KeghartBy Viken L. Attarian MSc, MBA, Montréal, 27 December 2008
Today, more than ever Toumanian’s fairy tale of the "Brainless Man" comes to mind (Ankhelk Marte). Read it again and again. It is a masterpiece.
By Viken L. Attarian MSc, MBA, Montréal, 27 December 2008
Today, more than ever Toumanian’s fairy tale of the "Brainless Man" comes to mind (Ankhelk Marte). Read it again and again. It is a masterpiece.
Either we as a people take our own destiny in our hands or we end up being a meal for the grey wolf. Pun intended of course !!!!!!
Let’s ask ourselves a few basic questions (not in any order of importance):
1. Why is it that after over a century of betrayal by the great powers, we still look westwards, towards the great Anglo Saxon powers of the US and Great Britain, who are the greatest allies of the Turkish militaristic regime. Why is it that we collectively do not see beyond our noses and still even argue an anti-Russian position in public and private and even suggest that a rapprochement with NATO for example would be something desirable, such as the adventure of sending our forces to Iraq?
2. Why is it that after over a hundred years of Armenian "political activity", the overall mentality and ability to produce policy making cadres that can shape our nation’s long term future has stayed at best, at the level of tribal vengefulness and at worst at total adventurism particularly in the Diaspora, where the debate is really focused mostly on church fundraising and acrimonious divisions of religious loyalties?
3. How come that after being the ally of the CUP for so many years and achieving highly elected positions in the Empire, that the ARF was essentially duped?
4. Why is it that seventeen years into our independence the Diaspora does not have a self-generated collective Armenia centric policy with concrete stated objectives such as many of the ones suggested in this forum?
5. Why is it that seventeen years into our independence, Armenia does not have a concrete and official Diaspora centric policy, essentially recognizing it as an equal partner in nation building and seeing that it also has a duty towards the Diaspora in terms of helping sustain its dynamism and longevity?
6. Why is it that no one can name a single living Armenian intellectual under 50 or even under 60, whether in Armenia or the Diaspora whose writing shapes the imagination of our people? Can anyone say who is the new Barouyr Sevag? The new Tekeyan? The new Moushegh Ishkhan? The new Hagop Oshagan? The new Gostan Zarian? The new Shahnour? The new Yervant Odian (in Enger Panchoonie) or even Hagop Baronian (in Azkayin Tchotcher)? Or even who would replace Toumanian? Why is it that we can no longer produce them? Are they no longer needed? After all, there was a time where we could name dozens if not hundreds. People of original thought, ideas, stimulating us to collective thinking and of seeing ourselves as something more than a ragtag bunch of noise makers in this or that community.
7. Why is it that no one dares say the truth that Western Armenian is literally dying and it is our duty to collectively try and save it, not just the task of the Diaspora but of all Armenians whether they live in Russia, Armenia or France? Western Armenian is a treasure that belongs to them all, just as Geghart belongs to all Armenians and so does St. Lazar in Venice and we have a duty to guard them forever.
8. Why is it that no one asks the obvious question? If ever there is a new military confrontation with our neighbours, how can people who feel deprived and betrayed by their leaders heed their call and defend our territory? Wouldn’t they desert under sinking morale?
9. Why do we still trust the same people who have not given us any of the answers to the above questions? Why do we insist on "buy"ing again and again their shoddy goods?
Why? Why? Why?????
At the end of the day, it is always easy to point the finger and say that it is the fault of the perpetrators of our Genocide. And perhaps some of the answers do lie there. But we must realize that that answer is insufficient, incomplete and will never lead to any positive action to save ourselves. In fact, that attitude would be a desecration of the memory of millions of our martyrs who would have died in vain.
The choice is really ours. It always has been. We can all sleep contentedly or can make the point of asking ourselves every night "What have I done today to ensure the survival of Armenia (Armenia as being understood to include the Diaspora)"?
If we do not lose sleep over it, then it does not matter any more.
From a purely evolutionary perspective, we shall only survive if we deserve to. The shocks that would cause our elimination were and will continue to be external. However, the reasons that we shall survive or disappear are and will be internal only to us.
I want to wake up and smell the coffee. Give me the red pill anytime (Matrix metaphor!!!!), because the truth might be ugly but it will always be liberating.
Keghart
Keghart