In 2024, for perhaps the first time, framing the upcoming presidential election as the most important of our lifetimes will not be an exaggeration.
For decades, we Armenian-Americans have been rightly disenchanted by the serial failures of U.S. foreign policy toward Armenia. With the U.S. now seemingly paying more serious attention to Armenia than ever before, it may appear things have changed. But that is only an illusion. The menace to Armenia is the status quo. A vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for the status quo and the same policies that will inexorably drive Armenia into catastrophic deals with Azerbaijan and Turkey, purchased at the cost of sacrificing our land, culture and historical claims for justice. A vote for Donald Trump, on the other hand, is a vote for a disruption of the status quo, a disruption that may give us a fighting chance — and perhaps the only chance — for our advocacy to receive a serious hearing with the hope of influencing a new way forward.
To make sense of the choice before us, one must begin with an understanding of how American foreign policy is made. Most Americans are under the misapprehension that foreign policy is made by the people we elect: the president and members of Congress.
In actuality, foreign policy is substantially made and carried out by an insular and clubby elite who are part of a tangled and interlocking web of institutes, think tanks and public and private foundations, with ties to university departments and programs that churn out their indoctrinated membership. They manufacture foreign policy consensus behind closed doors and impose it on elected officials by institutional capture and stamina. This elite cycles through the revolving door into and out of the departments and agencies of our government responsible for foreign policy, including the State Department and the alphabet soup of agencies that form the national security and intelligence establishment. I will refer to this unaccountable managerial bureaucracy as the “Establishment.”
For decades the official ideology of the Establishment has been a globalist one that disdains the cultures, traditions and interests of individual nations, beginning with those of the nation they profess to serve: America. They regard men and nations as interchangeable pawns to be played, regardless, and often in spite of, their unique cultures, histories and traditions, which they see not as determinants of policy but obstacles to be overcome on the path toward advancing their ideology.
A perfect example of Establishment ideology in practice? Pressuring Armenians into believing that the Turks who today openly call for their annihilation will tomorrow become their closest partners in solving “global” problems, if only Armenians would stop making so many messy demands, move on from history and open their borders to unlimited immigration and trade.
Then there is the ultimate corruption of the Establishment: its ties to foreign money and influence. Many of these think tanks and institutes are bankrolled by, and their “resident scholars” literally on the payroll of, hostile foreign governments such as China, Azerbaijan and Turkey, or their agents.
It is this deeply compromised Establishment that has botched U.S. foreign policy with clockwork regularity for more than a generation, imposing its ideology regardless of who is in office, and often making policy in spite of the preferences of the people we elect. They are the reason foreign policy fundamentally does not change regardless of which party is in power.
While the Establishment has successfully captured impressionable politicians in the Republican Party, it is so interwoven with the Democratic Party that they may rightly be regarded as alter egos of one another. Their leading figures are one and the same — Jake Sullivan, Victoria Nuland and Samantha Power, to name three.
Reading recent headlines, you may have come away with the impression that Armenia’s government is not acting in Armenia’s national interests and that it is: preparing to make unacceptable territorial and other concessions to achieve “peace” with Azerbaijan and “open borders” and “trade” with Turkey; laying the groundwork to surrender Armenia’s historical claims against Turkey and Azerbaijan; denying the aspirations of the displaced people of Artsakh, driving many to leave Armenia altogether; suppressing domestic political dissent using the prosecutorial powers of the state and a thuggish, private army financed with your tax dollars; harassing the Armenian Apostolic Church and promoting alien religious sects with the purpose of undermining Armenia’s historical traditions; and sowing division between the peoples of Armenia and the Diaspora, denigrating historical memory and disparaging patriotism, characterizing all three as impediments to Armenia’s security rather than bulwarks of the Armenian nation.
Armenia’s government is in fact responsible for all these indignities, and they are not merely the spasmodic impulses of a government gone awry. They are part of a broader design brought to you by none other than your own government under the Biden-Harris administration. It is they who are driving Armenia to take these positions.
