Iraq... an Armenian view.

[Hayq]

My last post in this topic, I cannot change the thoughts of an whole nation....

An area i worked in when i was a little younger was social reform and poverty... I say poverty, it is not in the same sense that Armenia knows it.

Poverty for Armenians means you have no friends, family, home, or job.

[IAmMadAtAC]

Hayq I did not say Armenia will become like America, that was a case of putting words in my mouth. I was just saying its a new country and things like corruption are always inherint in new countries, especially new countries trying to de-Sovietize themselves. At least though in this case you could make some good arguements backed up by facts UNLIKE

My last post in this topic, I cannot change the thoughts of an whole nation....

I still don't even know what you want to change. You've said so many inflamatory things that I don't know how you expected us to accept it even if it made sense. And seeing as this started out with you claiming the Iraq war was right, I wouldn't want you to change the thoughts of a whole nation anyway. Because then an entire nation would be naive idiots who don't know the truth.

[Anonymouse]

Yknow, we as Armenians have had one enemy we can not get rid of...ourselves...

When a nation has 1mln old people who can not fight, has an economy run on tourism, and a corrupt government that keeps pocketing profit...it will cease to to exist.

Right NOW, as of THIS point...it does not look too good for Armenia. I do not know what will happen between now and 20 years, I do not want it to end...but I can not gaurantee that it would not.

As for Tigo....phuck off.

The problem with the Armenian economy is that close to 70 plus years of socialism alot has been derailed and set back in terms of economic development, state-controls and so on. The effects of Communism are still with Armenia alive and well until now. Most of the former Soviet Republics were all hard it. That is the similarity they all share. Armenia however has a uniqueness in that it saw one of the worst population declines among the former Republics. The effects on Armenia from the fall of Communism into its post-Communist phase do not begin merely in the 90s, they are a hallmark of the pre-Communist world, the genocide and the Great War.

There are two reasons for Armenia's slump after the Communism. The first reason has to do with the formation of the Armenian Republic after World War I, the way it was formed, when it was formed, and where it was formed. Lacking access to sea, it is isolated from trade. Landlocked in between hostile nations in which conflicts never ended but only reached a temporary hiatus is a result, barring it from trade relations with its neighbors. It is this situation that eventually came back to haunt Armenia and which still haunts it until now. The second reason has to do with development patterns. The success of Western Europe depended largely on its industrial revolution, and it's capitalism. Armenia like Russia, and most other non-Western European nations did not go through an industrial revolution. They went from a direct feudal/peasant economy into a socialist economy which had deleterious effects that are still with us today. It is because of these reasons that Armenia was hit severely after the fall of the Soviet Union, which then added to the low birth rates, and emigration.

The problem with the tourists and Armenians abroad funneling money into Armenia is that it is temporary. The current situation of the world presents two phenomenon that are unfolding. One has to do specifically with Armenians, the second has to do in general with other nations. The era of nation-states is coming to an end. With massive immigration, and assimilation cultures and peoples are mixing. Societies and therefore the civilization which were once a reflection of those societies are changing. Western Europe will cease to be majority "white" by 2090. America will be majority non-white by 2050. The effects of this should tell you something. Armenians abroad are also diluting as time goes on. Like the old Armenian communities in Poland or the Crimea like in Lvov, Ukraine, they will disappear. Who then will support the tiny little landlocked nation of Armenia?

[Thai-Samurai]

we could hire an army of gnomes.

[xBaron Dants]

Mr. obi,

Please, just please shut up already.

And Hayq, you will owe us all an apology 20 years from now.

[Hayq]

Nah. I wont. Apologize for what? Armenia is not going to change until Armenians change.

[xBaron Dants]

You should be the first one to change, I would think. You seem to have symptoms of acute b!tchandmoanitis.

[CatWoman]

Nah. I wont. Apologize for what? Armenia is not going to change until Armenians change.

You mean Armenians like YOU right?

[Hayq]

Yup. Armenians like me.

[XxgoeyxX]

Yup. Armenians like me.

Yes, Hayq Armenians like you. I know jgm1975 wasnt talking about you, but I loved when he said: "The problem is that we have not achieved enough maturity to stop equating self-criticism with self-hatred."