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The Armenian genocide
Mar. 6th, 2010 06:03 pmgen·o·cide
[jen-uh-sahyd]
əˌsaɪd–noun
the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.
You are an ethnic and cultural group based in another country. Your people, in the Nationalist army for said country, are systematically disarmed and taken away and executed. Your great thinkers, politicians and intellectual leaders are rounded up and killed. Anyone from your racial group is taken from their homes and either summarily executed or placed on forced marches which practically guarantee death. You are, of course, denied any food or water on these marches, so it's rather a given that your captors won't be surprised if you die.
If you are not on a forced march, you may be taken out on a ship to sea that is deliberately sunk. Some of your people fare even better; they are stretched out, like sacrifical animals and have their limbs, from the fingers to the arms to the torso, cut off piece by excruciating piece.
Now, does this sound slightly like genocide? According to twenty countries - France, Argentina, Italy, Sweden, etc. - it certainly does. If you're the UK, you might jump in and say it does. Well, you stood up to the Nazis and the Holocaust was undeniably an act of atrocious genocide. However, what if you had a lot to gain from the political and geographical strength of the country which perpetuated these crimes? I guess, if you're the UK, you demur on the subject.
Let's not beat about the bush: America has a lot to lose if Turkey pitches a fit and does something childish, like withdraw access to their military bases, if a resolution is passed to recognise the Armenian genocide. But America is the world leader; it has the strength and clout to push this through, despite Turkey's objections and threats. America surely can't bow to threats from this country? I really hope so. It's time Turkey was made to acknowledge at least one of its sadistic crimes over the last century.
Go on, Turkey. Throw your toys out of the pram. You murdered over a million people in an act of cold-blooded GENOCIDE that was so ruthless and efficient, it inspired the Nazis in that little-known Holocaust.
The entire thing makes me furious. Some commentators worry that the US acknowledging what happened will destroy the bridges built between Turkey and the US, and Armenia and Turkey, recently. Well, who wants to cross a bridge based on genocide denial, anyway?
You are an ethnic and cultural group based in another country. Your people, in the Nationalist army for said country, are systematically disarmed and taken away and executed. Your great thinkers, politicians and intellectual leaders are rounded up and killed. Anyone from your racial group is taken from their homes and either summarily executed or placed on forced marches which practically guarantee death. You are, of course, denied any food or water on these marches, so it's rather a given that your captors won't be surprised if you die.
If you are not on a forced march, you may be taken out on a ship to sea that is deliberately sunk. Some of your people fare even better; they are stretched out, like sacrifical animals and have their limbs, from the fingers to the arms to the torso, cut off piece by excruciating piece.
Now, does this sound slightly like genocide? According to twenty countries - France, Argentina, Italy, Sweden, etc. - it certainly does. If you're the UK, you might jump in and say it does. Well, you stood up to the Nazis and the Holocaust was undeniably an act of atrocious genocide. However, what if you had a lot to gain from the political and geographical strength of the country which perpetuated these crimes? I guess, if you're the UK, you demur on the subject.
Let's not beat about the bush: America has a lot to lose if Turkey pitches a fit and does something childish, like withdraw access to their military bases, if a resolution is passed to recognise the Armenian genocide. But America is the world leader; it has the strength and clout to push this through, despite Turkey's objections and threats. America surely can't bow to threats from this country? I really hope so. It's time Turkey was made to acknowledge at least one of its sadistic crimes over the last century.
Go on, Turkey. Throw your toys out of the pram. You murdered over a million people in an act of cold-blooded GENOCIDE that was so ruthless and efficient, it inspired the Nazis in that little-known Holocaust.
The entire thing makes me furious. Some commentators worry that the US acknowledging what happened will destroy the bridges built between Turkey and the US, and Armenia and Turkey, recently. Well, who wants to cross a bridge based on genocide denial, anyway?
