Sunday, May 21, 2006
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CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
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Propagandists treat the past as if it were a supermarket, picking and choosing only the items that support their interests and ignoring the rest. But reality, being one and indivisible, refuses to be sliced like baloney.
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The belief that God created man comes with a heavy price – keep your nose clean or else! Atheism comes with a price too – you are no better than a chemical accident waiting to disintegrate.
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The believer’s options are between heaven and hell; the unbeliever’s, between freedom and nothingness.
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When a man kills, it’s seldom for a good reason. But when nations engage in war and massacre, nationalist historians and religious leaders combine to convince the people they are carrying out the will of God. Capitalism legitimizes greed; religion, murder.
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When a man kills in the name of God, who is the guilty party? The killer, he who brainwashed him, or He who is the source of their driving force?
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The best argument against nationalism and for atheism: the spectacle of two nations killing, mutilating, and raping in the name of a Being who has the power to stop them but who prefers to stand by and do nothing. (As for the concept of free will: it may apply to the killers but not to their innocent victims.)
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The secret of popularity and success consists in flattering the collective ego of the maximum number of people by saying they are right (even when they are wrong) and God is on their side (even when there is no evidence to that effect). The secret of failure consists in exposing liars and their lies.
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Society rewards those who deal in baloney and penalizes anyone who dares to think for himself.
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Monday, May 22, 2006
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After identifying himself as a competent judge of character, one of my gentle readers takes it upon himself to inform me that I am a self-hating Armenian devoid of all talent.
If I have learned anything from life is that nothing can be as misleading as assessing oneself. I speak from experience. I don’t mind admitting that, once upon a time when I was young and foolish, I too assessed myself as a good judge of character and trusted in the objectivity and accuracy of my assessments until the day I met a loud-mouth inbred moron who had assessed himself as a genius.
I am more than willing to concede that I have no talent whatever, and that all my notes and comments are those of a very ordinary person who uses only his common sense. Does that mean what I say is without merit? Does that also mean only those with special talents have a right to testify or voice their opinions? If so, who among us will come forward and declare himself qualified to separate the sheep from the goats?
As for being a self-hating Armenian: if I hate anything it’s being at the mercy of self-assessed leaders (be they bosses, bishops, benefactors, or academics) who feel authorized to tell who is and is not qualified to exercise his fundamental human right of free speech.
And to suggest that only self-hating Armenians criticize their fellow Armenians is to imply that Armenians, being the Chosen People, are beyond criticism. In the words of a wise Englishman, “If you believe that, you’ll believe anything!” – including your own assessment of yourself as a connoisseur of character and talent.
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Tuesday, May 23, 2006
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At the center of our being there is a vacuum (Sartre’s “nothingness”) that needs to be filled. That’s one reason why man, who cannot create a single worm, has created ten thousand gods.
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During the Soviet era there were Armenians who believed the Soviet Union, very much like Hitler’s Germany, was going to last a thousand years.
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Believers like to speak in terms of millennia and eternity. It never even occurs to them that the most important factor that goes into defining their selection of belief system may well be the accident of geography, that is to say, real estate; that is to say, mud.
