Ernest Vardanyan admits guilt, asks for clemency.

Ernest Vardanyan was a journalist of Armenian origin that was imprisoned in the Trans-Dniestr Republic for espionage. Prior to that, he was a very active member of the Armenian Forums calling the political prisoners 'criminals that deserve to be imprisoned'. As luck had it, he himself became what was considered a political prisoner jailed for his journalistic activities.

Well, it is now clear that this is not quite true. He was not a journalist jailed for his views. He has now admitted to being a spy. So much for all that support for him.

[...] Էռնեստ Վարդանյանն այդ նամակում ընդունում է իր մեղքը: Նա նշել է, որ խաբեության ճանապարհով 9 տարիների ընթացքում հավաքագրված է եղել Մոլդովայի հատուկ ծառայությունների կողմից, սակայն Մոլդովայի օգտին լրտեսությամբ զբաղվել է իր կամքին հակառակ, իսկ ձերբակալությունից հետո զղջացել է կատարածի համար, իր մեղքը գիտակցում է եւ խնդրել է ներում շնորհել: [...]

more on Radio Liberty

Let's see what happens.

Very Important Interview.

Today's Aravot has an interview with Levon Zurabyan. He touches a number of issues but the main point is the necessity of open and honest relationships with the people.Here is an excerpt:

[...] I have always believed in people's collective intelligence. It may seem that people do not understand these nuances but it's not true. The political power, which presents the political realities honestly and in depth, wins. It also wins when it presents what the nation needs to do to defend the interests of the people of both Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh people's interests, and it wins when it shows diplomatic flexibility. [...]

The full interview is available here in Armenian. Use Google Translate to get an idea of what Mr Zurabyan says in English.

Armpit News.

Ments make it big: Rolling Stones quotes Alik Sargsyan, "I do not like emos, in fact. I absolutely don't like them."

Lag Time: 3 Weeks.

I've noticed a curious coincidence with the speeches of Putvedev and Serj Sargsyan. There seems to be a 2-3 week lag between what Putin or Medvedev say and what Serj Sargsyan says. For example, a few days ago SS made a speech at his party's gathering which was the same as Medvedev has said 3 weeks earlier.

November 23, 2010: "We have seen a threat of stability becoming a factor of stagnation. Such a stagnation is equally damaging for the ruling party and opposition forces" - Dmitry Medvedev, Russian president

December 19, 2010: "Very stable conditions can lead to a solid state, weakening of dynamics, standing water typically becomes a swamp" - Serzh Sargsyan

via Smbat Gogyan

Shortage of Eastern Armenian Actors in LA

Yesterday I was catching up with the Showtime series Weeds. An older theme there was an Armenian drug dealing gang.

There are two types of Armenian characters in Hollywood productions. One is a hard working small business owner who is a descendant of the Metz Yeghern survivor. The other type is a violent criminal belonging to an Armenian gang. The first type is a Western Armenian. The second type is a recent emigrant from the USSR.

What was strange was that the actors playing the Armenian gangsters were Arabs. And the language they spoke was in Western Armenian.

With the latest news stories of some of our criminal compatriots trying to rip off the US government, trying to sell weapons to terrorists and the Armenian government selling weapons to Iran, it's clear that the negative stereotypes of Armenians are going to persist and probably become worse.

To portray these characters in the movies and the media, there will be opportunities for Armenian actors to have a steady stream of villain roles.

The Misery of the Armenian Police State

Հանրահավաքի ավարտից հետո, սակայն, երբ մասնակիցները որոշել են երթ անցկացնել, ոստիկանության մեծաքանակ ուժերը հարձակվել են երթի մասնակիցների վրա եւ բռնություն կիրառելով, փորձել են խոչընդոտել երթի անցկացումը:

Արդյունքում ՀԱԿ-ի ակտիվիստներից մեկին` Հրանտ Թամրազյանին ոստիկանության «Վիլիս» ավտոմեքենայով տարել ոստիկանության բաժին, որին որոշ ժամանակ անց բաց են թողել: Ոստիկաններից մեկն, անգամ փորձել է ֆոտոլրագրող Գագիկ Շամշյանի ձեռքից խլել ֆոտոապարատը:
Մանրամասները կարդացեք՝
http://news.am/arm/news/40353.html
Տեսանյութը՝ Գագիկ Շամշյանի
Video by Gagik Shamshyan

2003 Armenian Arms Procurement for Iran

There simply are lines that you do not cross.

I've been following the WikiLeaks documents about Armenia and the banditocracy and so far all the information looks OK. Unfortunately, there is one bomb so far where it is revealed that Armenia re-exported arms to Iran which were later found at a scene of an attack on US soldiers in Iraq.

This is very disturbing for American-Armenians. American-Armenians want to see Armenia as an ally to the US. Selling arms to Iran and other terrorists is contrary to these wishes.

[...]Secretary Rice, Assistant Secretary Fried, Deputy Assistant
Secretary Bryza, and Ambassador Yovanovitch have raised with you our
deep concerns about Armenia's transfer of arms to Iran which
resulted in the death and injury of U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
Notwithstanding the close relationship between our countries,
neither the Administration nor the U.S. Congress can overlook this
case. By law, the transfer of these weapons requires us to consider
whether there is a basis for the imposition of U.S. sanctions. If
sanctions are imposed, penalties could include the cutoff of U.S.
assistance and certain export restrictions.

To avoid such sanctions, it is essential that you present
compelling evidence that your government is now in partnership with
us to ensure such transfers do not occur in the future.

To convince the United States that this will not happen again,
we seek a written agreement from Armenia, memorializing its intent
to implement measures that will prevent Armenia from becoming a
source of weapons for Iran or other states or groups involved with
terrorism and/or weapons proliferation. [...] The full text is available here.

The accusations might be baseless or false but the fact that Yerevan has declined to comment on them indicates otherwise.

Ազա՛տ, Անկա՛խ Հայաստան

Another video via Tzitzernak

Diagnosis: Ment.

