Dear Armenians,
What have we learned from the past two years? Take a little introspection to see what has happened within that time frame. It feels like nothing has happened, and our situation keeps getting more and more dire. We keep posting meaningless content in order to raise more awareness. We keep asking for external powers to come to our aid. We get excited at the slightest acknowledgement of Armenia by the outside world. We have continued to live our lives as if nothing else could happen and mainland Armenia is safe. Well, today proves otherwise for anyone who had any doubt. Now is the time to gain unity in the idea of protecting and strengthening our land. This has not been a priority before, but it must be our priority now for the preservation of our people and our homeland.
We all need to fly under one national agenda.
It may be a hard pill to swallow, but we are all responsible for the situation we are in today. We must all accept this in order to move on…to move on together in unity. No more blaming this person or that…only ourselves. What have we chosen to do over the 30 years prior to the war? What have we chosen to do over the past two years after the war? We have chosen those who have led us and have been the source of our own demise. We have chosen to remain complicit under treacherous and treasonous situations. We have chosen to remain at a distance, in our own comfort zone, far away from the reality of the situation. Those who have put in the hard work didn’t even do enough and didn’t have enough support around them. Once we accept our failures, will we be able to move forward? No longer placing blame. No longer speaking of grand and unattainable ideas. No longer reminiscing of the past. Only uniting over the present situation. Opening our eyes to the reality of the situation, and pressing the matter if need be. There no longer should be a Karabakhtsi, a Yerevantsi, or a Lipanantsi. None of that should matter, for we are too few for such internal nonsense.
We all need to be united as Armenians regardless of place of birth or residence. We all need to be united under a nationalistic flag to aid our nation and its current state. In order to advance this united national flag, we must form a unique national identity, a national identity which will guide us as a people militarily, culturally, socially and economically. For without our national identity, we will be unable to advance a national agenda. If one stands in the way of this unity, then they must be removed and suffer from the consequences of going against the new status quo. We may have different ideas on how to help, but that shouldn’t hinder the aid reaching the motherland. We all need to fly under one national agenda. Then, and only then, will we be able to rise and better our current situation. It is only on us. No one is going to come and save us. Just as history has proven time and time again, we are worthless to the world. It is now time to build up our worth amongst ourselves. Our current homeland should be our main goal. Our current state is threatened. Therefore, all of its people must bear the responsibility of guaranteeing its safety and well being. For without a state, we are assured assimilation, loss of culture and language and thus a completion of the Genocide which started long ago. Do your part today and everyday moving forward. For we are late, as it should’ve been done yesterday, but we have today to make up for it.
Thank you,
A Concerned Armenian
Varak Ghazarian
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I wholeheartedly agree with your entire article. Each of us should ask ourselves every morning “what am I doing for my homeland today?” and if the answer isn’t good, you better have a better answer to the same question tomorrow.
But more to the point, I really believe we need to be laser-focused these next few years on protecting the lives of our young soldiers who are protecting our borders. We should find solace in the reality that Azerbaijian will be utterly unable to take our lands with their army as long as we have live soldiers fighting to defend them (1 of our soldiers kills 3 of theirs in otherwise equal ground combat), but it’s clear that Azeris (and Turks) have been easily killing our soldiers with their drones without suffering casualties themselves. So we should be laser-focused on developing our own drones, but more importantly on developing counter-drone defences, at the unit and divisional level. Our conscripts are not an endless resource, and the youth will eventually get tired of fighting if we don’t give them better protection from drone strikes…
Jack Kaz gets it. What matters today are drones and drone defence. Air defence and missile defence need to be added. Instead of big cars, Armenia needs higher taxes, especially for the wealthy, to finance its defence. Without solidarity and the priority of state interests, Armenia will not be able to develop the potential to save itself from the boundless hunger of its western and eastern neighbours.
