So I see they are pushing in Washington to condemn Turkey for a pretty large killing of Armenians back around WW1. Certainly a tragedy. Why now though? Everyone involved is long dead. The timing seems strange to me, as it will sour relations with Turkey and cause us a lot of logistical problems with the Iraq conflict, supposedly. Wonder if the folks pushing it are also those against Iraq? Maybe a backdoor sneak method of causing difficulties to our troops over there? I mean, they could have done this in 1964, or 1984, or 1994. Suddenly there is a huge concern about it now? On the surface it appears to me to be a ruthless scheme to screw up the war effort over there, despite the fact that it was a bad thing.
Turkish Tragedy
- Thread starter Tom2
- Start date
How about some health care reform, social security reform, medicare fraud reform, some serious talk about Iraq?
I feel that what happened was wrong...but damn almost nine decades later. Most of them that voted probably cant spell Armenia or find it on a map. Not to mention that Turkey wasnt founded as a nation till 1923. Shouldnt we be condeming the Ottoman Empire?
I feel that what happened was wrong...but damn almost nine decades later. Most of them that voted probably cant spell Armenia or find it on a map. Not to mention that Turkey wasnt founded as a nation till 1923. Shouldnt we be condeming the Ottoman Empire?
Nine decades later - so why now? Remember it was only about a year ago that Turkey made it a criminal offense punishable by 1-3 years in prison to insult Turkishness or Ataturk, or to allege any genocide had occurred. France passed a similar resolution soon thereafter and Erdogan got his pants in a twist then. I think there were some tit-for-tat resolutions in Turkey and France aftrwards, ultimately, I think, leading the US to consider a resolution similar to that of France.
rampage841512
New member
We won that particular war. And the nation that perpetuated the acts no longer exist. I think the issue should be considered settled.
I don't want to be considered some kind of denyer or anything, I am sure it happened, thought the facts seem to be in dispute to some extent. But these things don't happen in a vacuum, there is some reason it came up now. Have not heard of a lot of Armenian Americans marching on the Capitol demanding action just now. I think it has something to do with screwing up the middle east logistics for us, anything to put sand in the gears of the effort.
And now we're screwing up the one relatively stable part of Iraq: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL11662159
It's because some congress critter from CA represents a district chock full of Armenians and he wants to score some brownie points with them.
The Congress critters who are voting for this resolution are doing so mostly (IMHO) because they feel guilty about doing nothing while Rwanda happened and paying lip service and nothing else to Darfur. So they will pay some lip service to the Armenians killed in a long-ago genocide to salve their aching consciences instead of taking substantive action in Darfur.
OTOH, if someone discovers a huge amount of oil in Darfur, we'll be in like Flynn.
Perhaps I'm being cynical. Not half as cynical as anyone voting for the Armenian genocide resolution though.
The Congress critters who are voting for this resolution are doing so mostly (IMHO) because they feel guilty about doing nothing while Rwanda happened and paying lip service and nothing else to Darfur. So they will pay some lip service to the Armenians killed in a long-ago genocide to salve their aching consciences instead of taking substantive action in Darfur.
OTOH, if someone discovers a huge amount of oil in Darfur, we'll be in like Flynn.
Perhaps I'm being cynical. Not half as cynical as anyone voting for the Armenian genocide resolution though.
Tom, three of my grandparents lived through that massacre and they all said "it was a long time ago" when I asked if they hated the Turks. (That was in the early 1970's.)
Yes, it was tragic but they are all gone now.
There was a long standing animosity between the Armenians and Turks because the Armenians are Christian and the Turks are Muslim. The Muslims wiped out the Christians just like they want to do now.
History has a funny way of repeating itself doesn't it?
Plus, in WWI, many Armenians were on the side of the Allies. The Turks were part of the Axis powers.
Off-topic but I am TOTALLY amazed when one of my Armenian relatives says they're anti-gun. I tell them "maybe that's why the Turks were able to so easily wipe out our ancestors?" (Then I finish off the statement with, in my mind, "YOU IDIOT"!!
)
To their credit, they have always said "well you do have a point".
Yes, it was tragic but they are all gone now.
There was a long standing animosity between the Armenians and Turks because the Armenians are Christian and the Turks are Muslim. The Muslims wiped out the Christians just like they want to do now.
History has a funny way of repeating itself doesn't it?
Plus, in WWI, many Armenians were on the side of the Allies. The Turks were part of the Axis powers.
Off-topic but I am TOTALLY amazed when one of my Armenian relatives says they're anti-gun. I tell them "maybe that's why the Turks were able to so easily wipe out our ancestors?" (Then I finish off the statement with, in my mind, "YOU IDIOT"!!
)To their credit, they have always said "well you do have a point".
DesertDawg
New member
If I'm not mistaken, that genocide has been documented as having taken place. It was nearly 100 years ago, though....under the Ottoman/Turk rule, not the current Turkish government! The Armenians will never forget, but they don't blame the current Turkish regime for what took place in 1915! From what I understand, there is a very large Armenian population living in Turkey, and there have been very few problems.
The Democrats in Congress seem to be sitting on their thumbs right now, trying to justify their ineffectiveness in getting anything accomplished! Who knows, maybe they'll make a "resolution" condemning Great Britain for invading the Falklands!
The Democrats in Congress seem to be sitting on their thumbs right now, trying to justify their ineffectiveness in getting anything accomplished! Who knows, maybe they'll make a "resolution" condemning Great Britain for invading the Falklands!
To a certain extent it's revisionist history. A re-lable of what happened won't change what happened.
To a greater extent it's a new ploy by the liberal Democrats to find another way to scuttle the Iraq war by damaging one of the most important supply routes through Turkey. (Also a way to gain votes from the Armenian community).
To a greater extent it's a new ploy by the liberal Democrats to find another way to scuttle the Iraq war by damaging one of the most important supply routes through Turkey. (Also a way to gain votes from the Armenian community).
Maybe the Turks will kick out all the American military stuff and condemn us for the Wounded Knee massacre. The recognition of the Holocaust had some benefit as it allowed for prosecution of the perpetrators, when found, and offered some solace to the survivors and when possible, return of property and monies or compensation to victims, in many cases. This Armenian thing does not seem to do any of that. Just seems to be agitating an ally. Recognizing and teaching about the Armenian tradgedy is one thing(who besides Armenian Americans know about it?) but condemning the descendents of the nation that perpetrated it is not helpful. Would be like the rest of the world demanding condemnation of the people of US for slavery and demanding we pay slavery reparations now. Sad that they waited so long to recognize the Armenian tradgedy and picked an inoppurtune time to implement.