Ձյաձյան շատ մեդալներ ունի:

Վախեցանք, շատ վախեցանք` իշի գլուխ:

Բռնապետությունը սարսափում է ճշմարտությունից

Ի՞նչ են ուզում քեզանից. վերջին շրջանում այս հարցն այնքան հաճախ են ինձ տալիս, որ ստիպված եմ ինչ-որ պատասխան ձեւակերպել, որովհետեւ մինչ այժմ լայն ժպտացել եմ կոնկրետ պատասխան ձեւակերպելու փոխարեն: Ի՞նչ են ուզում ինձանից: Խնդիրն ամենեւին էլ իմ անձի մեջ չէ, այլ իրավիճակներին արձագանքելու գործելակերպի մեջ: Բռնապետությունը մի վիճակ է, երբ իշխող էլիտան բոլորին կամ գրեթե բոլորին կարողացել է ստիպել համակերպվել ստեղծված վիճակի հետ եւ չնկատելու տալ ապօրինությունը, լկտիությունը, կամայականությունը: Բռնապետության համար, ըստ այդմ, ամենավտանգավոր մարդիկ նրանք են, ովքեր չեն համակերպվել ստեղծված վիճակի հետ եւ բարձրաձայնում են իրենց տեսածի մասին, ծաղրում կամայականությունը, քննադատում ապօրինությունը, դատափետում լկտիությունը:
Այսպես վարվող ամեն մարդ ստատուս քվոյի, այսինքն` հաստատված վիճակի փոփոխության հարց է բարձրացնում` կամա, թե ակամա: Իսկ հաստատված վիճակի փոփոխությունը ենթադրում է իշխող էլիտայի փոփոխությունը, որովհետեւ բռնապետությունը իշխող էլիտայի որոշման արդյունք է, նրա իշխանության պահպանման մեխանիզմ: Եթե նույնիսկ խոսում ես պարզ, տրիվիալ, նույնիսկ կենցաղային խնդիրների մասին պարզ, տրիվիալ ճշմարտություններ ես ասում` բայց անում ես ինքնուրույն, դա նույնքան սարսափելի է բռնապետության համար, որովհետեւ դու ո՞վ ես, որ առանց բռնապետության դաբրոյի ինչ-որ բան ասես կամ անես: Ու երբ ասելու, տեսնելու, բարձրաձայնելու ինքնուրույնությունդ պահպանում ես` «Երեւան» հյուրանոցի դիմաց, թերթի էջերում, դատարանում, ԿԳԲ-ի պադվալում, զոնում, Երեւանի փողոցներում, ինտերնետում, եւ բռնապետությունը չի կարողանում քեզ ստիպել հրաժարվել այդ գործելակերպից, նրա, այսինքն` բռնապետության ֆազերը գցում են: Սերժը ֆազերը գցած վիճակում է. նրան թվում էր, թե բոլորին կարողացել է ստիպել համակերպվել իր հանցագործ բռնապետության գոյության փաստի հետ: Ու մեկ էլ` մի քանի երիտասարդներ «Երեւան» հյուրանոցում հավաքված եվրոպացիների աչքի առաջ ցաքուցրիվ են անում «Սերժանտական առաջադեմ Հայաստանի իդիլիան», ինչ-որ մարդիկ` անսպասելի մեծ թվով մարդիկ համարձակվում են հանրահավաքի գնալ եւ անսպասելի հզոր երթ անել, ինչ-որ մարդիկ իրենց աշխատավարձն են պահանջում, ինչ-որ ուրիշ մարդիկ պահանջում են ուրանի հանքեր չբացել: Վաբշե տը` այս մարդկանց լռեցնելու լավագույն մեթոդը նրանց բանտով-բանով վախեցնելն էր: Բայց ի՞նչ անես, երբ բանտում հայտնվածներն էլ տեղները չեն սթրվում եւ իրենց պահում են այնպես, ասես Ազատության հրապարակում միտինգ են անում: Սերժը ֆազերը գցել է, որովհետեւ նրան թվում է, թե քաղբանտարկյալների, այդ թվում եւ` իմ գործունեության արդյունքում հիմա արդեն մարդկանց նույնիսկ բանտերով չի լինի վախեցնել: Դրա համար էլ «սարսափազդու» մասկի շոուներ է կազմակերպում: Վախեցանք, շատ վախեցանք` իշի գլուխ:

Violence against Nikol Pashinian.

The banditocracy has not been able to silence Nikol Pashinian, the editor of the Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper, even after putting him in jail. He has been regularly been contributing to his newspaper with analytical articles or covering the daily life behind bars.

The regime, however, does not tolerate dissent like this and Pashinian has been subject to regular physical violence. People like me are quite worried about this. The regime demands immediate ceasing of his journalistic activities as a condition for his safety.

Maybe Pashinian should stop endangering himself? He is too valued for us and the future of Armenia and we cannot let a few thugs currently controlling the country to harm him.

How low can you go?

The other day I received an envelope from Armenia. There was a quite large $2 stamp on it. Intrigued, I looked to see what it was and it turns out it is an Armenian stamp commemorating the cemetery for Russian army officers in Gyumry in the 1800-s.

Mind you, the Russian army was there to serve the colonial interests of Tsarist Russia. Then it became the Soviet Red Army. Now, the same colonial army is still based in Gyumry.

I cannot understand what the Armenian Post thinks when they come up with stamps commemorating the invaders and colonizers. Don't they feel ashamed?

Շագանակներ

Եթե Հայաստանը անկախ երկիր լիներ, այս դրությունից մի երկու շագանակ կարելի էր հանել:

Guerrilla Journalism

Slate has a very nice recap of the guerrilla journalism that has become prevalent with the advent of YouTube. We saw it penetrate even the Armenian journalism world with a few videos like the abuse of the soldier in the army or Biden's revelations about his conversations with Serj Sargsian.Of course, in a typical Armenian manner, some of us attribute it to some conspiracy by dark forces but they will get used to it as time passes and they get accustomed to free flow of information.

Մկնիկների Խնդիր

The media and blogs have reported an unprecedented inflation in the prices of cheese. I am still waiting to hear the reaction of the most interested cheese loving party - Muk.

Carl Fischer, Adverse Times.

Today, on the local university channel, they were playing Carl Fischer's "Adverse Times". It was quite similar to the rabiz music heard often in Armenian wedding ceremonies. Below is a live performance, the recorded album is different.

