Happy Birthday Ara Baliozian!

[Virgil]

Re: Happy Birthday Ara Baliozian!

What's your point Crusader? You post articles endorsing the position that a true armenian is one that has a direct relationship with the country - i.e. living within its borders - and then you wish Mr. Sassounian happy birthday. He is as equally an Armenian demagogue as Mr. Baliozian and he is an Armenian activist within the diaspora.

Mr. Sassounian's endeavors and accomplishments for Armenia outside of the country are further evidence that without the diaspora, Armenia and NKR would be further isolated from the world and in disrepair economically and with regard to their respective infrastructures.

However, as an activist or leader, Mr. Sassounian's true impact is marginal as he has an inability to motivate the masses to 'true' action - e.g. peaceful protest : for example, protests on the street in favor of genocide recognition - in LA, the grassroots organizations cannot get more than a couple thousand on the streets despite approximately 350,000 Armenians in the general population - or drum up meaningful public opinion in mainstream media.

Moreover, he lacks an appreciation of the players on the other side of the field who place obstacles in front of the hai tahd within the American political arena.

As for being a contributor to Armenian periodicals, anyone can write an opinion piece in Armenian and other publications. Woohoo. Soon, someone shall replace him as the flavor of the month.

You insult Armenian diasporans and then salute a voice within it. You are either confused or ignorant. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt but you are still nothing more than a domesticated cow.

Again, you misunderstand the point that is being made, maybe you will never understand, not now, not ever, but going to recap. Oxford is Oxford because there exist individual researching and pushing forward the progress, lifetime by lifetime. Microsoft is Microsoft because the act of creation that lead to Bill Gates birth occured in the United States. And even the possibility of a Bill Gates being born occurs via statistical chance. Out of many Bill Gates that were born, one, decided to drop out of Harvard and pursue the Software revolution, meaning, out of all the intellectual capital of the United States there existed only a handful that capitalized on a idea that eventually lead to economic and technological gains for the United States. Wealth was generated in the United States because there existed driven individuals that capitalized on ideas that lead to the wealth. What does this mean? This leads one to the conclusion that this idea of a "diaspora" and the emphasis on a "diaspora" is a figment of ones imagination, a monster created to mask the short comings of a people. You want to progress, you roll up your sleeves and work your hands to your bones, anything else only is a excuse. I can not stress how wrong this idea of a "diaspora" is, it only robs the national drive and strength of a nation, it tricks the citizens within Armenia to pursue their dreams outside the safety of their nation, eventually, this leads to centrafugal assimilation, anyone else claiming centrafugal assimilation can be "avoided" is just a big fat lier. Understand this absolute and move on, statistical odds are not on the side of the Diaspora, every generation drifts away from the center, but at the same time, they pull more and more people from the center (i.e Armenia) by their example. When you put up "Armenian-American xyz" as a success, Armenians in Armenia ask themselves what is the intrinsic motive to stay in Armenia, when in fact, you have "Armenian-American xyz" claiming to be a "progessive" and "instramental" in the development of the Armenian people, which begs the question, if you were in Armenia right now and you read your statement, what would keep you from staying in Armenia? I have asked myself this and I would not stay, if it was me and I saw that the Diaspora was robbing me of my identity and intrinsic motive, then, no, I would not stay, only a fool would stay given that circumstance, when your nationalistic drive is being hijacked by foreign nationals claiming to be citizens of the nation you reside in, certainly, there is something wrong here.

[HayotzAmrotz]

Re: Happy Birthday Ara Baliozian!

Don't even take aim, yo.
I'm not to blame, bro.
You don't have my game, and it shows
cuz you're straight up lame
and you don't have my name, so
we are not the same, no
and, its a crying shame, oh.

I don’t blame you, I blame mainly the system you were either born to or have been growing up. So, while it’s not your fault now it will be in the near future if you don’t do something in order to make yourself even a better Armenian than you think you are now.

