notes / comments

[arabaliozian]

Re: notes / comments

Sunday, December 23, 2007
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HUMBUG
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One of my gentle and anonymous readers, whose spelling leaves something to be desired, takes me to task for my ignorance of our history. “Armenian history,” he reminds me, “is an extremely complex topic,” and since I obviously do not know as much as he does, I should shut up about it. I am more than willing to concede that I don’t know all there is to know on the subject. But then who does, beside the Good Lord Himself, who so far has consistently refused to publish His version. As far as I know, no human being has ever dared to claim that after a lifetime of study he is now prepared to assert that he knows all there is to know about Armenian or any other history.
*
When after a lifetime of study Toynbee published his monumental ten-volume STUDY OF HISTORY, he was attacked and sometimes even verbally abused by an international array of historians who questioned the accuracy of his facts and the reliability of his conclusions. Dutch historians criticized him for his ignorance of Dutch history; xxxish historians tore him to shreds because he had dared to call xxxs “fossils”; English historians dismissed him as a megalomaniacal mystic and charlatan; and Soviet historians treated him as a heretic because he did not share their faith in Marxism. It would be no exaggeration to say that both Spengler and Toynbee, the two greatest historians of the 20th century, have more critics than fans among their fellow historians.
*
Even when they deal in facts and nothing but facts, nationalist or ideologically committed historians lie because they select only those facts that support their particular thesis, and since the number of facts, documents, and eyewitness accounts is nearly infinite, they can do this without much difficulty.
*
Who takes nationalist historians seriously? Only themselves, their dupes, and the power structure within which they operate.
*
What matters about history is not how much we know or how many facts, documents, and eyewitness accounts we have at our disposal, but what have we learned from it. What have our nationalist or patriotic historians learned from our past? The very same thing that Turkish historians have learned: namely, to paint themselves all white and their adversaries all black.
*
History does not have to be the propaganda of the victor or the consolation of the loser. Our sympathies may be with the losers but that does not make their version of events more honest, objective, and impartial.
*
The aim of nationalist historians is not to learn but to teach. But teaching that is not preceded by learning is at best propaganda and at worst conditioning or brainwashing. Politics and history don’t mix. To allow politics or ideology to contaminate the study of history amounts to prostituting the past.
*
A final note on our revolutionaries: history judges us not by our intentions (remember the old adage: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”) but our actions; and actions have consequences. It follows, we should judge our revolutionaries not by their intentions but by the tragic consequences of their actions.
#

[Virgil]

Re: notes / comments

I compare Ara to Pat Buchanan.

I don't always agree with what he says, but I like the way he says it - with conviction and without fear and appreciate his right to say it.

He's obviously far more well read and literate than the majority of the diaspora.

You can compare him to Jesus Christ, but if he can not defend his ideas and they are trash then he is a first, a coward, and second, worthless. At least with Pat Buchanan his rhetiric is consistent and, in the "grand scheme of things", Buchanan has a agenda. Lastly, to empower a man because "he's obviously far more well read and literate" means absolutly nothing, my dog is well read compared to other dogs, he knows how to speak two languages, does that mean he should have "authority" over other dogs? Absolutly not. In fact, the last point you made means slightly something else, you are trying to indirectly "imply" that because his critics are not as "well read" then we should not test his ideas? What kind of illogic is this? The reality is this, reading more books and not putting to use any idea or not acting on any of your own ideas is as good as being illeteriate. I may have not read the entire catalog at Alexanderia such as Ara, but I have a thousand times more commen sense. What shocks me is how Armenians try to defend the very same entity that has historically done nothing for them but take their selfless national heroes and turn them into self-rightous cowards. Ara Baliozian talks as if every "Jack Nahapetian" owes him something, when he has been sitting in front a typewriter (And now a computer) for the last 72 years doing absolutly nothing but commenting on the proactivness of other Armenians, both contemporary figures and historical heroes.

[freakyfreaky]

Re: notes / comments

I compare Ara to Pat Buchanan.

I don't always agree with what he says, but I like the way he says it - with conviction and without fear and appreciate his right to say it.

He's obviously far more well read and literate than the majority of the diaspora.

[arabaliozian]

Re: notes / comments

WORDS OF WISDOM
*************************************

Paul Valery: "Critics: The dirties cur can inflict a
mortal wound; all he needs is to be mad."

Chinese saying: "He who loses temper has wrong on his
side."

Overheard: "To get angry means to punish yourself for
someone else’s stupidity."

Leon-Paul Fargue: "One cannot argue unless one is in
agreement, and then only on points of detail."

Montherlant: "Why should I undergo stress and strain
simply to please men? The idea is repellent and would
incite me rather to cowardice."

Albert Memmi: "Every colonial nation carries the seeds
of fascist temptation in its bosom."

Jean Rostand: "There are some persons we could not cut
down to size without diminishing ourselves as well."