The world is a small place. I wonder how much more would our influence in this world be had we not been subject to a genocide.

Biden: Armenian President called me and said 'do not force this issue'.

Looks like Serjik has really been doing what we suspected all this time.

Question: "I'm Armenian, and I want to thank you for the work you did in the Senate. I have a question. I am very involved in the Armenian American community and you know..."

Vice-President Biden: "Oh, I know."

Question: "... we've been very, very burned. I want to know what is the message that should be given to our community?"

Vice-President Biden: "What you should be giving to your community is that we are not backing off. The Turks have to come to the realization of what the reality is. And what we got to do is, you know, this....the compromise that was going on and being worked at for a while... Tell them that it was the Armenian President that called me and said "Look, do not force this issue now while we are in negotiations. We passed. That's passed right now, so anyway, reality has a way of intruding."

A good article for those interested in finance and economics.

Two years after the financial crisis, the U.S. economy has steered clear of total disaster, with the Dow Jones industrial average currently near its pre-crash level. But the theories that caused it all are still out there, lurking in the shadows.

Full article on Foreign Policy magazine.

Antisemitism rears its ugly head again.

via unzipped:

This is disgusting, and a reflection of leniency towards such hate groups in Armenia: neo-nazi, anti-semitic, homophobic...

Since its installation, this memorial has been repeatedly vandalised.

And this is happening in a country that suffered the 1st Genocide of the 20th century...

But let's not get too excited about this and start jumping to general conclusions.

Undoubtedly, there are racist people among Armenians who believe that they are the best ethnic group ever. Some call themselves Njdehakan, some call themselves Aryan, some are just ignorant people. Then there are conspiracy theorists that think that Masons and/or Jews control everything (they think that these are interchangeable categories and obviously have never met a Free Mason or a Jewish person).

To generalize and say that this kind of people are a representative of the Armenians is false.

For your weekend.

There goes the GDP growth 2.

The Russian FSB is investigating 32 Armenian citizens suspected of narco-trafficking, human trafficking and money laundering. Out of these 32, some are criminal figures operating in Russia, some are criminals in Armenia of whom some are high ranking Armenian officials. The list contains the names of such people as Sashik Sargsian (brother of the Serj Sargsian), Dodi Gago, Muk, Nemec Rubo and other members of the parliament.

There goes the GDP growth.

It's no secret that the Armenian economy is mostly an empty bubble and a major chunk of the Armenian GDP is comprised of money flowing in from abroad when the migrant workers transfer some of their earnings to relatives.

Yesterday the FBI busted a criminal gang of Armenians who had been scamming the federal government out of at least $35 million. This money, after living cost expenditures like mansions, expensive cars and hookers, eventually had ended up in Armenia. With this flow now cut, Armenian GDP growth will undoubtebly suffer.

[...] Officials say some of the proceeds from the operation were couriered back to Armenia in cash.[...]

Pzo in the news

OMG!

Göran Lindblad

Head of Swedish Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

Co-Rapporteur on Armenia

goran.lindblad@riksdagen.se

To: Davit HARUTYUNYAN, Chairman of the Armenian delegation

Cc: Dick Marty, President of the Monitoring Committee

Mateo Sorinas, Secretary General of the PACE

Strasbourg, 6 October 2010

Chairman,

I find it extremely strange that a country claiming to be a democracy cannot find time on the margins of Council of Europe Forum for the Future of Democracy to arrange a few high-level meetings with the Monitoring committee’s co-rapporteurs. This seems to confirm my assumption that Armenia is not yet mature enough to host the Forum.

The visit of the co-rapporteurs was authorized by the Monitoring Committee on 22 June 2010 and has been postponed since: first because of the summer recess, then it was too early to have the visit in the first part of September. There appeared to be an agreement for the visit to take place on the sidelines of the Forum on 17 and 18 October, which however was declined by a letter from the Speaker of your Parliament.

To my knowledge, it is only during the period right after elections that monitoring visits are usually avoided in order to give new governments the chance to progress on their election promises. This is definitely not the case with Armenia.

I have a feeling that it is my person as such and my commitment to the values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law that makes the Armenian authorities try to postpone the visit of the co-rapporteurs, knowing that my imminent departure from the Assembly would open an opportunity to appoint a new - and less independent - rapporteur.

I have absolutely no personal prestige in this matter, but the act of seemingly obstructing the monitoring process is an insult to the Parliamentary Assembly as an institution and to the core values of the Council of Europe, which Armenia has voluntarily undertaken to defend. Part of this commitment is also doing everything possible to accommodate co-rapporteurs’ fact-finding visits to the country. It is the institution and not the monitors in person that matter.

I would therefore request you to reconsider my wish as co-rapporteur to meet with the relevant authorities on the day before or after the Forum.

Yours sincerely,

Göran Lindblad

Do Negative Ads Work?

The mid-term election season is upon us and the times are quite exciting. There are tones of negative ads on TV that describe the opponent of the person or organization running the ad, as someone who has sold his/her constituents, is not fit for the job, is too liberal, is pro-tax, is pro-abortion and ready to kill babies, supported Obama, etc.

I think for some time the negative ads are useful. They provide information to the electorate and help them see how people have acted in the past. A lot of the times, these ads are actually very misleading and false. An intelligent person can see through the B.S. but the general electorate is not usually the brightest light bulb out there so they can be bamboozled.

There probably is a tipping point when the negative ads whip up support for the opponent by the base. I think we are seeing this with the Democrats now. True to their modus operandi of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, the Democrats have been demoralized lately. Major losses to the right-wingers like the spectacular collapse of grass roots movement ACORN has not helped. All the hopelessness and the resignation that they are going to see major losses because the GOP said so has started generating support from the base.

Let's see how things work out in a month.

Big whoop!

The Turkish nationalists have held a muslim religious ceremony in the Mother Church in the ancient Armenian city of Ani in retaliation for the Armenian religious ceremony held in the Akhtamar church last month.

While the analogy is not quite right, it's clear that this is a cheap trick to ain a couple of points among their ranks and hopefully piss off a few dashnaks to get more publicity.

But the general reaction, except for a handful of dashnaks has been 'Big Whoop'.

