"Not all Armenian Americans oppose Hoagland’s nomination. The Armenian Assembly of America has said that although it opposes administration policy, it would support Hoagland." That’s what the LATimes had to say, among other things, on January 7, 2007 in reporting, fairly well, the whole John Evans/Richard Hoagland travesty. Now consider that in a December 28, 2006–January 8, 2007 poll conducted by the ANC Western Region, 94 percent of respondents "strongly agreed" with opposing Genocide denier Richard Hoagland’s confirmation by the US Senate as Ambassador to Armenia, and another three percent "somewhat agreed." Conversely, a staggeringly irrelevant two percent "strongly disagreed" and three percent "somewhat disagreed" with this opposition. These three percent renegades must represent the Armenian Assembly’s level of support within our community. Yet, the Assembly’s position as lackey-in-chief of the US Department of State within our community coupled with a few moneybags’ ongoing funding of their play-organization enable it to get this kind of visibility. I’m getting tired of pointing out the AA’s anti-Armenian-interest doings and their consequences. It’s repetitive and boring. I’m starting to wish it’d fold and just go away. Or perhaps it might break up into parts so that those among its members who truly have our community’s interests at heart can function fruitfully. It’s not that the Assembly doesn’t do good things. It’s just that the organization’s sniveling and kissing up to its masters in the executive branch of the US government retard our community’s political progress. The Assembly provides a place for those in our community who tend to be fearful of rocking the boat. They want to be "good slaves." Unfortunately, every human collective has that type. So even if the Armenian Assembly fades into history, some other grouping will arise to fill that niche. I only hope such a new entity will at least not take up the mantle of US government "spokesperson/propagandist" within Armenian community. But getting back to the topic at hand, the Assembly’s position diminishes the positive spotlight that is and ought to continue shining on Ambassador Evans. Similarly it attenuates the perfidy that attaches to nominee Hoagland. This hurts our efforts in a very public way. The Los Angeles Times may not be a New York Times, Washington Post, or Wall Street Journal, but it still packs serious punch in the opinion-shaping world. This whole situation is an example of what I’ve named "the Turkish tactic." Sow the slightest doubt, create the least bit of controversy, or express the slightest disagreement, and you’ve darn near won. Why? How? Because at least in the US, the media will "tell both sides of the story." Never mind that one "side" is utterly fictitious and concocted. This then gives politicos and others in positions of power room to wiggle and wriggle out of doing the right thing. Here, the AA has provided senators a loophole through which they’ll gladly jump, arguing "the Armenian community is of two minds, so we’ll just respect the president’s wishes." Net result? Armenia and Armenia’s are screwed. Contact the Armenian Assembly and let them know how you feel about their treacherous behavior and its most recent outcome. You can reach them at: 1140 19th St. #600, NW, Washington D.C. 20036; 202/393-3434 fax 202/638-4904;n info@aaainc.org
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