Glenn Beck Program

[Helen]

Armenian Vote
OCTOBER 12, 2007

GLENN BECK PROGRAM
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

GLENN: Let me deviate from the news from the western front for just a second to a completely random story, no significance here whatsoever. If I were a police officer or a useful idiot, I might say, nothing to see here, people, nothing bigger than the surface, let's move on. Dateline, Ankara, Turkey. Turkey ordered its ambassador in Washington to return to Turkey for consultations over a U.S. House panel approval of a bill describing the World War I era mass killings of Armenians as genocide. Remember there's nothing to this story.

Turkey's naval commander cancelled a planned trip to the United States over the bill. Earlier the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Ross Wilson, was invited to the foreign ministry where Turkish officials conveyed their unease over the bill and asked the Bush administration to do all in its power to stop the bill from passing in the full House according to a foreign ministry official.

Now, it seems like an odd thing to do. Why would the House be taking up a bill that amounts to announcing their opinion on how a battle in Turkish Armenian history should be categorized? Do we not have politicians with something to do? Should we send them another list? Have they accomplished everything on their honey-do list? The House foreign affairs committee passed the bill Wednesday despite intense lobbying by Turkish officials and opposition from President Bush. Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. Something's opening up a bit. Bush opposed it. So the Democratic congress is for it. Okay, but that's got to be it, right? I mean, it's just something petty like that. No, maybe there's something more. Maybe they have just been reading up on the Armenian plight lately. Maybe they have just gotten to World War I history because they know if you don't study history, you're destined to repeat it and they're up to World War I. Maybe that's it.

The vote was a triumph for well organized Armenian American interest groups who have lobbied congress for decades to pass this resolution. Decades? This is weird. It's a good thing America doesn't really look into these stories because there's got to be something here, but let's move on, shall we?

They have been trying for decades to pass a bill that basically says Turkish people were savages in the time of World War I, and after all of this time, now all of a sudden they are making headway. I wonder why that's happening right now. Maybe there's something back in the article. Defense secretary Robert Gates reiterated his opposition to the resolution Thursday. Hmmm, that's weird. Why would our defense secretary have an opinion on a bill categorizing a Turkish Armenian conflict from almost 100 years ago? He said the measure could hurt relations at a time when U.S. forces in Iraq rely heavily on Turkish permission to use their airspace for US air cargo flights.

So our relations are already strained with Turkey because they are butting heads with the Kurds and amassing troops on the Kurdish Iraqi border in northern Iraq and our congress selects right now to try to pass a bill that's going to piss off Turkey. That seems odd. But I'm sure when they say that we rely heavily on their airspace, I'm sure that nothing really important is coming through Turkey, right?

About 70% of U.S. air cargo headed for Iraq goes through Turkey, as does one third of the fuel used by the U.S. military in Iraq. U.S. bases also get something called water and other supplies by land from Turkish truckers who cross into the northern region of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Let me tell you something. I'm no Armenian historian, but I am a thinker here and I'm beginning to doubt how much our congress really cares about categorizing deaths from a century ago and I'm starting to wonder if they're just trying to intentionally screw the war up by messing with our supply lines. Maybe, maybe congress should think about this for a second, cutting off supply lines.

Stu, I'm no military strategist, but help me think this through. Cutting off supply lines, isn't that usually what your enemies in war do?

STU: You know, I've actually, I was watching -- I was watching the History Channel and I think they did mention that.

GLENN: Cutting the supply line, it's usual not your own country.

STU: Not usually.

GLENN: Yeah.

STU: But I don't know that it's ruled out necessarily.

GLENN: Can I tell you something? I've been noodling this story all week when it broke because it had been sitting out there for a while and then on Wednesday it actually happened, and it really bothered me until I started doing the homework on it. There are enemies of this country that are domestic. You are supposed to defend this Constitution from enemies, foreign and domestic. You tell me how this is not an enemy of the United States. You tell me how -- because listen to this. This is not just cutting off the supply lines of our troops. This is intentionally inflicting damage on a weak ally, one that is in the "I'm not sure" category anymore, one that we are trying to hold together into the ally category. You declare the -- it's not like you could take this back. You declare that Turkey did this at this time with a country that is on the precipice of Muslim extremism. You're not talking about a stable region of the world. I don't know if you've got that. I don't know if you've noticed, but the number one movie, I believe, of all time in Turkey just came out, with the help of American movie makers, and it was about the atrocities -- and it wasn't a documentary of the it was a movie about the atrocities that our military perpetrated on Turks and now our congress is intentionally sticking a stick into the hornet's nest. You are -- you're not just saying, hey, we're not -- you're not an ally. You are making an enemy. How is that not an enemy? You think you're doing it because you're stopping the war. I'm beginning to look at some of the things that they are doing and I have never been here. I have never been here, but please tell me how you're not at least at the precipice looking in across this fence, that some of the things that the people in congress are doing are more about the destruction of our country than about disagreeing with this war. You can disagree with the war, you can vote to cut off -- I believe it is despicable to vote to cut the supply lines off, cut the money off. Bring them home. Bring them home. But what you're doing here is you are making an enemy with Turkey.