Russia Provides Food Aid To Armenia

I wonder who will pocket the profits.

It is not yet clear just how the authorities in Yerevan plan to use the food aid. Yeritsian said only that it would be stored at warehouses of his ministry's Agency for State Reserves for the time being.

Government critics believe that the impact of external factors on domestic food prices would have been less severe had lucrative imports of wheat and other basic foodstuffs to Armenia not been effectively monopolized by a handful of government-linked businessmen.

via RFE/RL

Still good after all these years.

New ethnicity: Kardashian

Lately whenever I am asked what my ethnicity is, they immediately say "That's what Kardashian is, do you watch it?"

Unfortunately, I do not subscribe to whatever channel the show is on but I think it's nice for the Armenian ethnicity to be associated with a beautiful woman.

Bad karma

Հրկիզում ու մահ

Սեպտեմբերի 4-ին Երեւանի Նորքի 2-րդ զանգվածի թիվ 80 շենքի մոտ վիճաբանություն է տեղի ունեցել: Նույն օրը վեճի երկու մասնակիցները տեղափոխվել են հիվանդանոց, օրեր անց երկուսն էլ մահացել են: Ոստիկանությունից հայտնում են, որ սեպտեմբերի 4-ին ժամը 17.30-ին նշված հասցեում վիճաբանության ժամանակ Ա.Այվազյանը եւ Կ.Դավթյանը քաշքշել են իրար, այդ ընթացքում Դավթյանի մոտ եղած բենզինով լի տարան շրջվել եւ բռնկվել է ծխախոտից, ինչի հետեւանքով նրանք այրվածքներ են ստացել: Սեպտեմբերի 9-ին Ա.Այվազյանը գիտակցության չգալով` մահացել է: Ավելի ուշ ոստիկանությունը պարզել է, որ հրկիզումը պատահական չի եղել: Ըստ ոստիկանության, վիճաբանության ժամանակ Դավթյանը իր հետ բերված պոլիէթիլենային տարայի մեջ եղած բենզինը դիտավորյալ լցրել է Այվազյանի վրա եւ կրակայրիչով հրկիզել նրան: Փաստի առթիվ սեպտեմբերի 11-ին ոստիկանության Նոր Նորքի քննչական բաժնում հարուցվել է քրեական գործ` ՀՀ քրեական օրենսգրքի 104 հոդվածի 1-ին մասի (սպանություն) հատկանիշներով: Սեպտեմբերի 12-ին հիվանդանոցում մահացել է նաեւ Դավթյանը:

Just realized something.

Yesterday I realized that all my college buddies from Georgia returned to Georgia after finishing their studies. Then I got curious and checked facebook for my other buddies from the former USSR. Almost all of them have returned back to their homeland except for a few Russians.

None of the Armenians have returned to Armenia.

I don't know what kind of a conclusion to draw.

I have to say this.

No matter how many people think his works are great, I still think that Andy Warhol's art is crap.

Գարեգին Չուքասզյան [...] Տեսեք, Խորհրդային Միության ժամանակաշրջանում ռուսական դպրոցների քանակը կրիտիկական զանգվածի էր հասել եւ շատ դժվար էր պատկերացնել, որ կգա մի պահ, նպաստավոր ժամանակ, որ կկարողանանք այդ հիվանդագին վիճակից դուրս գալ եւ ամբողջ համակարգը հայացնել (իհարկե, ահռելի դիմադրության շնորհիվ): Նույնը վերաբերում է առհասարակ ամբողջ անկախության գաղափարին: 88-ից սկսած Ղարաբաղյան շարժումը շատ երկար տեւեց մինչեւ ժողովուրդը անցում կատարի դեպի անկախական շարժում: Շատ փոքրաթիվ մարդիկ էին, որ ընդունում էին անկախության հնարավորությունը` լինելով շատ հայրենասեր, բնավ չէին պատկերացնում անկախության հնարավորությունը: Հետո` ինչ-որ պահից սկսած, արդեն հասարակության գիտակցության մակարդակը փոխվեց: [...]

  What he says is absolutely true. It was very rare to come across a person in early 1988 that could even imagine an independent Armenia. Not until July of 1988, AFAIK, at least. It was then that Karabakh Committee started thinking about forming HHSh and sowing the seeds of the idea of independent Armenia.

Why Can't the Armenians Get It?

ԱՄՆ պետքարտուղար Հիլարի Քլինթոնը, արձագանքելով հայաստանյան թվով 9 իրավապաշտպան կազմակերպությունների կողմից Երեւանում իրեն փոխանցված եւ «2008թ. նախագահական ընտրություններից հետո ՀՀ-ում առկա հասարակական-քաղաքական ճգնաժամի հաղթահարման եւ քաղաքացիական

համերաշխության հաստատման անհրաժեշտությանը», դրա նախապայմանների վերաբերյալ նամակին ընդհանուր ձեւակերպումներով մի պատասխան նամակ է հասցեագրել հիշյալ հ/կ-ներին: Քլինթոնին փոխանցված նամակի հեղինակներից մեկը՝ քաղբանտարկյալների կանանց «Շահխաթուն» հ/կ-ի ղեկավար Մելիսա Բրաունը՝ ողջունելի համարեց Քլինթոնի ուշադրությունը ՀՀ-ում մարդու իրավունքների հարցերին, բայցեւ հավելեց, թե դրանք հայաստանցիներիս խնդիրն է, ուստի՝ Քլինթոնի պատասխանը հենց այդպիսին էլ պետք է լիներ: Նա կարծիք հայտնեց, թե պետքարտուղարի նամակը կարելի է համարել որպես ԱՄՆ կառավարության դիրքորոշում. «Նամակով ուզում էին ցույց տալ, որ հետեւում են Հայաստանում առկա իրավիճակին ու լավ տեղեկացված են»: 
Source: Aravot

Married with children.

Currently:

In mid 80-s:

Al Bundy:

Blackadder-3.

Whoopty-doo. The Armenian blogosphere is abuzz with Suren Surenyants quitting politics. His defenders: regime apologists.

