and capable military leaders. The malaise that you describe in your essays 1-4 has been there for many years in many spheres of Armenian life; the war simply unmasked it. There is a need for a miraculous revival of the Armenian spirit , State and Nation.
On a more positive note, the establishment of the American University of Armenia(AUA) by the AGBU is a good example of diaspora – Armenia collaboration. The AUA is based on the standards of the University of California. More efforts should be made to raise the quality and profile of AUA through endowed chairs, encouraging world class professors to teach a semester at AUA, and study abroad programs in Armenia for UC students to spend a semester at AUA.
More cognitive dissonance and political illiteracy on display. The AUA has been a center of Globalist and Western agenda in Armenia, one that also includes LGBT promotion and Turkish-Armemian reconciliation. The AUA alsonpartook in the Western and Turkish financed process to bring Nikol Pashinyan to power. When will Armenians wake up?
Concerned Armenian,” For better or for WORST”? Good grief, how much worst could it get, Hoss? In March of 1921, our “brotherly” Russia, handed over the Eastern province of Armenia , to Turkey, and Nakicevan to Azerbaijan, (Treaty of Friendship ) and in 2020 assisted Azerbaijan and Turkey, in capturing 70 percent of Nagorno-Karabakh territories, and Russia expects us to form a Union? What a Baloney. Unrelated, Then US President, Obama, signed a bill providing Israel with military aid, for the fiscal year of 2017-2028, to the tune of $ 38 BILLION dollars. You see the difference? Armenia gets the SHAFT, and Israel gets the GOLD MINE.Now that’s what I call a TRUE ALLIANCE (the United States/Israel). It is very obvious, the Kremlin does not wish the betterment of Armenians.Take your BS elsewhere.
Every single one of Armenia’s tragedies going back 100-plus years has been a direct consequence of the kind of cognitive dissonance, political illiteracy and narrow worldview expressed here. The sooner Russia absorbs Armenia, the sooner will this nightmare be over…
@ “concerned” (for vladimir),
You are starting to sound like a broken record, no new ideas or ‘evidence’ that “Lenin Papik was the best” or “Mother Russia will save Armenia” (right after giving turks what they want)?
When you say “For better or for worst, Armenia is wed to Russia”, isn’t that an illegal transgression against your beloved nation, “Mother Russia”, and a slap in the face of the manlet leader? You are starting to show doubt on the ‘perfection and greatness’ of Russia it seems, perhaps you are starting to wake up. However, please be careful, as you might get a knock on your door from the KGB with such talk if you are in the wrong part of the world.
Question.
So what does one nation (Russia) do to cripple another nation that it has subjugated (Armenia) for a century, in case that subjugated nation (Armenia) wants to break free from its oppressor nation (Russia)?
Answer.
Take control of the subjugated nation’s energy infrastructure.
With ALL FOUR traitor “leaders” of Armenia, mere KGB agents, Russia has managed to do exactly that, essentially turning Armenia into one of its disposable exclaves. In the face of all this, there is nothing given to Armenia in return that will strengthen its standing or security. Quite the reverse, Russia gives all benefits to Turkey and Azerbaijan, Armenia’s mortal enemies.
If Armenia is to grow and exist as a “homeland for Armenians” the first order of business is to dispose of its traitor government working for Russia, and the next order of business is to hold secret talks with the USA regarding Armenia’s energy security. Iran is a wild card, but the USA is not irrational like Russia, the USA (not Europe) has the answers for Armenia’s viability as a sovereign state. And that sovereignty by necessity includes booting Russia out of Armenia. If not, Armenia will always be a puppet state and a redundant and unnecessary exclave of Russia, which Russia is all too happy to cut up and divide amongst turks for idiotic “benefits”.
I reiterate: Every single one of Armenia’s tragedies going back at least 100-plus years has been a direct consequence of the kind of cognitive dissonance, political illiteracy and narrow worldview expressed here. The reality of the matter is, Armenians are simply incapable of self-rule. Armenian society (diaspora included) is seriously dysfunctional. Armenia is therefore condemned to suffer yet another historic catastrophe. Let’s pray and hope that when the next catastrophe happens, Russia will still be around to lend a helping hand, one more time. Otherwise, Armenia will disappear from the world map, one more time. Any Armenian that can imagine an Armenia in the south Caucasus without Russia is delusional. An Armenian that is anti-Russian is either mentally disturbed or an agent of Western and Turkish influence. The sooner Russia absorbs Armenia, the sooner will the nightmare of the past 30 years be over.