It is true that the 2020 war in Artsakh began during Trump’s presidency, when he was distracted by the final days of an election that did not end well for him and when his foreign policy away from the marquis issues he ran on, including South Caucasus policy, was being run by the Establishment by default. But it is Biden, Harris and the Democratic Party — the professed friends of Armenia — who have presided over the serial catastrophes that followed, when the full magnitude of the situation had become painfully clear. Trump’s sin was one of omission when he didn’t know better. Biden’s and Harris’ sins are willful, affirmative and repeated sins of commission by ones who were fully informed.
Harris is completely out of her depth on foreign policy and so reliant on the Establishment that she will dependably fall in line and continue the Establishment’s policies without interruption. Moreover, Harris evidently knows nothing about the Armenia brief. She has never demonstrated any interest in Armenian issues other than to check the boxes one would expect a California politician to check, and barely that. Harris will be powerless to stand up to the Establishment because she lacks the knowledge and independence to do so. This is not who you want to entrust with American foreign policy vis-à-vis Armenia.
By contrast, Trump is inherently and deeply distrustful of the Establishment and neutralizing its power is a central theme of his foreign policy agenda. What will happen under Trump is a disruption: a wholesale reevaluation of U.S. foreign and national security policy and a root and branch remaking of the Establishment. That disruption will create opportunities we Armenian-Americans can seize for the mutual benefit of Armenia and America.
But there is another critically important reason to vote for Trump. Never before has a former, and potential future, president been surrounded by senior advisors who know more about Armenia and the Armenia brief than those around Trump. They include Vivek Ramaswamy, Tulsi Gabbard, RFK Jr. and JD Vance, the vice-presidential nominee and future leader of the Trump movement. The mere proximity of these personalities to power, however promising, will not guarantee policy outcomes to our liking. But it will surely open the way for our advocacy to get a serious hearing at the most senior levels of our executive government, like never before.
Apologists for Harris, Biden and the Democrats will tell you that Trump is compromised by opaque business ties with Turkey and Azerbaijan. But Trump’s business dealings in Turkey and Azerbaijan are a matter of public record. They consist of a licensing deal in Turkey in which Trump’s name appears on a building in Istanbul and a similar deal in Azerbaijan that never came to fruition. They will tell you that Trump won’t be tough with Erdogan because he has a soft spot for dictators and authoritarian strongmen. But the truth is that no U.S. president in history was tougher with Turkey than Trump, who threatened to destroy Turkey’s economy with draconian sanctions if Turkey did not release a U.S. pastor held there in captivity (a threat Erdogan must have taken seriously, because he promptly relented).
Some argue that Armenian-Americans should settle for the status quo and vote for Harris because it will offer stability. But that is precisely why we should vote for Trump. If Harris is elected, the pressure campaign of the Establishment will succeed, and Armenia will give up everything we care about — not just territory and sovereignty but our culture and historical claims in Western Armenia and Artsakh. Once surrendered, those losses will be irreversible. Rather than helping Armenia defend against genocide, they will perfect genocide by Armenia’s own hand.
None of us should be naïve enough to believe that a vote for any single political figure, however promising, will offer a guarantee or deliver Armenia from peril. But it can bring what we desperately need now: a change in direction and with it a genuine opportunity to do better than the certain failure staring us in the face. Never before has there been a candidate in the race who offers a greater potential for delivering such a change by shaking the established order to its foundations.
Never surrender. Choose disruption over the status quo. Vote for Trump.
Armen Morian is a lawyer practicing in New York. He is chairman of the Board of Trustees of St. Illuminator’s Armenian Cathedral in New York City and serves on the altar there. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut Chapter of the Armenian Bar Association. He previously represented former President Trump in the civil fraud case brought by the New York Attorney General. The views he expresses above are his and his alone.
Armen Morian
Latest posts by Armen Morian (see all)
- A time for choosing - October 23, 2024
The author is obviously a MAGA Trumper who supports a 78-year-old demented idiotic man who knows nothing about history, especially about the Armenian Genocide. He even did not know who Bismark was. He adores Hitler, Putin and other dictators. The author implies that the “deep state” runs our foreign policy. In reality, what would Trump do for Armenia? He did not recognize the Armenian Genocide and could care less about Armenian issues. His good friend Erdogan will have a Trump Tower in Istanbul and maybe in Ankara. The man is only concerned about himself and cares “diddly squat” about Armenia and Armenian issues. Harris in California supported Armenian causes. Politics is based on how involved the electorate is involved with various concerns. That’s where the Armenian diaspora comes into play to exert pressure on politicians to support Armenian issues and Armenia. Trump is not the choice for Armenian Americans to choose as President. In this election, do not only consider yourself as an Armenian, but think of yourself as an American. The self-centered Trump will do nothing for Armenia!
