Monday, August 22, 2011

Victory Gardens.

In the UK and the US there was the concept of "Victory Gardens" during the war years. The urban populations in the British and American cities were urged to cultivate small plots of land to grow their own food in order to mitigate the food shortage caused by the WWI and WWII. The local governments allotted land, sometimes vacant spots, sometimes public parks, for this. they also encouraged people to cultivate the land in their backyards.

A similar food shortage was present in Armenia during the Karabakh War. People started gardening on small plots of land in their yards, public parks and the deforested areas after trees were cut down for wood stoves.

But the biggest contrast is the value system behind it. While in the West these gardens are called Victory Gardens, in Armenia these are known as "destruction of parks during Cold and Dark Days".

How can a nation like Armenia weather hardships if this is the attitude propagated by the political and cultural leadership?

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Burn!

[...]Ռուսաստանը դա կանի մի դեպքում, եթե Վրաստանը դառնա իր վասալը, այսինքն՝ ամբողջապես եւ փաստացի առաջարկի իր ծառայությունը Ռուսաստանին՝ Վրաստանի տարածքում ռազմական բազաներ տեղակայի, միջազգային ոլորտում լինի ՌԴ, այսպես ասած, ներկայացուցիչը, փոխի իր արեւմտյան կողմնորոշումը եւ ԱՄՆ-ի ու աշխարհի հետ իր հարաբերությունները կառուցի Ռուսաստանի միջոցով: Իսկ դա փաստացի կնշանակի՝ Վրաստանի անկախության կորուստ:[...]


Speaking about the 2008 war, a Georgian political analyst explains the only situation where Russia will change its relationship with Georgia.


[...]Russia will do that [normalize relations] if Georgia becomes its vassal, i.e. offer its services to Russia such as placing Russian bases in Georgia, become a Russian representative on the international arena, change its pro-Western orientation and build its relationship with the world through Russia. But that will mean Georgia's factual loss of independence. [...]


I don't know if he meant a BURN! moment but that exactly describes the Armenian relationship with Russia.