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In his travel impressions of Soviet Armenia, OLD DREAMS, NEW REALITIES (Beirut, 1982) Antranik Zaroukian discusses at some length the conversation he once had with a faithful member of the Party who had a prefabricated argument against all his doubts, objections, and criticisms of the regime.
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I have met several such specimens myself. One of them, also a former member of the Party and, in the words of a friend (himself an Evangelical minister), “a professor of atheism in Yerevan,” who after the collapse of the USSR, emigrated to the United States, saw the light, and became a born-again Evangelical preacher. Which may suggest that some believers let self-interest, rather than mud, handle their selection of belief system. Which may also suggest that their number one concern is neither God nor Country but taking care of number one.
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Wednesday, May 24, 2006
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The aim of dialogue is not to prove one side right and the other wrong but to advance towards the truth or to reach a consensus, which does not mean agreement on all points but agreement only to work together, because the alternative is Armenian history as we know it.
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He who is consumed with the idea of asserting infallibility is sure to be wrong.
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If he sits on his ass and does nothing on the assumption that in twenty or thirty years all our problems will solve themselves, he must be an Armenian.
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If he is a perennial underdog but speaks with the arrogance of a top dog, he must be an Armenian.
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If he is a loudmouth imbecile and brags about his IQ, he must be an Armenian.
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Please note that I am talking about myself now, or rather, the way I am perceived by some of my readers who invariably ascribe my failings to my identity as an Armenian. The implication being that had I been a Patagonian or a Hottentot, I would have none of these defects. So much for Armenian self-esteem…
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RAMKAVAR AZATAKAN BRACES UP FOR 2007 ELECTIONS
Armenpress
May 23 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS: Ramkavar Azatakan (Democratic Liberal )
party of Armenia said it will contest the 2007 parliamentary elections,
but added that before launching the election campaign it has developed
a chain of amendments, which it would like to be incorporated in the
draft election code.
This party that contrary to big expectations, failed to overcome the
required threshold of collected votes to win a seat in the parliament
in 2003 polls, said today its amendments call for annulment of
one-mandate constituencies election system which must be replaced
by the so-called proportional election system when all seats are
contested by parties.
Another major amendments proposed by the party refers to parliament
members immunity. “The proposed amendment calls for elimination of
parliament member immunity so that people who consider the legislative
body as a safe heaven to avoid criminal and other responsibility leave
it alone and allow people who want to move this country forward come
and do their job,” party chairman Harutyun Arakelian said to a news
conference today.
Citing a provision from the draft election code that establishes a
seven percent voter threshold for blocs made up of two parties and a
ten percent threshold for three-member alliances Arakelian said the
election code does not reflect the interests of out-of- parliament
forces, but added that despite these challenges his party will fight
for seats in the parliament and will also nominate a candidate for
2008 presidential election.
Arakelian indicated also his party was not delighted with the
activity of the World Armenian Congress, run by the Russia-based
Armenian tycoon Ara Abrahamian, saying they are very likely to quit
the organization. He said though the Ramkavar Azatakan party was
one of its cofounders it learns about its plans from newspapers. He
also slammed Ara Abrahamian’s declared campaign of suing Turkey at
the International Human Rights Court for its denial of the Armenian
genocide, saying that would be tantamount to declaring war on Turkey.
He also argued that the first country to stand trial for the Armenian
genocide is Great Britain because ‘some documents leave no doubt that
the government of Great Britain in the early 20-th century instigated
Armenian pogroms in the Ottoman empire.”