You should stop watching CNN too much. The choice is simple, Trump 2024.
You might want to stop watching Fox News and open your mind to what is really happening and what is most important for all humanity and our planet.
It is quite an accomplishment, but this article has virtually no substance to it whatsoever. Change for its own sake is not a substantive argument.
Donald Trump all but signed Armenia‘s death warrant by handing over the region to Erdogan and his cronies in Azerbaijan. His haphazard pull out from Syria signaled to Armenias belligerent neighbors that they are free to have their way in the region, absent of US influence or intervention… including the taking Artsakh by the Azerbaijanis.
If that’s the change you so desperately wanted, congratulations. You got what you deserved.
Great article! Completely agree.
Vote Trump 2024!
Haters will just continue to hate and not be open minded.
Where’s your open mind?
do not know how ANY self-respecting American of ARmenian descent can vote for either Trump or Harris. trump will be good for America BAD for ARmenians Assyrians Yezidis in the East because trump will resume donating billions of dollars in arms to turks/azeris. harris if elected will keep flooding the USA with illegals until she destroys the greatest Nation on earth: America. don’t know what the answer is but it isn’t Harris or trump.
Trump is pulling back from Ukraine, pulling back from Taiwan, pulling back from NATO, pulling back from the US’s Indo-Pacific alignment etc. It is pure fantasy to argue that Trump is going to effectively insert himself into the Caucasus.
It is mind boggling that any Armenian-American can vote for the trainwreck that is Kamala. Glendale will end up looking like a slum in a decade and say goodbye to taking granted a decent education for your children even in Armenian private schools! No Armenian values will be left unmolested by the radical left. Trump is the only choice if we wish to have a prosperous Diaspora and a secure homeland that doesn’t shrink daily. Not voting for Trump is not just unChristian but it is anti-Armenian!
Trump:
• Appointed Turkish agent Michael Flynn to US National security advisor and pardoned him after he was convicted for spying for Turkey. Promised to reappoint Flynn.
• Spoke in defense of NYC mayor Eric Adams who was caught being an Azeri agent.
• Trump received an endorsement from Azerbaijan. President of Azerbaijan shared in an interview that he would prefer Trump to win the election because Biden’s sanctions on Azerbaijan were anti-Azeri and Trump advanced Azeri interests. This is the first time Azerbaijan has endorsed a U.S. presidential candidate.
• His DOJ did not allocate enough resources to investigate the attacks on Armenian churches and schools on US soil.
• Provided over 100 million in military arms to Azerbaijan, the highest in American history, compared to Biden’s 2 million. You know where that 100 million was used.
• Trump cut aid to Armenia in half, relative to Obama admin averages.
• Pardoned the Turkish thugs who attacked American security personnel and anti-Erdogan protesters which included Armenians
• Turkey ordered Trump to permit it to invade northern Syria. Trump obliged and withdrew US soldiers, which led to a massacre of Christians and Yezidis by Turkish and ISIS soldiers.
• Blocked bipartisan congressional efforts to recognize the Armenian genocide and offered Erdogan, as reported by the Massispost, to deny the Armenian genocide and call it a civil war.
• Trump owns massive properties in Baku and Istanbul, who threaten to take his wealth away should he not do their biddings.
• Trump even admitted he has a conflict of interests with Turkey/Azerbaijan.
• Trump fired dozens of people who were closer to him than RFK or Vivek are.
These are tangible facts that refer facts and actions Trump took to advance Turkish and Azeri interests. You could have and should have included them in your analysis.
At least Trump said Armenians are great at business. Let us forgive him and vote for Baku Trump for a single empty compliment.
Biden:
Didn’t do a lot of good for Armenians but he cut 97.5% of military aid to Turkey and Azerbaijan. And he raised aid to Armenia by hundreds of millions of dollars. And he recognized the Armenian genocide. That’s about it. But that’s a lot better than the Թուրքասեր շատախոս.
