I've been reading a lot about this Armenian Genocide business in the news. This whole issue really confounds me, for several reasons.
First, why is this such a big deal with Turkey? It is what it is, and what happened in Turkey in the past does not necessarily reflect on Turkey in the present. We don't condemn Germany and Japan for what some Germans and some Japanese did in WWII anymore. (Right guys? We've moved beyond that, haven't we?) We don't condemn ourselves for what we did to Japanese Americans in WWII, do we?
Secondly, what's the horrible bad thing about us losing a base in Turkey? I mean, we *are* trying to get *out* of Iraq and Afghanistan, right?
Thirdly, acknowledging that humans do terrible things to each other sometimes isn't necessarily a bad thing, right?
If someone can help me out here, please feel free to.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
I watched an interview on Charlie Rose with Oran Pamuk. He chose his words very carfully. Clearly the wounds run deep and people haven't moved completely beyond it.
I had to agree with Bush in this case that right now wasn't the time for congress to act as it can only have a negative impact in our relations with a government that has been supportive of the west.
As far as trying to get out, I don't think that was ever the real goal.
Here's a link to a US News & World Report article on this.
It clarifies some things, but still leaves me baffled as to what the big deal is.
Quite obviously, it's genocide. And the government in charge of Turkey today is not the same as the one that authorized that genocide.
The thing of it is, we have gotten ourselves into a position in which we aren't exactly free to criticize others for things that happened in the past.
The last time I checked, about a year ago, Orhan Pamuk's Snow wasn't yet published in english but I see that it is now. I don't read many books, but I've been wanting to read this one for some time.
I don't agree.
The one thing that's common among humans is hypocricy.
Also, just because we're not perfect doesn't mean we are automatically removed from the ability to point out others' failings. If you remember, the EU pointed out last year that Turkey needed to acknowledge the genocide before they'll let Turkey into their club.
I realize that if the United States ran by my opinion that would cause some serious faux-pas in the international community, but it doesn't force a change in my opinion.
I guess I don't understand why Turkey thinks it's going to lose any face by freaking out over the United States (and several other, mostly European countries) recognizing something that happened there before the current government was established.
I mean, the Jewish community freaks out whenever anyone rejects the idea that the Holocaust took place - I don't see why the Armenian community should be treated differently.
There are a lot of people in Turkey who want nothing to do with the EU or the US. Same with Russia and former soviet states. We've also empowered the Kurds and they are not too happy about that either.
Everyone agrees that genocide happend including Bush and Rice. Turkey is sensitive about it. The point has been made. It's just not the right time to formalize it on our part. It serves no good. Or let me say, Nothing good can come of that.
It opens old wounds and it picks a new fight.
I think Farid Zacharia put it best, and I wish I could remember how he frazed it. It was something like what would we think if Turkey condemed us for our treatment of the native americans at the turn of the last century?
We'd cop an attitude towards them and think they were nuts.
It reminds me of something my dad once told me. It had to do with conflict resolution. Something he dealt with in his job.
In every conflict, someone has to make the first move in good faith. That takes a compromise.
All of these deeds are done. Everyone knows. The only way to get past them is to leave it alone and let it go. Someone has to make the first move in that direction or we will continue to fight old battles to the end. Battles that aren't even ours to fight.
Is this what you really want?
Two big points -
We've attempted to make amends with the Native Americans. I highly doubt Turkey has done anything to advance the cause of the Armenians.
The U.S. has a large number of the Armenian diaspora living here. I'm sure those people give a shit about how the U.S. views the genocide. I highly doubt Turkey is the home of a large number of displaced Native Americans.
I also don't see Turkey doing anything for the Armenians in good faith. Turkey even downplays it, saying it wasn't genocide.
It's about doing what's right as opposed to doing what's right for right now. I don't disagree with you that the U.S. formal acknowledgment of the Armenian genocide would be a bad move in terms of our relations with Turkey, but that doesn't mean that I think the resolution shouldn't go through.
Those are good points.
Technically I agree with everything you have said.
However we will have to agree to disagree. I don't often if ever agree with Bush. I did watch and then listen to his last news conference. And I heard Rice's comments, and I agree with them. For once.
This is just a politically not so smart thing to do at this point in time, and that's probably an understatement. Sadly, we have a responsibility in Iraq and we need Turkey in that effort. That's more important right now.
No, it's not the same Turkish government that authorized the genocide, but we can't expect the present government to not take this as an insult. Clearly they do.
There are a lot of lingering conflicts in that part of the world. If we'd understood the dynamics of that better in 2002 we wouldn't be in the mess we are in right now.
Post a Comment