Sunday, February 24, 2002

Every now and then I get an interesting letter from readers of Cilicia.com and I post those that I think can be beneficial to better understanding us or at very least, food for thought.

The following letters were in response to my February 17th log where I talk about my trees getting ready to bud and the effects of global-warming:


From: (Name omitted)
To: Ara Manoogian
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2002 12:11 AM EST
Subject: All this because of budding trees?

Hello Ara,

Sounds to me you're reaching for an excuse why you are where your are. Have you requested Armenian citizenship yet? If I were you I wouldn't waste another minute.


From: Ara Manoogian
To: Name omitted
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2002 10:41 AM AST
Subject: Re: All this because of budding trees?

Hi Name omitted,

If my log was not clear to you, I can say it has something to do with budding trees, the ecological imbalance and global poverty that the world powers create and profit from.

I don't think any ethnic Armenian needs to have a reason to be here other than this is our homeland and we have a right to be here.

There is a good chance you find yourself in the U.S. today because the of games the world powers played that may have had a devastating effect on your families country of origin. Many people that find refuge in the U.S. are thankful that the American government was big hearted to take their family in and give them a chance at a better life. What very few realize is that in many cases it is that same American government who has a hand in causing the lack of economic opportunities and instability for an even better life in their homeland.

If your comment about citizenship implies that I'm not a good American because I'm questioning my governments policies, then your wrong. In fact, America's democratic system promotes that I ask these questions. The Constitution promotes "freedom of speech", right? The same democratic system gives you the right to not agree with what I say.

It's true that I'm not part of the 86% of the American people that support president Bush's policy of revenge on the Afghani people for September 11th, in the name of fighting terrorism. It's strange that Bush's popularity was in the thirty percent range before 911 and then once he cut loose the American war machine, it shot up to 86%. In the last 50 years, the record high of a president was held by his father at 81%, this following his attacking Iraq. I bet that if I was living in America and had not got a eye full of American foreign policy here in Armenia, I would be part of the 86%, because I was part of the 81% during the Gulf War, glued to the T.V. watching the bombs drop and cheering on the home team, with an American flag pin on my jacket and I have relatives that live in Baghdad. But I understand why I was part of the 81%. I didn't have all the facts and my needs were well taken care of thanks to the fact that I was living under the American flag.

Do you think that the war on Afghanistan is going to reduce terrorism? Terrorists are everywhere and they don't always live in their country of origin. How many terrorists do you think were really killed in Afghanistan or Iraq or Bosnia or any of the other countries America has bombed? I would guess very few. But innocent people that are just living to feed their families under difficult conditions in those countries are the ones who those bombs most effect. Not just the lucky ones that are killed by those bombs, but the unlucky ones whose already difficult lives are made even more difficult as a result. Tomorrow, there could be terrorists living in (writer�s city omitted), (writer�s state omitted). Would it be right for (writer�s city omitted) to be leveled to the ground to rid the world of them? What about the families on (writer�s street omitted)? Your family, your home?

I am in total favor in preventing terrorism, as it is wrong. But what happened in Afghanistan was not a fight against terrorism, it was America finding an opportunity not only to try to clean up a mess that it started years ago, when it created Bin Ladden (which it seems up until now to has conveniently failed in killing him), but it, along with the world powers now have a chance to make Afghanistan dependent on them, so they will have more influence on policy in that part of the world. I can say this as America and other powers have already started doing this same thing in Armenia. I invite you to visit http://web.archive.org/web/20040608123239/http://www.50years.org/factsheets/index.htmland read about American institutions that deal in this area. What you read on that site is what I've seen for myself taking place in Armenia today. Not to say that the Armenian government does not have blame in what we are facing today, but I can say that America is like a source of ignition in a region where very flammable materials are not safely being stored and the Americans know it.

The good monetary life I live today is because I worked long hours and took business risks in America. I always felt that this wealth was due to my efforts, but now feel that much of the monetary resources I have today were handed to me, thanks to America and their desire to economically expand at a price paid by the world�s poor and weak people that were given no choice but to concede to America's desires.

The spoiled big belly Americans that I referred to in my log was me, my family and friends. I guess you can't see it when your in the thick of things.

God bless America my friend,

Ara Manoogian
Citizen of the United States of America


From: Name omitted
To: Ara Manoogian
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2002 10:18 PM EST
Subject: Hello Ara again.


Just trying to get a rise out of you. You see your cynicsm towards America is probably manifested by your deplorable living conditions you have decided to partake in. By the way Ara, the United States will be sending 94 million dollars of aid to Hayasdan next year. Don't get me wrong Ara, I am the son of survivors and 62 years old. I wish Armenia nothing but the best as I wish you. Your mission is noble. But after 3 trips there and seeing how corruption dominates the fabric of our fatherland, the fault is not in the U.S. My love is for my church in Etchmiadzin. It's probably the only thing in Armenia I will lay my life down for. You see Ara I'm tired of hearing Armenian communists saying they are Christian. Those are the people running the country. A zebra can't change its spots. No wonder all our young and educated, the ones that can fix Armenia, want to leave. I love my people and don't want to wait for all the old bastards to die out. By then it will be too late. The young people are like shakar. I look forward to your postings.

By the way, although I was born in Santa Monica, most of my life was in (state omitted). I enjoy your postings. You are like a lifeline to Hayasdan. I look forward to the day when Armenia overcomes its takavoors and adopts the "corrupt" ways of America.

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Needless to say I didn't bother answering this message as I don�t have anything more that I could say that I have not already said.

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