I malati Fans di trump smentiscono a se stessi i “Fatti”cosi ben elencati nel tuo commento.Ma proprio perchè malati di mente e fanatici non c’e speranza che possano capire e agire di conseguenza
It is very clear. Kremlin agents are within us… and thriving. The fact that this weekly publishes such an article further reinforces the truth of Kremlin infiltration in Armenian institutions. The successful KGB infiltration within the highest ranking members of ARF in the 1950’s leaves no doubt that today is no different. Writing this article, and publishing it here proves it.
100% Right
Dear Armen
Thank you for writing such s clear and succinct article on this very issue. I wholeheartedly agree with your facts and arguments. Furthermore, Kamala is not worthy to be the president of anything, not even an illiterate book club in the smallest town.
Utterly staggering, delusional “thinking”. Every piece of spoken and acted evidence says Trump could care less than less about Armenia and Armenians. How blind and deaf have you become?
After reading this article and noting that the author serves on the altar at the Armenian Cathedral in NY, you have to wonder if they are putting cannabis in the incense.
Gary
Lol and then i got high..
The Biden Administration was the first administration to recognize our genocide. The Trunp Administration had the opportunity to do so, and they did not. Shame on them and on all past administrations failures in doing so.
Words about genocide did not translate to action re: NK….words are sound bites only
And yet those “words” are far more than anything anyone else has done in recognizing the Genocide.
Why were all of you demonstrating in the streets for decades on April 24 if recognition is just a word & does not mean anything?!?!?
Having just returned from Armenia the locals there are afraid of the consequences if Trump is elected POTUS. After all Trump is a person focused on the latest transaction and I cannot see how Trump will bite the hand (Erdogan and Aliyev) that feeds him. Trump’s team authorized aid to partially fund the arms buildup in Azerbaijan and gave NOTHING to Armenia.
As an American I cannot get past the fact that Trump is a convicted felon, has no personal integrity, and does not support the Constitution of the United States.
Agreed! Anyone who thinks Trump would be good for Armenia is delusional.
None of the choices are good for Armenia..vote per your beliefs as an American
Voting for Trump is delusional madness, no matter how you frame it. Trump is a deranged megalomaniac, a convicted felon, a serial molester of woman, a would-be dictator. The article develops a theme well enough. But that theme is deeply misguided.
Pick your poison….and Harris is an extremist—we need balance– and dumb
Shame on the Weekly. Trump cares nothing about Armenians and is a known friend of the Azeris. Remember the tower he wanted to build in Baku? And just this week Trump hugged Eric Adams known Turk-Azeri lover – NYC mayor- being investigated for his campaigns ties to them. A Trump presidency would give the green light to the Azeris.
Green light ?
Azeris have had a green light
Kremlin directed exceptional article! As usual, ARF operatives are following their instructions from the Kremlin as they have been doing so since the late 1950s. In his 4 year term, did this Trump do or say a single thing beneficial to Armenia or Armenians? NO!
This BS article is very typical to his own character which is lacking in all respects!
Hey Armenians, stop arguing about this election.
BOTH candidates are unqualified morons, none of them gives a rat’s ass about Armenia or Armenians, and none of them have anything of value or integrity to offer to Americans. So just shut up, this forum is not for you to open your ugly mouths to proselytise your favorite moron-candidate. Go preach to your wives and husbands and children – not to Armenian Weekly readers. No matter what your opinion is, we are not interested in your BS. Just LAY OFF!
What a whole lot of hogwash. Were it not so dangerous, it would be laughable to read a piece in an Armenian newspaper by a lawyer—God help his clients—advocating for an unabashedly fascist like Donald Trump, a scumbag who is chums with other fascists like him, including Aliyev, Erdogan and Netanyahu, and who couldn’t care less about the war unleashed by those three terrorists and war criminals on Armenia and Artsakh. For the sake of America, Armenia and the world, let us hope that Trump will be defeated and will end up in the dustbin of history, where garbage like him and his murderous cronies deserve to be.
100% correct. Thank you for this article! Harris would have done absolutely nothing for the Armenian NOR American people.