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF NATO SECRETARY GENERAL TO SOUTH CAUCASUS
Armenpress
May 23 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Robert Kocharian
received today Special Representative of NATO Secretary General to
the South Caucasus Robert Simmons.
Presidential press service informed Armenpress that during the meeting
the sides discussed issues on NATO-Armenia cooperation. Robert Simmons
positively assessed the pace of Armenia’s Individual Partnership
Action Plan program with NATO and noted that during the short period
of time a notable progress has been registered in the implementation
of the program. The sides particularly underscored the implementation
of reforms in the defense sphere and consolidation of democracy
in Armenia.
The president also said that for coordinating the works with different
European organizations an inter-ministerial commission has been set up
which will periodically report to the Armenian president about the pace
of works. “Our aim is not to stay behind of the planned work but to
move forward and fully implement the joint programs,” said Kocharian.
During the meeting the president also referred to the current pace
of the Karabakh conflict regulation process.

HOAGLAND NOMINATED FOR US AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA
Yerkir
24.05.2006 16:30
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – US Senate is set to consider the nomination of
Richard E. Hoagland for the United States ambassador to Armenia,
according to a US Senate press release.
Richard E. Hoagland, of the District of Columbia, is a career member
of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor. Currently,
he is serving as the US ambassador to Tajikistan.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT RATIFIES COMPACT WITH MCC
Armenpress
May 24 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian National Assembly has
ratified today an agreement between the government of Armenia and
the Millennium Challenges Corporation (MCC), signed on March 25
in Washington by the Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge
Corporation, Ambassador John Danilovich and Armenia’s Minister of
Finance and Economy, Vartan Khachatrian.
The $235 million Compact consists of two investments: a Rural Road
Rehabilitation Project and an Irrigated Agriculture Project. The
program will directly impact 75% of the rural population and is
expected to significantly increase the annual incomes of rural
poor. The Compact includes a $67 million project to rehabilitate
up to 943 kilometers of rural roads, more than a third of Armenia’s
proposed Lifeline road network.
The Compact also includes a $146 million project to increase the
productivity of approximately 250,000 farm households (34% of
which are headed by women) through improved water supply, higher
yields, higher-value crops, and a more competitive agricultural
sector. Administrative and monitoring and evaluation costs of the
Program are budgeted at approximately $23 million.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SEVERAL RESIDENTS OF VAYOTS DZOR REGION WILL BE RESETTLED
A1+
[03:23 pm] 24 May, 2006
Robert Kocharyan and Vayots Dzor regional governor Samvel Sargsyan
discussed the results of the work carried out in the region last year
during today’s working meeting.
The main issue discussed was the problem of landslips and the process
of resettlement of people from dangerous areas. It was decided that in
2007 too money will be allotted from the state budget for that purpose.
Issues about the compensation of the losses of the region because
of natural disasters, the re-exploitation of the Eghegnadzor tinned
fruit factory and the restoration of the irrigation network were
also discussed.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERI ANALYST SAYS KARABAKH RESOLUTION DEPENDS ON RUSSIA’S REDUCED ROLE
ANS TV, Baku
23 May 06
Political analyst Vafa Quluzada has said that there is no strategic
partnership between Azerbaijan and Russia because the latter is widely
perceived as Armenia’s ally.
In an interview with “Point of View” programme on commercial ANS TV,
Vafa Quluzada said that the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict could only
be solved once the geopolitical situation changes in the region and
Russia’s influence on Armenia diminishes.
He also called on Azerbaijan to promote political and economic
cooperation with the West as this would contribute to the country’s
progress.
No further processing planned.

KARABAKH ISSUE DISCUSSED IN AZERBAIJAN
A1+
[03:52 pm] 24 May, 2006
Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk group Yuri Merzlyakov, Bernard Fassier and
Steven Mann met the heads of the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan. The
meeting lasted 1.5 hours but no statement followed, agency “Trend”
reports.
Deputy Foreign Ministers of Russia and France and assistant of the US
State Secretary Daniel Fried also participated in the meeting. The
co-chairs will meet the President of Azerbaijan today after which
they will make a statement about the course of the settlement of the
Karabakh conflict.
The sides are to take decisive steps for the final settlement of
the conflict, but final clarification of the negotiation process
will be done at the end of the week, Daniel Fried announced. He
reminded that this is the third time he has visited Azerbaijan for
the last 6 months. “My aim is to find ways for the settlement of the
conflict. The population of the region has the right of peace.” Daniel
Fried underlined that “the states are to take steps in that direction”.
“President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev and President of Armenia Robert
Kocharyan are able to settle the conflict peacefully,” the American
diplomat thinks.

DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER OF AZERBAIJAN IS DISPLEASED
A1+
[04:04 pm] 24 May, 2006
Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov said that the
statements of the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs about new offers in
connection with the settlement of the Karabakh conflict do not inspire
optimist, agency “Trend” reports.
“With suchlike announcements the co-chairs mean to raise the importance
of their work in the eyes of the people,” Araz Azimov mentioned. He
also said that there are clear problems the solution of which can
be expected after plain and evident steps. “These steps must be
represented to Azerbaijan distinctly”.

THEY CONDEMN THE ACT OF SERGE SARGSYAN’S BROTHER
A1+
[04:27 pm] 24 May, 2006
The Political Council of the party “Homeland and Honor” has made
a statement expressing indignation about the cynical behavior of
Alexander Sargsyan towards Taguhi Tovmasyan, the correspondent of
the newspaper “Iravounq”.
“The Political Council supports freedom of speech and the staff of
the newspaper “Iravounq”. We look forward to the hour when all the
people who have that kind of behavior will be punished regardless of
their position”, the statement says.