How does that serve our interests? How does pushing Turkey further away from capitalism and democracy and stability and more in line with Iran and Syria, how does that help us? You don't think -- they've tried to get us to declare this for decades; you are just doing it now? A bunch of people who are constantly saying no one in the world likes us is pissing off our pseudoally at a time of war when 70% of our cargo flights and water for our troops come out of their country? Plus it only makes things worse with Turkey because it lessens our influence with them, our influence to possibly stop their invasion of the Kurdish areas in Iraq. Our one major success story is being undermined. If we screw up our already shaky relationship and decide to stop letting us use their airspace, it will make our troops harder to supply, it will cost billions of dollars.

And by the way, France did this. France just did this. What was Turkey's reaction? Quote: Turkey ended its military ties with France over the bill last year. You want an example of people playing politics with war? Here you go. This nonsense puts our soldiers at risk. Its backhanded attempt to undermine the war and it makes an enemy out of an ally and quite possibly helps push Turkey into the Muslim extremist category. But maybe they are just focusing on Armenian history, maybe. Maybe get a little, a few more years up in their history books and read about World War II. Maybe they will realize the mistake they're making now.

END TRANSCRIPT

http://www.glennbeck.com/news/10122007b.shtml

[bell-the-cat]

Another neocon redneck with a mic and a radio program?

[Joseph]

Another neocon redneck with a mic and a radio program?

He's a poor man's Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity.

[hitite]

Do you guys really think that a majority in the US congress can really care about the Armenian Genocide? They dont give a rats ass. How can a country like USA care about who died and how many people died about 100 yerars ago when they are killing thousands themselves today? Isnt it all about a few thousand Armenian votes and political leverage over Turkey? You all know it is. You all know American politicians can never share the same sentiments as you do. But hey, who cares whether US politicians really know anything about the Genocide?

[Joseph]

Do you guys really think that a majority in the US congress can really care about the Armenian Genocide? They dont give a rats ass. How can a country like USA care about who died and how many people died about 100 yerars ago when they are killing thousands themselves today? Isnt it all about a few thousand Armenian votes and political leverage over Turkey? You all know it is. You all know American politicians can never share the same sentiments as you do. But hey, who cares whether US politicians really know anything about the Genocide?

The Majority? No. A a vocal Minority? Yes, they do give a "rats ass". Knowing the innerworking of how our lobbying efforts work, it has never taken a too much effort to get many of the vocal minority of our supporters to try and enact legislation on our behalf. Though I am not enamored with our politicians in general, many are indeed accomplished men and women, well educated, worldly, (and some are even historians!), and advocates for human rights. Many of these Reps and Senators are from more urban areas of course and are themselves relgious and ethnic minorities, and have advanced degrees.

When I was in college here in DC, I was pleasantly astonished by how many knew about the genocide and advocated its recognition. Quite a few did not have a single Armenian constituent. And as far as campaign funding goes, the money that American-Armenians give as compared to lobbyists, defense contractors, oil-men, etc. give on behalf of Turkey to election campaigns is just a drop in the ocean. Many in Congress, even those that often vote against various resolutions have publicly state that the Turks are more or less full of sh*t (not in those words of course). These are the ones we'll eventually get on our side...if they are re-elected .

Do most politicians care about Armenians? No, only some. Do they care about Bosnians? No, only some. The oppressed in Darfur? no, etc, you get the picture.

Do they care about Turks? No. Do they care about their nationalist pride? no. They do indeed care about Incirlik and the residual cold-war games we still play with Russia. I'm hoping that will fade and perhaps it will. In some ways, it is already starting to and American-Armenians and other diasporas communities in their respective countries are doing their part as well.