It has been quite interesting to follow these events during those slow August days. To recap:

1. Surenyants meets with the defense minister;

2. Surenyants posts on his blog that the defense minister is upset and wants to punish all responsible for the bullying and murders going on in the army;

3. The regime apologists start claiming that HAK says that Surenyants is a traitor. HAK and the opposition remain silent but a there are a ton of anonymous posts on his blog telling that he is a traitor;

4. Surenyants claims he is good friends with Marish Bozikian (one of the regime spokespeople) and Ashot Ashotian (the infamous minister of education);

5. More anonymous posts claiming he is a traitor, a muted response by HAK;

6. Surenyants says he is not a traitor and says that he quits politics.

Hopefully Surenyants continues to post on his blogs. I like his posts.

One More Step.

Once upon a time there was a man called Vasgen Sargsian who, as the minister of defense, was trying to adopt the 'lonely wolf' mentality in Armenia. He, together with his friends in charge, learned their lesson from the past and realized that no one will take care of you and you are the only one responsible for your survival.

This went against the traditional Armenian political thought. The prime minister at the time overthrew LTP together with his help and removed HHSh from power. Once the support base was removed, a bunch of dashnaks went ahead and assassinated him. During the past 12 years the idea that you should take care of yourself has been systematically repressed. Whenever an autonomous thought was raised, it was suppressed through violence culminating with the killing of 10 people on March 1, 2008.

Now we have another nail in the coffin of independence. Serj Sargsian has agreed to extend the Russian base time by another 24 years. That would still be OK but the agreement stipulates the base will now be in charge of protecting Armenian interests as well.

 Mind you, there has never been a colonial power that has protected the interests of the colonized people. While Serj Sargsian transforms the Armenian Army into a group of hoodlums capable of slaughtering their own people and themselves, he is outsourcing the defense of Armenia to the Russians.

There is a precedent to what the Russians do to Armenians. In the Soviet times they did not hesitate to shoot and kill both Armenian civilians or self-defense volunteers. During the independence years, when the Azeris conquered Armenian villages, LTP asked Yeltsin to exercise the joint defense pact provisions for mutual defense. The Russian media laughed at us and called it a half-baked attempt to have Russia pull chestnuts out of fire for Armenia.

Things continue to fall apart.

Murders of soldiers in the Armenian Army are a common occurrence. Usually, it is the officer in charge that kills a soldier under his command. Sometimes it is the 'good fellas' that kill a soldier that doesn't have a protector.

Almost all cases are classified as 'suicides' by the Ministry of Defense and are swept under the rug.

This week we saw two incidents like this. Artak Nazarian, an officer who said that he wanted to be a good commander for the troops (i.e. non-violent and not corrupt) and was in a hostile environment created by his fellow officers, was killed. It was classified as a suicide by the MoD. In another incident, 7 soldiers were killed under murky circumstances.

The windbags in the government keep saying that the Armenian Army is the best one in the region. With a psychological environment that we sometimes get glimpse of, I highly doubt that it will continue to be like that.

Unzipped has a comprehensive coverage of the issue.

http://unzipped.blogspot.com/2010/07/suicide-or-evidence-of-abuse-and-ill.html

Priceless Observation

I have noticed that the people who are late are often so much jollier than the people who have to wait for them.
  - E. V. Lucas

Nice Gesture

HHSh normally has 25 members at its governing body. This year, however, it will have 31 members. During the last party congress, the four HHSh members who have been harassed for political views (political prisoners Ashot Manukian, Harutyun Urutian and Aram Bareghian and novelist/former big-shot in the executive branch Vano Siradeghian).


Unfortunately, this did not happen without unpleasantness. Karapet Rubinyan quit HHSh because the voters were given a list of "recommended candidates"; the list did not contain his name and unfortunately was not distributed publicly. Another part of his reason was that the party congress reminded him a Brezhnev era gathering of the CPSS.

Plastic Plates and Plastic Forks.

With the heat wave it has been difficult to be outdoors for any long periods of time. As far as I can remember, this was the first year I missed out on the fireworks celebrating the Independence Day.

Today I was watching Newshour and Gregory Djanikian read one of his poems. It was about the July 4 celebrations and he had a line about plastic plates and plastic forks. Until today I had thought of these plastic implements as tacky examples of the disposable consumerism plaguing this country. In my day-to-day life I avoid these items as I try to keep a low environmental footprint. But I realized today that plastic plates and plastic forks are part of the Americana. It is our culture just like Las Vegas, Popsicles or hot dogs.

Tragic situation

With the crumbling infrastructure, tragedies like this are inevitable.

Vuvuzelas Rock.

Quote of the day.

[...]if you can't find a way to exploit a major crisis in foreign policy, you don't deserve to call yourself an American.


Chris Thompson, The Big Money

Համակարգը:

Համակարգը ամեն ինչ անում է ինքն իրեն պաշտպանելու համար: Դրա ծայրահեղ դրսեւորումները Մարտի մեկի, Պողոս Պողոսյանի, Գուլյանի եւ այլ սպանությունների կոծկումն է:

Բայց սա տեղի է ունենում ամեն օր: Թվում է թե մանկապիղծ դասատուի դիմակը պատռվելուն պես պետք է որ դա հետաքննվեր: Բայց նրանք դա չարեցին այլ բռնացան փաստը ջրի երես հանողի վրա: Իսկ վերջում էլ ծածկադմփոց արեցին դատարանով:

Սա մի զզվելի ու ոտքից գլուխ փչացած համակարգ է իր զզվելի ու ոտքից գլուխ փչացած անդամներով՝ Սերջ Սարգսյանով, Արմեն Աշոտյանով, կաշառակեր գայիշնիկով կամ կաշառք տվող քաղաքացիով հանդերձ:

Observation of the day.

Question: What does it take for the Armenians to be sympathetic to Israelis?
Answer: Israeli soldiers being attacked by Turkish civilians.

Monkey See, Monkey Do.

Regarding the "March of Dissent". There are certain rules, they stipulate that such activities are regulated by local authorities. In addition to those people that go to the march concurring or dissenting, there are other people on the rights which we must not forget. If you decide to hold a "March of Dissent" - I apologize for being too harsh things, say, the hospital where you will interfere with sick children - who are from the local authorities there will allow you to conduct this march? And rightly so, that the ban! And now you want to spend it where people want to go on Friday to the country, for example, simply.

