Author: Khondkarian Raffi

BY GAREN YEGPARIAN

It may seem like a bad topic to write about in this season of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday and the annual Armenia Fund Telethon (this year dedicated to developing Artsakh’s tremendous agricultural potential), but a reader brought an article to my attention titled “Murders, suicides, and fatal accidents plague the Armenian military,” published by OC Media, which contains some very worrisome data.

If the numbers are accurate, then in the 2010-2016 period, more of the deaths suffered by the armies of the Republics of Armenia and Artzakh are non-combat (259, or 59%) rather than casualties of war (213, or 41%)! Please see the accompanying chart which I have replicated from the original article

We all hear about these deaths, but not in the aggregate, which comes as a bit of a shock. Why are there all these needless deaths?

Some of it may come from hazing, which evidently harks back, systemically, to Soviet times, but all militaries have been known for it since… forever. But judging by the causes of death, that cannot be the main reason.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter why this is going, it must stop, and stop immediately. There are evidently laws on the books in Armenia to fight this, but clearly, they are not working, for whatever reason – because they are insufficient to the task or unenforced. This is a matter of the countries’ survival, given our bloodthirsty eastern and western neighbors.

The good news is, the army enjoys a high level of trust among Armenia’s citizens, 65% of respondents, though 62% believe it is non-transparent. Interestingly, three quarters of young people believe that problems and incidents in the army should not even be discussed or publicized.

This is corrosive, because in time, abuses leading to deaths will erode the positive numbers cited above, it cannot be any other way. Heavy duty pressure, very public, is the only way to induce rapid change. Really, the only change required is simple – up and down the chain of command, everyone in the military must act with decency and respect.

Let’s get on this. The security of the slivers of our homeland still under Armenian control are at stake. When you donate to Armenia Fund this year, send a note along saying you want to see a fundamental and rapid reduction in the non-combat military death statistics.

 

Beauty

Yes, indeed, I am going to discuss appearance, specifically, people’s, and more specifically Armenians’, since we seem so fixated on denying ourselves.

There are countless adages and quips about beauty, a quick online search allowed me to select a few and add those that I remembered.

1- Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
2- BEAUTY x BRAINS = CONSTANT.
3- BRAUN x BRAINS = CONSTANT.
4- Beauty is only skin deep. (But ugly goes clear through to the bone).
5- Pretty is as pretty does.
6- There is certainly no absolute standard of beauty. That precisely is what makes its pursuit so interesting.
7- Glamour is a shooting star, it catches your eye, but fades away, beauty is the sun always brilliant day after day.
8- Beauty in things exists in the mind which contemplates them.
9- People are more than just the way they look.
10- People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.

Many of these apply to us and our self-image.

Copious amounts of money are spent on superficial modifications. Why? Many seem to pursue looking like “a model” when those objects of temporary adulation are nothing but unhealthy examples of fixations on exterior “beauty” – or glamor. (see #s 1, 7, 8, and 9 above)

What’s worse is when the particular “look” someone aspires to have is very alien to that person, be it genetically or culturally. No doubt we’ve all seen Armenians, especially those among us with darker toned skin, who decide to dye their hair blond(e). Often, the eyebrows are neglected, resulting in a ridiculous appearance. Either way, the result is usually just this side of hideous. It looks just as absurd as bleached-hair-Japanese. Then we have the hair removal fad, and this applies mostly to our men. Again I ask, why? I can’t help but recall learning, in my “History of the Caucasus” class, that in the 19th century, Georgian women were considered very alluring because of their… “unibrow” as its now derisively labeled. (see #6 above)

Body shapes are subject to the same unnecessary modifications, too. Whether biceps, breasts, or buttocks, why mess with how we’re shaped? If some group developed adaptations to their environment (flatlands, forests, mountains, etc.), why should some temporary, passing, fascination with another group’s body shape inspire surgical intervention? (see #s 6 and 9, and above)

When Armenians, or anyone else, engages in this kind of behavior, all we do is betray a fatuousness, an internal emptiness, a lack of self-confidence, and even self-hate. (see #10 above)
Why adopt others’ notions of beauty, or those based on what is natural and native to other groups, rather than one’s own?

Let’s love Armenian beauty amongst ourselves and enjoy the beauty of others when we visit them. (see #s 1and 8 above)

STUTTGART, Germany (U.S. Department of Defense) — On Tuesday, Armenian and U.S. leaders celebrated the reopening of the Zar Peacekeeping Training Area in Yerevan.

The training area is designed to increase the readiness and training of the 12th Peacekeeping Brigade, U.S. European Command officials said.

“By renovating this facility, the U.S. government is contributing to the Armenian Ministry of Defense’s efforts to boost training readiness,” said U.S. Embassy Armenia Charge d’Affaires Rafik Mansour. “This will have a noticeable impact on the 12th PKB’s ability to deploy in support of peacekeeping operations worldwide.”

Armenia and the United States have a long-standing partnership built on a common vision of a Europe that is whole, free and at peace, celebrating 25 years of diplomatic relations, officials said.

“The opening of the Zar PTA is a strong symbol of the cooperation between the United States and Armenia,” Air Force Brig. Gen. Dawne L. Deskins, Eucom’s deputy director of partnering and missile defense, said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We look forward to many more years together bringing greater security throughout the region.”

The training area’s goal is to establish a permanent cadre and support staff that will provide regional and international partners continuous use of the facility, Eucom officials said.

The 12th PKB is an Armenian unit that contributes troops to multinational peacekeeping missions. Mansour noted Armenia’s contributions to international peacekeeping operations.

“Armenia’s deployment of troops to places like Afghanistan, Kosovo and Lebanon has demonstrated a commitment to make the world a safer place,” he said.