What a TERRIBLE article! I can't understand this person's uber-pessimistic and/or anti-Armenian tone. Here are some choice quotes (first is an explanation and refuting of it by me, followed by in quote marks quotations from the article):
1. This makes it seem like NK is all Armenians fault. It also makes us all seem like crazed nationalist freaks beyond all reason. Of course we won't negotiate "seriously" with the "serious" things thrown at us by Azerbaijan, since they are mostly along the lines of since you won Armenia, we think a good solution would be for you to totally surrender all of Karabakh to us and we will give it "a measure of autonomy". If that's being rational I know I don't want to be.
"Armenia has refused to negotiate down from this untenable geopolitical
position. After winning the Nogorno-Karabakh war, Armenian leaders --
backed by a fiery nationalism that is quite popular among Armenians
within both the country and the diaspora -- have refused to seriously
negotiate a peace agreement with Azerbaijan that might end the
military standoff."
2. Look at this skepticism! "If you believe Yerevan's public relations?!" What the hell, it's well known that volunteers like Monte came from all over to help in the war.
"Armenia became embroiled in a war with Azerbaijan over
the fate of Nogorno-Karabakh, a majority Armenian enclave within
Azerbaijani territory. Armenia -- or if you believe Yerevan's public
relations, Armenian volunteers supporting the Karabakh Armenians --
won the war and continues to control a large western slice of
Azerbaijani territory contingent to it."
3. I am not even going to comment on the following faulty and horrible line.
"To be fair, the Azerbaijanis have not exactly been extending olive
branches either, but Baku believes that ultimately its oil and natural
gas revenues will allow it to build up a military force capable of
recapturing its lost territory. It likely is correct."
4. And of course here's the last line to this rosy feel-good article of the year:
"Winds of change are blowing in Armenia; it is not clear whether
Armenia will survive them."
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