As far as political leverage goes, you can just ask the Pentagon, State Dept, White House, Beltway Bandits, and neo-cons about leverage. If anything, they argue that we lose leverage by reconizing the genocide and wounding Turkey'ds fragile pride. They feel the US has lost leverage with Turkey and thus Turkey is now even less apprehensive about invading Iraq.

In any case, some Senators and Reps (especially Reps) just want our votes, just like they want union votes, the black vote, the Jewish vote, etc. Some have xxxxxd themselves out to the Turkish lobby as well...so be it.

But then again, most of our advocates support human rights, hate fascism, imperialism, etc. and advocate for Armenians for free and with great willingness and happiness to do so.

[1.5 million]

Do you guys really think that a majority in the US congress can really care about the Armenian Genocide? They dont give a rats ass. How can a country like USA care about who died and how many people died about 100 yerars ago when they are killing thousands themselves today? Isnt it all about a few thousand Armenian votes and political leverage over Turkey? You all know it is. You all know American politicians can never share the same sentiments as you do. But hey, who cares whether US politicians really know anything about the Genocide?

While I will concede that you have a point - at the same time you fail to understand how there is a certain moral underpinning in this nation (felt by the people of this nation) that does have influence over policy and conduct of public officials and the actions of our government. While the powers that be (and other factors) have supressed this concening the Armenian Genocide to date - the fact that this is a significant moral question that is in line with these beliefs is certainly a factor. Acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide is the right thing to do - and this is important in and of itself. Turkey's shameful actions in denying it - and in pushing so hard to supress it - including using threats and blackmail - could very much work against it - if not now - where they might suceed - certainly in the long term.

[Gavur]

Do you guys really think that a majority in the US congress can really care about the Armenian Genocide? They dont give a rats ass. How can a country like USA care about who died and how many people died about 100 yerars ago when they are killing thousands themselves today? Isnt it all about a few thousand Armenian votes and political leverage over Turkey? You all know it is. You all know American politicians can never share the same sentiments as you do. But hey, who cares whether US politicians really know anything about the Genocide?

OK!
Thanks kiddo ,we'll keep it in mind,in the meen time YOUR denying goverment is always trying to get a bang for their buck by buying politicians that are on the side of justice,again thank you for your concern(You know where the door is)

[Tongue]

How can a country like USA care about who died and how many people died about 100 yerars ago when they are killing thousands themselves today?

Exactly, we agree on something. That's why president Bush, secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, and overall the Bush administration is so damn against the recognition. BUT thank God we still have a few people left in the congress for whom moral ethics is more important than money, rank or prestige. They rather act morally than make their president happy.

[Hovik]

Here's a favorite Pelosi quote of the day:

"Some of the things that are harmful to our troops relate to values - Abu Ghraib, Guantánamo, torture. Our troops are well-served when we declare who we are as a country and increase the respect people have for us as a nation."

[hitite]

While I will concede that you have a point - at the same time you fail to understand how there is a certain moral underpinning in this nation (felt by the people of this nation) that does have influence over policy and conduct of public officials and the actions of our government. While the powers that be (and other factors) have supressed this concening the Armenian Genocide to date - the fact that this is a significant moral question that is in line with these beliefs is certainly a factor. Acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide is the right thing to do - and this is important in and of itself. Turkey's shameful actions in denying it - and in pushing so hard to supress it - including using threats and blackmail - could very much work against it - if not now - where they might suceed - certainly in the long term.

I really do believe there is moral common ground in America as there is in many nations, maybe a little bit more in the US due to the way it was formed several hundred years ago. The Armenian Genocide is a moral question that the US and Turkey have to deal with but the outstanding fact is that the reason a bill is voted for every year in the US since the times of Truman and that other genocides like that in Darfur and possibly Bosnia are not addressed is because of Armenian lobbying and Armenian votes and money that back up this lobbying. If these members of congress were so focused on getting things morally correct they would have also dealt with other massacres and genocides with the same zeal. Since they do not there can only be political motives to talk about.

Many times I wish this bill would just pass like it did in France who we also have centuries of relations with and Turkey would not have to deal with the useless and bullxxxx counter-lobbying they do every year and kiss less US ass. Both Armenians and Turks would be relieved. But I really do not think the US would really want to lose this leverage over Turkey, that is why they have masterfully kept it in limbo for decades and decades. This is not fair for Turks and Armenians who have moronically been going after the carrot for so long.