Vladimir Putin, Russian PM and dictator, Newsru.com via Google translate

They are coming in groups to stage protests here. What for? These people have the right to rest . See, there are more than 100 people enjoying themselves here. There are whole families, children.

Robert "Bazaz" Melkonian, Armenian ment and a dictator's executioner, via Radio Liberty 

Via Unzipped and Ani

Civil Disobedience

The Liberty Square opened a few days ago. On May 28, a group of HAK activists wanted to celebrate the Republic Day there. As has become usual, at the site of HAK activists, the police showed up and banned whatever was happening. A few dozen people were detained. Their crime: trying to be at the Liberty Square.

Marching towards the bright future.

Bright because it's lit by the blaze of the plunge to the Earth. You open any news source and you don't know whether to cry at the misery of the Armenian political thought or laugh at the comedy that the Armenian diplomacy has become.

Some highlights from today:

Investigators Say Murder Theory In Police Custody Case ‘Ungrounded’

EU Likely To Stay Cautious On Political Reform In Armenia

Armenia Raps EU Parliament Over Karabakh Resolution

New Armenian Governor Warns Media

October 27: Another Suspicious Death

[...] In 2000, Norayr Yeghiazaryan, who had sold weapons to the gang, died under unknown conditions in an isolation cell. In 2004, Vram Galstyan (uncle of Nairi Hunanyan) committed suicide by hanging from a bed sheet. Throughout his trial Galstyan claimed that authorities had injected him with psychotropic drugs, and that they pressured him to commit suicide “so that the truth remained unrevealed.” [...]

In 2002, Tigran Naghdalyan, 36, Chairman of the Board of the Armenian Public Television and a key witness of the case was shot dead at the doorstep of his apartment. Armen Sargsyan (brother of assassinated Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan) was accused and imprisoned for Naghdalyan’s murder, however, suspicion has surrounded Naghdalyan’s death was assassinated as an October 27 witness. 

In 2004, National Assembly deputy Mushegh Movsisyan, 47, another key witness of the case, died of a car accident. The same year, Hasmik Abrahamyan, 45, an employee of the NA Protocol Department who was on the witness list was found hung in the NA building. 

Too many people connected to the October 27 assassinations have died. While the then president Kocharian declared that this was an open and shut case, 11 years later the process is still going on. The biggest beneficiaries of the assassinations, Robert Kocharian and Serj Sargsian, still enjoy their lives.

Armenia Now: Suspicious Death: October 27 accomplice dead by heart attack in prison

It could be that this guy was not really involved in the parliament terror plot according to an Aravot article. (original in Armenian or English through Google Translate)

Dio

Ronnie James Dio has passed away. Cancer finally got him.

He was one of the main rockers during my formative years.

RIP.

Interview with Levon Zurabian

- It would be ideal if the opposition was able to carry out regime change in a bloodless and safe way for the state, establish democratic liberties, a competitive economic system, achieve such changes that would allow Armenia to negotiate from a much more powerful position. But when you sit against a junta, which is ready to initiate bloodshed or suppression of liberties to hinder the process, it is clear that a so-called "full frontal attack" can only complicate the already difficult condition surrounding Armenia and Karabakh. If Armenia were to appear for 10 minutes in the state that Kirgizistan was, nothing would remain of Karabakh. "Frontal attacks", any means of opposing the regime that have a potential for bloodshed are against the interests of Armenia or Karabakh. That is why we have chosen a path which, though longer,  is aimed at the smooth reformation of the political system and the governance. That is why we are "ripening" the factors which will enable us to complete what the Czechs called a "velvet revolution". And I am sure that we already have serious results.

Read the rest of the interview with Levon Zurabian (in Armenian) (English through Google Translate)

Սեռժեմբերիկներ: Punishing Child Molesters.

We don't have them! This is what you hear in societies where putting rose colored glasses or sticking their heads in sand is the appropriate way of dealing with the reality. In Soviet Union, they said that about a lot of things: any kind of sex (including love-making between consenting adults), prostitution, drugs, child molestation, poverty, illiteracy and things like that.

As a devoted post-Soviet society, Armenia has continued to deal with issues in a similar fashion. About a year ago, Mariam Sukhudian, an environmental activist, researched and published child molestation cases in a Yerevan orphanage/boarding school by one of the teachers there. Immediately, the police went into their usual mode and charged her for "false snitching". The readers may remember that this is kind of an allegation the Armenian government uses to imprison undesirable people who dare to speak out (Sargis Hatspanian is still serving his 7 year term in prison for a newspaper interview).

There was a major uproar and grudgingly the police actually started investigating the child molestation cases. Lo and behold, they actually determined that the allegations were indeed true and charged the teacher in question. Today it turns out that they want the judge to sentence the child molester to 1.5 years in prison.

To add insult to the injury, the trial is being expedited Under the Armenian law, expedited trials do not require to go over the details of the criminal case and no witnesses are examined. This is despite the objections of the attorney representing the interests of the victims.

For a comparison, consider this: innocent people get sent to prison in Armenia for 5 to 7 years. At least!

A child molester, on the other hand, is treated with mercy. But at least they are sending him to jail. In 2000 when then president Robert Kocharian's guards beat up and killed Poghos Poghosian at the popular Paplavok cafe in Yerevan, only one of the guards was charged with "careless pushing" and sentenced to 2 years of probation.

Սեռժեմբերիկներ: Marvels of Modern Armenian Engineering.

Question: How do you make something that has lower quality than a Chinese made product?

Answer: Have an Armenian "svarchik" (welder) replicate a Chinese design using Soviet era metal, homemade welding machine and low quality Iranian-made welding supplies.

The result is what we saw in Yerevan on May 9. A svarchik-made ferris wheel malfunctioned - a basket seat broke apart and fell to the ground injuring two adults and two children. The adults are still in the ICU.

Svarchiks are a unique class - they are the backbone of the Armenian infrastructure. The rickety Soviet era buses you see on the streets of Armenia are mainly held together with beams pieced together by svarchik-s. The leaky water pipes are installed and maintained by svarchik-s. The natural gas pipes you see near roads are designed and put together by svarchik-s as well.