I said to many people almost 12 years ago Armenian government should have spent as much as they can to work on building their own drones,look at US switchblades’ very affordable not complicated yet very precise to hit the target even one of the director engineer is Armenian,
Every year Armenian gives fund to different Armenian organization only one year the fund should be dedicated for hiring from all over the world Armenians and none Armenians experience professionals Tec personal engineer and others to group them and focus how to make the best drones that can not only save our country but also sell them to generate big income to our nation to friendly counties.
Dear Harout,
I totally agree with you. But, there is a fundamental flaw in your proposal. Because generally speaking American-Armenians are not very familiar with the political situation in Armenia and they do not understand Nikol’s Western and Turkish financed regime, they often approach political matters pertaining to Armenia from a false or mistaken perspective.
The fact of the matter is that Armenia’s armed forces is fully intact and very well equipped. Armenia has access to large stores of ammunition and modern Russian weapons system, the same weapons systems that have for the most part neutralized large numbers of Turkish-made Bayraktars in Ukraine. I am talking about anti-drone electronic countermeasures and surface-to-air missile systems. Most Armenians in the US do not know that Nikol’s regime did not commit Armenia’s armed forces to the war in 2020. The tiny Artsakh military was fighting the large and lavishly equipped Azerbaijani armed forces virtually alone. Nikol’s regime provided the Artsakh war effort very limited support, mainly in the form of volunteers units with small arms.
Armenia was not defeated in that war. Nikol’s government deliberately lost that war to justify handing the territory to Baku.
Similar processes are taking place today. It is a fact that Nikol’s regime knew there was going to be an attack a week prior to it. The matter was discussed in the parliament. It was discussed with world leaders, including Russian and Western. Yet, Nikol’s regime did nothing to thwart the attack. The Armenian military was not mobilized, border defenses were not hardened. Azeris were basically allowed to attack. Instead of committing Armenia’s armed forces to the battle, Nikol chose to call world leaders and ask them to come to Armenia’s rescue. In other words, it was all a show. Nikol’s government does not want to defend Armenia’s national interests. Nikol’s government has a secret agreement with Baku. The plan is to demarcate Armennia’s non-existing border with Azerbaijan; abandon all of Artsakh; and open lines of communication through Zangezur.
Nikol understands that once he delivers on what he promised, he will be ousted. He is therefore playing delay tactics. For its part, Baku is periodically putting on pressure by these border incidents. That is where we are today.
Dear Concerned Armenian,
Your theory would explain a lot. For starters, the turning away of volunteers during the 44 day war. Don’t believe it. Just read the following:
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/10/07/i-want-to-join-the-final-battle-armenians-in-russia-flock-to-karabakh-a71686
I WASN’T BORN IN ARMENIA, BUT I HAVE BEEN DOING MY PART LONGER THAN YOU’VE BEEN BORN. I DIDN’T STEAL ARMENIA’S MONEY TO BUY A ROLLS ROYCE AND BUILD A MANSION. I DIDN’T STEAL ARMENIAN LANDS, EVADE PAYING TAXES TO ARMENIA, OR HIDE ARMENIA’S MONEY IN SWISS BANK ACCOUNTS. I DIDN’T STEAL THE ARMY’S FOOD OR WEAPONS OR POLLUTE ARMENIA’S LAKE, RIVERS AND STREAMS.
I DONATED TO ARMENIA FUND FOR DECADES LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, ARMENIAN EARTHQUAKE FUND, ARMENIAN ORPHANAGES, EYE CARE PROJECT, TREE PLANTING AND MORE. I WROTE TO MY POLITICIANS TO SUPPORT ARMENIA AND AM ACTIVE IN ARMENIAN ORGANIZATIONS. I DID MY PART HONESTLY, DUTIFULLY, AND WITH ARMENIAN PRIDE FROM A COUNTRY WHERE THERE ARE VERY FEW ARMENIANS. YET, YOU WRITE AN ARTICLE TELLING PEOPLE LIKE ME TO “DO MY PART” AND ACCUSE ME OF NOT BEING UNITED UNDER ONE FLAG. THANKS FOR NOTHING.