Will Armenians be extinct in 100 years?

[HollywoodHye]

Very interesting discussion. Do you folks also have an EDD (expected extinction date) for the Italians, Spanish, French, and all the CIS countries? I want to make sure I don't travel to those countries just before time is up.

In the meantime, and while we are not extinct, please make an effort to join the April 24th Genocide March in Little Armenia. Recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not only important for the Armenian people, but to all human beings.

For more info and directions: http://www.littlearmenia.com/

Thank you!

[Chichu]

I have not read all the comments on the topic, so my point could've been mentioned earlier. First, without going very deep, I want to state my position: no, I dont think Armenians will be extinct in the next 100 years. Now, being very fond of history, I want to remind us all that Armenians have been "near extinction" for the past 1500 years if not more. More than a dozen of former rulers who controled Armenia and its people could swear that we would be extinct as a culture within their lifetimes. but that didnt happen. The popular counterarguement of globalization and that Armenians are dispersing over the entire World is invalid, because there is still a very big body of Armenians in the Caucasus region (that have consistently stayed and survived there for thousands of years, in BY FAR smaller numbers than now). So I am not going to touch on the arguable point of Armenians preserving their culture abroad.

Of course, this is just a quick overview and I definatelly missed significant factors. Feel free to ask, if there is a need. But overall, from a historical and logical point of view, quite frankly, there is no way that Armenians will be extinct even in three or four times the time period that you've mentioned.

[Anonymouse]

Well the time wasnt necessarily an exact date, but more or less to give a sense of finitude. However to assume that because we havent been destroyed by other rulers that wont destroy ourselves.

Perhaps Armenians in the Caucasus will continue to survive, but overall Armenians in the diaspora will be a pale comparison to their former selves. Like I said, when you have multicultural and multiracial environments there is but one outcome eventually, and demographics in the U.S. speak true of this, not about Armenians, but about all the other cultural and ethnic. So would it not be valid to apply this to Armenains here as well?

[Anonymouse]

Well the time wasnt necessarily an exact date, but more or less to give a sense of finitude. However to assume that because we havent been destroyed by other rulers that wont destroy ourselves.

However to assume that because we havent been destroyed by other rulers that we wont destroy ourselves. Perhaps that is what we underestimate, our own ability to destroy ourselves.

[Chichu]

I am sorry, I failed to mention our own capabilities. Coming back to history, we had plenty of opportunities to do so but never quite suceeded during the thousands of years. there have been instances of great internal tensions and Armenians voluntarily and willingly mixing with others, either by changing their religion or simply merging with the other culture. But there always been a substantial number who retained their identity.

As for the sense of finitude, without the full understanding of it and its inevitabilaty, there is little motivation for any kind of progress at all. But I am shifting the subject of the discussion, am i not...

[Anonymouse]

Like I said earlier, that is what we underestimate, our own ability to destroy ourselves.

Just because it hasnt been done so, doesnt mean it will not happen eventually. The world has changed and is changing and is a very mcuh different place from what it was say a 400 years ago.

But then again history is full of examples of different cultures rising and falling based on that principle.

[vrej]

Guys a few words of advice to ya as long as there is Tashnagtzootyoon Armenians aint gonna be extinct!!


good stuufff

[Chichu]

I want to add an additional point, which presents a balancing statement, without interfering with what Anonymouse have been mentioning (that history changes, or quoting him - "world has changed and is changing"). The statement is an often heard phrase: history repeats itself. Once again, it should not be taken as a guideline, but rather one of the two major possibilities. Bot are valid for making hypothetical scenarios, which is what we are doing.

A random thought: as for Dashnaktsutyun, please, lets not involve them in this. Quoting a famous film ("Yerazhshtakhmbi Tghaner@"): "Duk - muzikant! Duk - politika chkharnvel!"

[Anonymouse]

Political factions that parade around pretending to come up with all the answers and never asking any questions, are exactly what Armenians don't need. And this isn't necessarily directed towards Tashnags, but all who propose some fanatical allegiance to something. Remember, unity of culture is where its at, politics simply ruins it.

[vrej]

only if you all knew....