Don’t call me lame even if it’s just for the sake of your rhyme. Believe me, kid, you neither know nor want to know, so, don’t go there. Instead just tell me what’s your game, bro?

[HayotzAmrotz]

Re: Happy Birthday Ara Baliozian!

Եղբայր, դատարկ գլխով, պիղծ բնութագրով, փողոցային լակոտի հետ ես փորձում խոսել: Խոզերի առաչ մարգարիտներ չեն թափում: Անիմաստ է: Իզուր է:

My dear brother,

Every Armenian, whether a street thug or a university student, should be spoken to because assimilation hits every Armenian regardless of their social status and intellectual abilities and assimilation is our number 1 enemy in Diaspora, which, as you correctly said on many occasions, is definitely doomed and I agree with that, but despite that fact our battle against assimilation is far from over. We should try our best to minimize the damage and speak to every Armenian out there. Brushing them off and prematurely declaring them “dead” is not the right way IMHO. The above doesn’t apply to Ara whatsoever because to me he is lost for good due to his pseudo intellectual stance, his misguided ego and above all due to his hate for my homeland, my beloved Hayastan, so quite frankly - fuk Ara big time, full stop!

When Nzhdeh founded Tseghakron Ukht in US (now known as AYF for those who didn’t know) he spoke to every young Armenian he met, his teachings are inclusive, not exclusive. So, we should not be too judgmental of our youth and we should give them the benefit of doubt, and an opportunity or three, because our youth is our future.

I’ve met a lot of Diaspora youngsters, from members of AP to students of UCLA and none of them were assimilated to such a terrible degree that recovery was absolutely impossible, but they will be lost for good, forever, if we don’t speak to them or if we give up on them too soon. Yes, it’s a hard work but being Nzhdehakan was never meant to be easy.

[Lucin]

Re: Happy Birthday Ara Baliozian!

Atleast, unlike some of his detractors here, Mr. Sassounian had the respect and common sense to recognize Mr. Baliozian as an Armenian literary figure.

At each step his detractors here prove his point without even putting Ara's proverbial feet to the fire.

For Christ's sake, just look at Ara's responses to Harut Sassounian; very childish, turkish, datark and ankap, at best. And to be honest, had he been anonymous, I would have suspected him to be a Turk; he has that typical enlightened Turkish rhetoric. This is just one of the Turkish sites, he is posting his nonsense.

freaky, I suggest you use that good brain of yours and see his true intentions and lack of honesty in his criticism. You can keep some intellectual integrity by remaining silent just like some seem to be doing, rather than defending a dishonest critic, for no good reason ( other than opposing some people here), and putting words into his mouth.

[arabaliozian]

Re: Happy Birthday Ara Baliozian!

Thursday, February 07, 2008
*********************************************
THE UNMENTIONABLE IN PURSUIT
OF THE UNEATABLE
************************************************** *
If I am to believe my critics, I am a self-hating narcissist. To which I can only say, “No comment.”
*
One can master the demanding discipline of suffering fools gladly only with the help of the Good Lord. Which is why this particular discipline is less accessible to agnostics and atheists.
*
We all labor under the inflexible law of demand and supply, and the demand these days is for flattering and chauvinist crapola. That’s why everybody speaks about Turkish criminal conduct and no one even dares to mention our “brainless” and “useless” leadership. And because I stress that aspect of our history and status quo, I have become persona non grata and I am called a self-hating s.o.b. with illusions of grandeur, one of which is that I think of myself as a writer. If I am not a writer, why bother reading me in a world that is abundant in unread masters, including our own? Instead of reading our great writers, they read massacre books, which reinforce their image of themselves as perennial victims, after which they wallow in self-pity.
*
Two of the dangers of Turcocentrism is (one) allowing ourselves to be defined by our enemies, and (two) offering them a rent-free permanent residence in our psyche -- which also means allowing them to carry on re-creating us in their own image. Hence the ubiquitous presence of anonymous borodakhos and anpardavan srigas in our internet discussion forums whose idea of criticism is slinging mud hoping some of it will stick, and when none of it even hits the intended target, they keep slinging hoping they will have better luck next time – just like our revolutionaries, who, after repeated massacres, refused to reconsider their tactics, in the same way that now they refuse to acknowledge any responsibility. Learning from our blunders? No time for that. We are too busy trying to educate our enemies who have made it abundantly clear they do not intent to be educated by their former slaves.
#