Thomas Hardy: "More life may tickle out of men through
fear than through a gaping wound."

Mirabeau on Talleyrand: "He would sell his soul for
money, and he would be right, for he would be
exchanging dung for gold."

[arabaliozian]

Re: notes / comments

What kind of people are we? What kind of leadership is
this? Instead of compassion, mutual contempt.
Instead of
reason blind instinct. Instead of common sense,
fanaticism.

They speak of the cross and nail us to it again as
they
speak.

ANTRANIK ZAROUKIAN
(1912-1989)
Poet, novelist, critic, editor.

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All our religious, political, and cultural
institutions
share a single aim, the survival of the nation. If
the nation perishes, neither Echmiadzin nor Antelias,
not
even God in his heaven, can be of any help to us.

SIMON VRATSIAN
(1882-1969)
Statesman. Last Prime Minister of the Republic of
Armenia
(1918-1920).
***********************************************

We Armenians are products of the tribal mentality of
Turks
and Kurds, and this tribal mentality remains
stubbornly
rooted even among our leaders and elites.

NIGOL AGHBALIAN
(1873-1947)
Statesman, literary scholar, educator.

************************************************** *

A familiar figure in our collective existence is the
prosperous and arrogant community leader who, by
obstructing the path of all those who wish to reform
and
improve our conditions, perpetuates a status quo whose
sole
aim is his own personal profit and aggrandizement.

LEVON PASHALIAN
(1868-1943)
Athor, editor.

**************************************************

The Armenian Diaspora is losing its character. Our
language, our literature, and our traditions are
degenerating. Even our religious leaders have
abandoned
their calling and turned into cunning wheeler-dealers.
Our
publications thrive on meaningless controversies.
I see charlatanism and cheap chauvinism everywhere
but not
a single trace of self-sacrifice
and dedication to principles and ideals. What's
happening
to us? Where are we heading?
Quo vadis, O Armenian people?

SHAVARSH MISSAKIAN
(1884-1957)
Author, editor, critic.

[arabaliozian]

Re: notes / comments

Saturday, December 22, 2007
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MER HAIRENIK
TSHVAR, ANDER
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How much of what I say is right? As a prejudiced observer I cannot be a reliable judge. You tell me! But instead of asking whether I am right, say, How right are those I quote and paraphrase, beginning with the Biblical dictum (“A house divided against itself cannot stand”) and Toynbee’s (“Civilizations are not killed, they commit suicide”).
*
As masters of the blame-game, our denialists assert they had nothing to do with our misfortunes, which amounts to saying, they reject all responsibility in shaping our tragic destiny, thus implying their role in our history has been that of nonentities or absentee landlords.
*
Writing in the 5th century, Movses Khorenatsi speaks of our divided and corrupt leadership (see his LAMENTATION, not to be confused with Naregatsi’s, which was written in the 10th century). Writing in the 20th century we have two distinguished witnesses who support Khorenatsi’s verdict: Avedik Issahakian (“our brainless leaders”) and Zarian (“Our political parties have been of no political use to us. Their greatest enemy is free speech.”) In our own days, listen to what Kocharian and Levon Der Bedrossian are saying about each other.
*
If I repeat myself, it’s because I don’t have a phobia of repetition. If you do, I suggest you see a shrink. If you can’t afford one, stop reading me. Never say I speak of problems without suggesting any solutions. But if you reject my solution to your problem and continue to read me, I thank you. Have a nice day.
#

[Virgil]

Re: notes / comments

One way to define our holier-than-thou sanctimonious pricks and dealers in chauvinist crapola is to say, they are jackasses who believe, when they bray, they sound better than Pavarotti singing “Nessun dorma.”

As opposed to who? The "ol might erudite", also known as Ara Baliozian that constantly talks in circles and criticizes the failures of others for trying? You are the "jackass" and "chauvinist crapola", not I, certainly, not others. Have you ever thought of evaluating your decisions in the context of the "bigger plot"? Certainly, if you are such a "wise sage" have the honestly to admit your views are flawed. I, as stubburn I may sound, have admintly stated numerous times that I am flawed as well, we are all, living in the comforts of foreign nation while our countrymen suffer under the economic and political pressures, but yet, at the end of the day, we have the odascity to claim "everyone is Armenian", you and me, the Armenian Diaspora, and my Shun because we can "speak Armenian" (Literally, my dog can understand commands in Armenain, judging by the asinine comments of some, that makes him 100% pure grade A Armenian? Ridiculous, xxxxing ridiculous, mart elek, phachachatz azgek dara)? Abosolutly not.

He is one of those writers everyone praises but no one reads, except our academics who are unanimous in naming him our Dante and Shakespeare combined. But whereas every Italian and Englishman is brought up to learn a few lines from Dante and Shakespeare by heart, I have yet to meet the Armenian who can quote a single line from Naregatsi.