At least their output is positive until something goes wrong (a bus flips over, a gas pipe blows up, etc.)

The government is pretty much governed by svarchik-s, too. They also tinker with the country and try to keep it held together. They don't use welding machines or duct tape - theirs is the intellectual equivalent of duct tape. There are plenty of examples of that in this blog.

Now, for your enjoyment, a typical faucet design in Armenia.

Happy Victory Day!

Today is the 18-th anniversary of the victory of the Shushi battle - a major turning point of the Karabakh War of self-determination.

Thank you to all the heroes of the Karabakh army who made it possible for NKR and Armenia prevail.

Google Ads.

When I put Google Ads on the sidebar of this blog a couple of years ago, I was interested to see what kind of campaigns would appear based on my content. Usually there are no ads and it shows a "Google-ի կենցաղային ազդ" - basically grassroots ads for hurricane Katrina relief, etc. because the topics are not of commercial interest.

Well, with the post about the Russian schools in Armenia, there was an ad for a lawyer who offers to do the paperwork for your Russian or Ukrainian mail order bride for a low fee of $195 (discounted from $295).

Life cracks me up sometimes.

Slide Decks.

For the past 7-8 years there is an underground movement against Powerpoint presentations. The message is "Powerpoint makes us stupid".

I personally like slide decks accompanying presentations especially if there are printouts for me to take notes on. But a lot of presentations I have seen have been very boring.

Slate has a very useful article on when and how to have good PPT slides. I am presenting this afternoon and some of my slides do not really comply with the best practices the article talks about. I wish I had read this earlier.

Unsustainable economy, Սեռժեմբերիկներ 2.

The point about the Russian language schools is not as trivial as the wishes of the former Russian educated elite or Serj Sargsian's upbringing in Azerbaijan. It's another stepping stone towards joining with Russia in some sort of a union.

This sounds like a paranoid conspiracy but there are grounds for this. The past decade has shown that the Armenian society is unwilling or unable to build a sustainable economy. The monetary policies of the successive governments have favored the importers. Production for internal markets or exports have been discouraged. The import of goods is controlled by a handful of families and it is far easier to resell something that's already been made than to actually create value.

The main export has been labor with people leaving the country to work abroad and support their families in Armenia. This, however, is not sustainable in the long run. There are a couple of reason:
- Immigrants integrate into their new home countries the longer they live there and will try to bring over their families as they learn the laws and customs of their new home;
- Immigrants lose their touch with their birthplace with time;
- Families left behind die off reducing the recipient lists.

The financial crisis exposed how vulnerable this system is and the Armenian government had to fill the plug with $1.5 billion of new foreign debt.

The solution is to enter into a union where there is an economic 'big brother' with a pegged currency or single currency. The obvious choice for a big brother is Russia and the return of the Russian schools is another step in preparing people to administer Armenia under Russian control.

Սեռժեմբերիկներ

The retreat from the promise of an independent Armenia is gathering pace. It all started with the unlimited presence of the Russian garrison in Gyumri. While the excuse for such terms was the national security of Armenia vis-a-vis the Turkish threat (a quite realistic threat to the very existence of Armenia), contracts that do not have termination clauses usually leave you without any levers of control.

The Russification of Armenia then continued with the infamous Debt for Property deal where $100 million debt was written off in exchange for public properties such as the Hrazdan power station. The encroachment of the Russian ownership of assets in Armenia continued and completed where the land-line telephone market, the internet gateway to the rest of the world is owned by the Russians, the #1 and #2 largest cell phone service providers are Russian, the power grid is owned by the Russians and the nuclear power station is managed by Russians, too. Effectively, all that remains under Armenian ownership are low tech, low value added agriculture based industries and the tourism industry.

The result was a resurgence of the class of people during the Soviet era who were educated in Russian schools and were the carriers of the Soviet/Russian mindset. These were people who looked down the Armenians who spoke Armenian and considered them uneducated villagers. While Robert Kocharian or Serj Sargsian were Russian speakers, it was not entirely their fault - in NKR, where these two grew up, you either spoke Russian or Azeri if you wanted to succeed and have a career.

This class of the society now wants to reopen the Russian language schools. Their leader is a person called Ashotian - the minister of education. This man used to be the most foul mouthed parliamentarian when he started his political career but was quickly promoted to a minister when Serj Sargsian inherited the presidency from Robert Kocharian after the March 1 massacre.

Hitler jokes.

There is a cottage industry on Youtube - people take clips from the movie Downfall and put funny closed captioning.

Having spent about an hour talking to a call center in India last Sunday and going nowhere (not really their fault but the policies of the American corporation that shall remain unnamed), this video cracked me up.

Tastelessness of burning flags or effigies.

On April 23 dashnaks burnt a Turkis flag and the pictures of their president, PM and the FM. The next day, the Turkish version of dashnaks burnt the Armenian flag and the picture of the self-declared president SS.

I find the whole thing very tasteless and it reminds me of the way Hamas or the Iranian nationalists act. I see very little positive impact that such acts achieve - they don't even toast marshmallows on the fire to make s'mores.

I even find burning your own country's flag tasteless, too. All said and done, it's still an expression of speech and should be legal to do.

Standard Operating Procedure.

"There is no need for torture if there are confessions and material evidence".

Alik Sargsian, Chief of Armenian Police, Yerevan, April 21, 2010 link

The background on the issue on Martuni or Bust

Khosq.com

[...] Հայաստանի բլոգերներից Սամվել Մարտիրոսյանն ասում է, սակայն, որ Հայաստանում լրատվական ուղղվածությամբ սոցիալական կայքերը ժողովրդականություն չեն վայելում, հայկական նման միակ կայքը` khosq.com-ը, ստեղծվել է 2008-ի մարտյան իրադարձությունների ամենաթեժ շրջանում, սակայն այդ կայքի կյանքը կարճ էր, այն շատ արագ վերածվեց ոչ թե քննարկումների, այլ բախումների հարթակի եւ այլեւս չի գործում: [...] More on Radio Liberty

Police Day - 2.