Jay, you are speaking pure nonsense. I suggest you read a few serious hisory books to better acquaint yourself with the time period.
ARMENIANS CAN’T GOVERN ARMENIA. PERIOD.
ARMENIANS WERE KNOWN AS THE “LOYAL MILLET” AND THAT’S HOW ARMENIANS MUST LIVE–UNDER THE POWER AND CONTROL OF NON-ARMENIANS.
CALL CHINESE AMBASSADOR, FAN YONG on NO.12, MARSHAL BAGRAMIAN STR. YEREVAN, ARMENIA, AND TELL HIM ARMENIA IS READY FOR COMMUNIST CHINA TO TAKE OVER ARMENIA TOMORROW. END THE CLOWN SHOW OF 31 YEARS ONCE AND FOR ALL.
I think Armenia should seek a balance between the US, Russia, Iran and partners who are not averse to us. The US can leave Armenia just as easily as Afghanistan or Iraq and Russia can give Syunik and Arzakh to the Turks.
At Concerned Slavo-Tatar,
Armenia’s tragedies, are compliments of ” mother ” Russia’s back stabbing, back door dealings with Turkey, handing them, eastern Armenia territories as a token of ” Friendship Treaty”, signed in 1921. Fast forward to 1952, when Turkey joined the NATO, the same ” mother” Russia demanded from Turkey to hand over the abovementioned territories back to Russia. However, under the UK’s strong intervention the Kremlin backed off.
As you can see, this tragedy that Armenia had to endure with, was a direct consequences
Of Kremlins political illiteracy and narrow worldviews.
UK let massacred armenians and assyrians coptic people in lraq and egypt by arabs when they leave the area in 1940s and they let turkish troops into the cyprus destroy greeks do you really believe UK pro-Armenian while london run by pakistani muslim while christians suffer in lebanon by arabs ?
In terms of integration in the region Armenia shares more in common with Iran than say Georgia. The economic potential of Iran will never be fully realized due to its enmity with The West, Saudi Arabia and Israel. Armenia is in a similar situation with its neighbors Azerbaijan and Turkey. A country facing population decline, brain drain, low outside investment into its economy due to the hostility in the region will frankly never reach it’s full potential buying weapons to fight another war, what Armenia needs is normalization and investment in its economy which is not going to happen with uncertainty of conflict high in the region. Highly skilled Armenians will leave for greener pastures abroad while the poor gets poorer as prospects in frankly the country in the region with the most potential to uplift it’s people get bleaker.
I agree with Concerned Armenian 100%. Cognitive dissonance and political illiteracy is just abut right when describing Armenians. Brief history lesson: There was no such thing as “Russia” in 1921. Russia lost more lands and lives as a result of the Western financed Bolshevik revolution than any other nationality in the Russia empire. Let’s also recall that it was the Armenian government at the time that aggressively opposed the Bolsheviks, hoping that the British and the French would come to Armenia’s aid. Of course Armenians eventually got short end of the stick. One hundred years later, it’s no different today. No one forced us to elect a Western and Turkish financed anti-Russian activist not once but twice. Politically illiteracy and cognitive dissonance has a high price and we are paying it.
I agree with most of what the Concerned Armenian wrote but……
……Why didn’t Russia give back the Armenian areas after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Say: Arzakh + areas around Arzakh, Nahichevan, Javak?
To side purely with the Russian side is also fatal. If Russia is viewed as an ally, we should be as generously supported as Israel is by the US. An ally should not support and supply arms to our enemies.
Russia just wants to create dependencies and keep Armenia weak. While Turkish fascism is growing, it will turn against Russia. If the Turkish world is united. Even Kazakhstan will stab Russia in the back. The Russians must prove their loyalty to us, not we to the Russians. For now, it makes sense to stay in Russian orbit but not give the Russians full control.
PS: Russia had no obligations towards NKR. Russia actually opposed Armenian occupation of territories outside of NKR. Also Armenia’s borders with Azerbaijan are not defined. Also Armenia’s government is a Western and Turkish financed government that Moscow does NOT trust. If Armenians had a little wisdom they would have pulled out of the territories outside NKR and invited Russian peacekeepers in the 1990s. Had we done that in the 1990s and rejected an anti-Russian activist in 2018, we would not be where we are today. But true to Armenian nature, we blame others for every single one of our mistakes.
