Why we keep on failing...

[gggpearl]

just wanted to make some clarifications about rabiz...
originally it comes from Russian - (rab)ochee (is)skustvo=rabis which means working art, i.e. art of working class. then as most of the russian words it went some phonetic changes and become rabiz as it sounds now. i guess in the beginning nobody thought that it will get such a negative connotation but now it is really used only with a negative reference.

as for western and eastern armenians i always wonder why people try to find only the negative things in each other, after all there are so many wonderful ones in spite of everything and the life is too short and the armenians are to few and they are too good to be bad...

[HyeJinx1984]

I saw a documentary recently in which someone stated that the Armenian's secret to survival has always been the ability to develop a double identity. To be able to blend in and become a integral part of whatever society they are in, but at the same time retain their "armenianess" and whatever that means to them and pass it on to their kids. I actually whole heartedly believe in this... this why generation after generation Armenians in Iran, Lebenon, Syria, Argentina, and many other places in the world haven't assimilated yet. However, why is it that merely a generation or two in America we're seeing such a quick decline in Armenian responsibilty and cultural awareness?

The answer is because the American system is very indvidualistic and self centered, traits that Armenians are too quick to fancy. Call me a pinko commie or whatever, but the ammount of individualism that the American system offers makes us forget about everything but outselves.

My dad lived in an Apartment building in Tehran growing up, he used to play with all his neighbors and knew all of them. My mom grew up in Baku, she knew all her neighbors, families would be over at each others houses all the time. I'm SURE it's the same way in Armenian, Russia, Lebenon, etc... Now, I was raised here in America, I've lived in this building for 10 years now... I don't think I know a single person's name, let alone made any close friends with the kids. There's no sense of community here, no sense of camaraderie.

So what's the point of this diatrabe that seems to have no relation to the topic at hand? The point is, America holds more Armenians than anywhere else outside the former soviet union... and we're all being "poisoned" by the "virtues" of this land. It's because of this carefree "Be a good girl and go to work in the morning, come back at night, go to the nightclub on the weekend to enjoy your freedom and run back to the hamster wheel on monday" system that relieves us of all responsibilty to anyone but ourselves and our bills that we send to big brother every month. The common man has no agenda here. Forget the protesters you see in the streets... how many individuals, Armenians or otherwise, living in this country have passions (outside themselves)? causes (outside themselves)? agendas (outside themselves)? Almost no one. It's because of this EXTREME individualism that no one thinks twice after muttering the words "but, it makes me happy"

We rally around politicians who supposbly have our best interests in mind. Where are the revolutionaries? where is the man who's sick of coming home from work every day to world he hates even more than his job? where's the mother who's sick of watching the apple of her eye turn into a piece of garbage cause he watches too much BET? Where are the preservers of culture, the warriors? I'm not talking about elected officials or legends or national heroes. I'm talking about YOU, I'm talking about your parents, your GRAND parents, your children... Why do we think OTHERS will help us? Why don't each and everyone one of us become a one man (or woman) campaign against everything that would eradicate us? Becuase.... America doesn't work that way.

So... you want me to go up to someone raised in this system, with an "ian" at the end of their name or not, and say "Hey, why don't you help out?"

[Hayq]

ok i didnt even bother to continue to read ur bull xxxx post. ok. first of all armenians are not comfortable where we xxxxin are. im not comfortable pple in my school callin me armo. mmmmmmmkkk. im not comfortable when think about all those kids in armenian who are poor and live on the streets. the only armenians who are comfortable are the xxxxxxxs who only think about the cocasians they make fun of and the chinese pple. get over the fact that are nation is comfortable. sure we're better than we were but thats no reason to say we're comfortable where we r. BECAUSE WE ARE xxxxIN LOSING LAND AND ONLY HAVE ABOUT 8 MILLION OF US!!!!!!! OUR MEN ARE SEXIST ARE WOMEN ONLY CARE ABOUT GOSSIP AND THE FOOD THEY NEED TO COOK FOR THEIR HUSBANDS. THE KIDS ARE FOBS WHO DONT UNDERSTAND ANYTHING. OUR GRANDMAS GOT MARRIED BEFORE THEY EVEN GOT THEIR PERIODS!!!! SO DONT xxxxING SAY WE ARE COMFORTABLE RIGHT WHERE WE xxxxING ARE!!!!!!!!!!

You can help by learning English, getting a job, and making something of yourself.

Armenian men are not sexist, it is Western men who are pushovers. Women gossip, true...but they do take care of kids. The kids are fools, no doubt.