I just watched some footage of the Police Parade. While the posters they have placed around Yerevan send a message that they are bad-asses and should not be messed with, the reality is that they look quite miserable. The regular cops seem to be extremely bored while their chiefs have threatening speeches. And the parade looks like a low-budget Soviet movie from the 50-s, complete with a poorly rehearsed march, bad music and a female MC touting the virtues of each police department marching at the time.

This would be very funny if these guys were not the ones who abused their citizens on a daily basis and killed them from time to time (the latest being a witness to a crime who was stabbed and killed while being interrogated at the Central Police Precinct in Yerevan).

see the parade at http://www.azatutyun.am/video/6932.html

Police Day.

Today apparently the Police Day in Armenia and the cops have been celebrating. Pictured is one of their billboard ads. Pay a particular attention to the three monochrome figures - 2 wielding automatic weapons and one aiming with a semi-auto pistol that are pointed at the audience. This billboard is located on Grigor Lusavoriuch street on the very same spot from where they were firing at the demonstrators on March 1, 2008 ultimately killing 10 people.

Upd: I am still disturbed by the triangular depiction of the men in uniform shooting. I am hoping it's not a photo from March 1 but a still from a Hollywood movie about alien invasion. In any case, the police is sending a clear message to the people of Armenia. Such a message is incompatible to a normal civilized society where police are meant to serve and protect and not to shoot and kill.

Can people in Yerevan confirm whether this is a photo from March 1? I think I see one of those infamous machines used for high pressure water cannons behind the trio but I am not sure.

A quick and interesting take on the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC.

Richard Giragosian: “In this way the absence of Azerbaijan was very significant,” Giragosian said at a roundtable discussion hosted by ACNIS on Thursday. 

Look what I got in my email today.

from Kasim Gumus reply-to Kasim Gumus to INTLNEWS-STUDENTS-L@listserv.****.edu date Mon, Apr 12, 2010 at 12:30 AM subject [INTLNEWS-STUDENTS-L] A Lecture on Turkish & Armenian Conflict unsubscribe Unsubscribe from this sender

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***This listserv is provided as a service to IUPUI International Students. Postings on this listserv from sources external to the Office of International Affairs (OIA) do not imply any endorsement on the part of OIA.***

Dear friends,

Assembly of American Turkish Associations (ATAA) and Turkish Student Association at IUPUI (TSA) proudly announce a lecture by Prof. Türkkaya Ataöv : TURKS and ARMENIANS: What Really Happened on April 24, 1915. This lecture is a part of lecture series that being held in many US and Canada cities.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at 5:00-7:00pm
WHERE: Business School, Room BS 2000

Thank you,
Best Regards,

Kasim Gumus

Prof. Türkkaya Ataöv
ATAA Capital Forum and

 National Speakers Bureau Program

 US-Canada Lecture Series 

Supported by the Turkish Coalition of America  

 Turks and Armenians:

 What Really Happened on April 24, 1915

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 5:00-7:00pm IUPUI Kelley School of Bussines Room BS 2000 801 West Michigan Street Indianapolis, IN Organized by ATAA and TSA Information: 812.391.4838

There has been a big question as to what really took place on April 24, 1915, in the Ottoman Empire.  Various ethnic interest groups have offered conflicting versions of the events. On April 24, 1915, 235 leaders out of 77,735 Armenians of Istanbul were moved to and placed under house arrest in the Anatolian city of Çankırı.  They were free to move about the city in the day time, and confined to house arrest at night.  All were eventually released.  One died due to natural causes.  Two were murdered by two hooligans, who were tried and executed for their crimes.  In May 1915, many Armenians in the eastern provinces of the Ottoman Empire were relocated from the war zones in response to the Armenian Revolt which reached its most destructive point in the Van Revolt of March 1915.  In June 1915, the relocation reached port cities in Western Anatolia, where Armenian rebels were importing and transporting arms and ammunition to Armenian nationalists in the east.  In November 1915, the relocation ended.  The relocation was a military response to a military problem.  Having initially "slaughtered about 120,000 non-Armenians" in Eastern Anatolia, as recorded even by the British, and seized control of the Ottoman city of Van, with the backing of the invading Russians, the Armenians posed a great military danger to the 3rd, 4th, and the 6th Ottoman armies, as well as to the Ottoman civilian Muslim and Jewish populations. There is absolutely no similarity between the Armenian case and the Holocaust, as Jews never engaged in an armed revolt to create a Jewish state in Germany.  To equate the Armenian case with genocide, is to dilute the definition of genocide and understate the suffering of the Jews. Whether the events of 1915 constitute genocide is not a political question, where truth may be sacrificed for election purposes at Congressional district levels.  History and jurisprudence have their own methodologies that should be respected by all. In an ATAA national speaking tour, Prof.  Türkkaya Ataöv, a highly respected historian and professor will give a lecture on the political landscape and events of April 24, 1915 which will serve to enlighten the general public with a view toward reconciliation based on truth.  Details of this lecture are included herein.

Biographical Sketch of  Prof. Dr. Türkkaya Ataöv Türkkaya Ataöv is Professor Emeritus in International Relations at Ankara University, Turkey. He did his graduate work in the United States, where he received two M.A.s (NYU & Syracuse Univ.) and a Ph.D. (1959, Syracuse U., NY). He taught at Ankara Univ. for more than four decades and lectured in several American, British, Russian, German, Dutch, Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, African and Australian universities. He is the author of close to 140 books (most of which have been in foreign languages and printed in Europe or in the Americas), a few hundred academic treatises, and a few thousand newspaper articles. His writings have been translated into 20 languages and appeared in 17 European, 13 Asian, 5 African, and 3 American states and Australia. He was elected to central executive positions of UN-related international organizations, dealing with racial discrimination, human rights, terrorism, nuclear war, and exchange of prisoners of war. Professor Ataöv published 80 books or booklets on the Armenian issue, was invited (as "witness of authority") by the Paris court to the two (1984 & 1985) trials of Armenian terrorists, participated in the UN (1985) Geneva meetings of the Human Rights Commission on the Genocide Convention, and partook in several meetings of the European Parliament that dealt with the Armenian issue. Professor Ataöv received 17 academic awards or medals in recognition of his published works and activities. They include two (Italian and Federal Yugoslavian) presidential medals, two UN-affiliated awards, and several honorary doctorates and academic citations.

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