What a peculiar and twisted logic. Russia had no obligation towards NKR but was more than willing to move in and occupy it. What about their obligations towards Armenia? They failed to abide by their treaties and perform those obligations as well. All they did was to make excuses because this whole thing was preplanned with Russia’s blessing. It was a Russian scheme to return to the South Caucasus after thirty years of absence. Why is it that Russia goes to war with Ukraine and razes it to the ground under the suspicion of Ukraine wanting to join the NATO alliance while not only having no problem with the military presence of a NATO member terrorist Turkey in the backyard of its Armenian ally but also not even lifting a finger to stop their terrorist activities against the Armenians? Where is the logic in that! What Russian peacekeepers are you talking about? The Russian president considers all these as Russian territories and it is acting like they are. They have wedged themselves in-between the Armenians and the enemy and are handing over Armenian territories to the enemy piece by piece. They know the Armenian side won’t fire at them while doing nothing to stop the enemy criminal activities against the Armenians.
It was Russia that armed the enemy to the teeth enabling it to use the so-called peace process to get ready for war and allowed terrorist Turkey to move into Armenia’s backyard in support of the enemy. Despite all that anti-Armenian Russian activities you think they are the ones who should run your homeland. Just because the politically-ignorant and gullible Armenian population elects corrupt and unpatriotic leaders to run the country, which is destined to fail, does not mean Armenia is worthy of being run by Russian KGB MAFIA clan that won’t even think twice sacrificing all of Armenia to push through its own pro-Russian agenda. What you are suggesting is no different from handing a bank over to a bank robber and electing him as the bank president. What do you think he is going to do other than continue robbing the bank! You think there are no competent Armenians to run the country? Of course there are but when over ¾ of the worldwide Armenian population is deliberately kept out of the country’s political process and those who are elected are there to secure Russia’s interests rather than Armenia’s then not much can be expected of them. Armenia will never become fully independent and make progress until that old and stale Soviet mentality is wiped clean of the country. Armenia does not have to be subservient to Russia in order to exist and can have good relations with Russia if Armenia has a TRUE patriotic leader whose primary goal is to protect the interest of Armenia and the Armenian nation. Those kinds of leaders are respected. When you don’t respect yourself nobody will.
What NKR surrounding territories are you talking about? The NKR territory of 1988 when the Armenian liberation movement began was not the same in size as it was back a century ago when it was illegally placed under enemy occupation. It was much bigger back a century ago. Before NKR territory became autonomous many regions formerly comprising NKR were chipped away by the enemy and integrated into artificial Azerbaijani state. Those so-called territories surrounding NKR, as you put it, were integral parts of NKR and therefore those territories were not occupied but liberated. To call those liberated territories as occupied is irresponsible and lacks understanding.
How do you know he’s a Turkish or Western agent?
Russia is not 100% reliable. Why are the Russian selling arms to Azerbaijan or disabling the S400 missile wonders when we were about to bomb Baku? Why did the Russian prevent the Armenians from marching to Baku in the 90s.
The people voted for Pashinyan because they didn’t want oligarchs and kleptocracy and more.
Conspiracy Theory: What if Pashinyan has been receiving orders from Moscow all along since he came to power and is a Russian actor? Do you understand what I mean?
Reading some comments here I am reminded of the following. Armenia has had the history it has had because Armenians tend to be politically illiterate, arrogant, shortsighted and suffer from cognitive dissonance and delusions. Politics is an exact science, an artform and a master level game of chess combined in one package. Yet, for Armenians, politics is nothing more than a street fight or a domestic dispute. The ultimate authors of all the black pages in our history is us…
So please ask yourself why?
Armenians are individualists, have always lived scattered around the world as a minority, everyone wants to be a baron and the last thirty years have been crucial. The diaspora was included only as a cash cow and not in state building.
The diaspora viewed Hayastan as an theme park. The elites in Armenia and the diaspora have not created a common agenda and a sense of community.
The Armenian Church is very passive. I think it’s pretty naive of you to let the Russians get away with it so innocently. Although Russia is a security guarantor and economic partner, it is not a reliable ally. Even if pro-Russian oligarchs come to power again. Which I do not hope.
It’s also time for diasporans to wake up from their dreams of grandeur. The traditional diaspora has traditionally been a catalyst, or rather a pack animal, to import Western agendas into Armenia.