And why do you think? What is the "sociological" and "philosophical" reason for this other then the fact that you have xxxos on the internet such as yourself claiming that ever "Jack Nahapetian" should consider themselves "human beings", first and foremost, as opposed to Armenians. So...hmm...here you are claiming that, "Armenians are not 'intune' with their identity", but yet, at the same time, you claim that being Armenian is no different then being a "grain of sand". Your a walking contradiction, I for one try my best to pick up Armenian texts, but the reality is this, the only time I speak Armenian is with my parents, my mom and my dad, in general, my family. There exists a unspoken rule, from the day I was born, that in the household we only speak Armenian, but the reality is that in most families this "unspoken rule" has been replaced, largly in part, due to the "great erudites" like yourself, that when taken at the whole, support assimilation.

The great Sparapet Garegin Njhteh was referring exactly to individuals like you

Seriously, Garegin Njhteh was the driving force behind national socialism almost a half century before the Third Reich. His views are opposite to those of the "great erudite", Ara. First of all, the very nationalists this xxxo insults are Andranik and Njhteh (Okhormi erantz, if they were not brave enough to pick up guns, this peice of xxxx, would be the descendent of some moselman vor era mora bernara yev kunara). He is a walking constradiction, a enigma wraped in a blanket of stupidity that claims he is "all knowing" when he has no life experiences to back anythign up besides the "quotes" of others.

The tragedy here is that his very education was administrated under the tutology of the Armenian church and people. Today, he has spit on the very same house of God (Our strong Armenian Apostolic Church), what good is the word of such a man? No good, if it was a idea that was written on paper, it would not even useful as a toilet paper because toilet paper, fundimentally, has a purpose, Ara and his ideas have no purpose other then to exist and in the process, feed his ego.

[arabaliozian]

Re: notes / comments

Friday, December 21, 2007
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NAREGATSI
*********************************
He is one of those writers everyone praises but no one reads, except our academics who are unanimous in naming him our Dante and Shakespeare combined. But whereas every Italian and Englishman is brought up to learn a few lines from Dante and Shakespeare by heart, I have yet to meet the Armenian who can quote a single line from Naregatsi.
*
One reason Naregatsi is not a popular writer is that he cannot be said to be a cheerful fellow. His LAMENTATION is an endless catalogue of sins, failings, and vices. A typical passage reads: “I constantly have recourse to lies, / Never uttering the truth…/ I am diligent in malignant acts of ribaldry; / I am ever active in satanic inventions.”
*
In his INFERNO, Dante speaks of hell as if it were a real place. Naregatsi has a more modern, not to say, existential view on the subject. “Hell is me,” he seems to be saying. And if “hell is other people” (Sartre) it’s because there is a “me” in all of us. It follows, in the eyes of our holier-than-thou propagandists, Naregatsi is bad news. Because if we are as bad as Naregatsi tells us, then perhaps we deserved our fate. But Naregatsi does not write to promote self-loathing and despair. His final message is one of hope. Salvation is yours, he tells us, provided you plead guilty as charged and repent. Not exactly a condition that will be welcome by our charlatans who parade as paragons of virtue.
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TWO FACTS
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Naregatsi wrote in krapar (classical Armenian) but he is now available in both ashkharapar (the spoken idiom) and English (in an excellent translation by Mischa Kudian).
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Naregatsi lived a thousand years ago, long before we were Ottomanized and Sovietized.
*
NARCISSISM
*******************************
One way to define our holier-than-thou sanctimonious pricks and dealers in chauvinist crapola is to say, they are jackasses who believe, when they bray, they sound better than Pavarotti singing “Nessun dorma.”
#

[Armenian]

Re: notes / comments

Karekin Nejdeh: "When a man falls down and doesn’t have the will to stand up, no amount of help will be of any use to him. It is the same with a nation that does nothing but complain, lament, and beg."

The great Sparapet Garegin Njhteh was referring exactly to individuals like you

[arabaliozian]

Re: notes / comments

ARMENIAN WISDOM
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Baruir Sevak: "It is better to be a good reader
than a bad writer."
***
Karekin Nejdeh: "When a man falls down and
doesn’t have the will to stand up, no amount of
help will be of any use to him. It is the same
with a nation that does nothing but complain,
lament, and beg."
***
Anonymous: "The worship of money is a terminal
disease."
***
Raffi: "The message of the world is clear: If you
don’t learn how to kill, you forfeit your right
to exist."
***
Gostan Zarian: "If a thought cannot be expressed
in a few words it cannot be worth expressing."
***
Shmavon Hovsepian: "A jury of tigers, crocodiles,
wolves, and hyenas is not qualified to condemn to
death a cat guilty of killing a mouse."
***
Hagop Baronian: "Avarice is an addiction whose
eyes are bigger than its belly."