[arabaliozian]

Re: Happy Birthday Ara Baliozian!

Friday, February 08, 2008
*********************************************
ON ARMENIAN ANTI-ARMENIANISM
************************************************** *
Krikor Zohrab (1861-1915): “Oppression corrupts everything it touches, even the highest moral virtues.”
*
Derenik Demirjian (1877-1956): “Every Armenian has another Armenian whom he considers his mortal enemy.”
*
Lucretius (98-55 B.C.): “Differences among men, which reason is unable to expel, are so exceedingly slight that there is nothing to hinder us from living a life worthy of gods.”
*
The anti-Armenian Armenian is as real as the anti-Semitic xxx; but whereas the anti-Semitic xxx is an exception, an anomaly, and an aberration, the anti-Armenian Armenian is the rule.
The anti-Armenian Armenian is against any Armenian who does not subscribe to his definition of Armenianism – a definition that is as authoritarian, inflexible, dogmatic, and narrow as himself. In his view, abstractions like tolerance, free speech, fundamental human rights, dialogue, compromise, consensus, and solidarity are degenerate Western concepts whose sole intent is the destruction of the nation; and when he speaks of the nation or nationalism, what he really means is his tribe and tribalism. Fully aware of this collective complex, our leaders have done their utmost to exploit it to their advantage and in defense of their tribal powers and privileges.
Left to their own devices, people do not divide themselves. Divisions are introduced and legitimized by leaders for the simple reason that the average Armenian has no interest in subtle ideological and theological theories. He is too busy trying to survive in an alien, and sometimes even hostile and despotic environment to waste any time on metaphysics.
The Turks have a law (article 301) that says it is a crime to insult Turkishness. We don’t have such a law not because we are more civilized or progressive but because every Armenian is a prosecutor with his own article 301, and if anyone dares to violate it, he runs the risk of being buried beneath an avalanche of verbal abuse. I speak from experience.
#

[freakyfreaky]

Re: Happy Birthday Ara Baliozian!

Don't you know Ara, you are Armenian before you are human.

[arabaliozian]

Re: Happy Birthday Ara Baliozian!

Saturday, February 09, 2008
**********************************************
A WRITER AND HIS READERS
************************************************** ***
If I understand some of my readers correctly, the function of a writer is to know and understand his readers in order that he may better pander to their needs. If his readers are prejudiced, he should legitimize their prejudices. If his readers hate Turks, he should say they love everybody, they only want justice. A writer who fails to cover up or justify his readers’ failings and limitations ceases being a writer and becomes – in the words of these readers -- a fool and an s.o.b.
I am flattered. I am read by readers so smart that compared to them I am a fool. I must therefore conclude that, if they continue to read me, I must have a special gift, a gift that all writers dream to have, namely, that of being irresistible. Which amounts to saying I am on my way to achieving immortality.
#

[crusader1492]

Re: Happy Birthday Ara Baliozian!

... I am on my way to achieving immortality.
#

In your dreams.

[arabaliozian]

Re: Happy Birthday Ara Baliozian!

LES ÉCOLES DE CRITIQUES ARMÉNIENS
************************************************** ****


Les critiques arméniens sont de toutes les tailles et de toutes les formes. Voici une tentative de classification.


Le partisan : Chaque mot qu'il prononce est le résultat d'un conditionnement.

Le voyou : Il lance sa boue par jour venteux et il est trop con pour savoir que cette boue lui reviendra comme un boomerang.


Le donneur de leçon : Un âne bâté dont l'unique ambition dans la vie est d'apparaître comme quelqu'un qui est au courant de tout plutôt que quelqu'un qui cherche à savoir et comprendre.


Le fanatique : Son cerveau est si étroit qu'il est incapable de recevoir plus d'une idée à la fois, et cette idée est soit un préjudice, soit une erreur.


La bouche ordurière : Imaginez un sconse soufflant sa mauvaise haleine et veut se dresser contre vous, au plus près de votre personne pour vous blesser.


Le pontife : Il ne peut ni se tromper ni faire d'erreur, car mieux que quiconque, il sait. Et s'il sait mieux que quiconque, c'est parce qu'il est le meilleur. Et s'il est le meilleur, c'est parce qu'il est en contact permanent avec le Saint Esprit
Le stalinien : C'est un commissaire de la culture frustré qui vous loge une balle dans la tête et appelle ça de la dialectique.


L'esprit dogmatique : Il croit que chaque vanité qu'il prononce est l'alpha et l'omega de pensée humaine, depuis les Grecs de l'antiquité jusqu'à aujourd'hui.


Le converti : Il a fait du patriotisme une religion et croit que la foi peut déplacer des montagnes, bien que jusqu'ici il n'ait fait rien d'autre que de déplacer le fumier dans son arrière-cour.


Le charlatan : Il réutilise une ligne de l'éditorial du matin dans l'espoir qu'on le prenne pour un pandit.


L'hypocrite ou l'homme au double langage: Il pense qu'aussi longtemps qu'il dira des choses contraires à ce qu'il pense ou qu'il sent, il sera sur la terre ferme.


Le fondamentaliste : Il confond son verbiage merdique avec les saintes écritures.


Question : Est-ce une perte de temps que de lire ces critiques ?
Réponse : Non, si vous voulez comprendre pourquoi notre passé et notre présent sont un désastre et pourquoi la lumière au fond du tunnel est un train qui approche avec une cargaison toxique.


À ceux qui me disent, " Si vous voulez que vos lecteurs vous respectent, vous devriez les respecter ", je réponds que je ne suis pas fait pour respecter l'irrationnel, l'irresponsabilité, le charlatanisme, l'esprit prétentieux et la malhonnêteté. Mais c'est mon rôle de les montrer.


Et si vous deviez me dire : " Comment se fait-il que vous soyez le seul auteur à avoir une vue si négative et si pessimiste de notre réalité ? " je répondrai : Non, je ne le suis pas, non sans avoir longuement hésité. Trois générations d'auteurs arméniens avant moi ont été brutalement terrassés avant qu'ils aient eu la moindre chance de déclencher l'alarme : la première fois, par Talaat dans l'empire ottoman, la seconde fois par Staline en Arménie soviétique, et la troisième fois dans la Diaspora par nos partisans. De sorte que j'ai entendu même nos chauvins admettre que nous n'avions plus de géants en littérature, seulement de méprisables minus.


Mais pour être honnête envers nos auteurs perdus, bon nombre d'entre eux avaient prévu l'imminence de la catastrophe et ignorés de tous, s'ils n'avaient déjà été assassinés. Les noms de Shahnour et Massikian me viennent à l'esprit ; et aussi Zarian, qui indiqua : " Nos partis politiques ont été sans utilité politique pour nous. Leur plus grand ennemi, c'est le discours libre " ; et "les Arméniens ne survivent qu'en se cannibalisant mutuellement. " Il faut noter aussi Zarian qui termina un chapitre dans son livre LE VOYAGEUR ET SA ROUTE, écrit dans les années 30, par ces mots, "Vdank, vdank, vdank!" (danger, danger, danger !) Si ce n'est pas un S.O.S., je voudrais savoir ce que c'est.