Posted on 04/23/2018 6:00:39 AM PDT by george76
If President Trump recognizes the Armenian genocide by specifically using the word genocide in his April 24 proclamation, he would send a strong signal to the world that America is unequivocally on the side of historical truth and the protection of innocent life. He would be only the second president, after Ronald Reagan, to do so boldly and officially.
Every year on April 24 there are memorial services, marches, and media reminders of the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. The beginning of the massacres is marked on that date in 1915, when hundreds of Armenian community leaders, merchants, and intellectuals were rounded up and killed in Constantinople.
That horrific incident was followed by the sorts of activities youd expect of a government intent on mass slaughter of an ethnic group:
...
Several American presidents in recent history issued commemorative proclamations that mourn the massacres and the tragedy of the killings, butwith the notable exception of Reagando not call it a genocide.
...
In his 2008 presidential campaign, Obama openly pledged that if elected he would call the killings a genocide.
He never kept that promise, even during the 2015 centennial marked by major events and memorial events around the nation as well as in Washington DC. Today two of his top aidesforeign policy advisor Ben Rhodes and United Nations Ambassador Samantha Powerhave said the Obama administrations judgment call on this was a mistake.
...
In addition to the loss of life, much wealth and property was seized, including Armenian churches, monasteries, businesses, farms, and homes.
(Excerpt) Read more at thefederalist.com ...
What’s the worst that could happen? Turkey won’t like us anymore? That ship has already sailed.
History lesson -
In April 1915 the Ottoman government embarked upon the systematic decimation of its civilian Armenian population. The persecutions continued with varying intensity until 1923 when the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist and was replaced by the Republic of Turkey. The Armenian population of the Ottoman state was reported at about two million in 1915. An estimated one million had perished by 1918, while hundreds of thousands had become homeless and stateless refugees. By 1923 virtually the entire Armenian population of Anatolian Turkey had disappeared.
The Ottoman Empire was ruled by the Turks who had conquered lands extending across West Asia, North Africa and Southeast Europe. The Ottoman government was centered in Istanbul (Constantinople) and was headed by a sultan who was vested with absolute power. The Turks practiced Islam and were a martial people. The Armenians, a Christian minority, lived as second class citizens subject to legal restrictions which denied them normal safeguards. Neither their lives nor their properties were guaranteed security. As non-Muslims they were also obligated to pay discriminatory taxes and denied participation in government. Scattered across the empire, the status of the Armenians was further complicated by the fact that the territory of historic Armenia was divided between the Ottomans and the Russians.....
http://www.armenian-genocide.org/genocide.html
“Who remembers the Armenians?”, it was only 1.5 million. Who remembers the 26M Russians or the 12M German victims, or the 100M Chinese? Man’s inhumanity to man continues regardless of who remembers. There will be more to follow, you can bet on it.
They weren’t just Armenian. They were Christians.
It might be fun to watch Erdogan melt down more completely.... but we have to be ready (logistically) for the possible end of Turkey’s role in NATO.
I think that’s where this is headed with Erdogan the Islamist, but we need to get our nukes out of there, etc.
“Whats the worst that could happen? Turkey wont like us anymore?”
Turkey is the excuse, the party USA is terrified of offending is further south of Turkey.
Didn’t happen the last time. Realpolitik. The truth will set you free. Time to do it.
Truth
Courage to speak it
Remember Trump moved the embassy to Jerusalem
That’s all you need to know about this guy
“Recognizing” the Armenian genocide pre Erdogan were a bad move. It was committed by a previous entity, the Ottoman Empire. Türkiye was a different nation after Mustafa Kemal’s revolution. That said, it is time to recognize the genocide. Erdogan is attempting, now indirectly but explicitly, to revive the Ottoman Empire. As such he is taking on himself and on Türkiye the legacy of that Empire. It is time.br> It also removes the rationale for the attachment to NATO. Severing the country from NATO would be felt as a drastic and disastrous act by the Turkish middle class which is still quite large by Moslem standards and could galvanize those people to rise against the neo-Ottomans.
First peoples to establish Christianity as their national religion, 302 AD
PBS is always running a show about this. I have not seen any shows on the communists killing 100 million+ people. Maybe next season....
Yes, the victims of the genocide carried out by the Turks in the 1910s were not just Armenian Christians, but also Greek and Assyrian Christians. https://pjmedia.com/blog/the-armenian-genocide/ However, the lion’s share (probably over 75%) of the victims were Armenian. President Trump should say that a genocide took place against Armenians and other Christians in the region.
Mao’s “Great Leap Forward” killed 45 million in four years alone: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/maos-great-leap-forward-killed-45-million-in-four-years-2081630.html
Throw in all of the other tens of millions murdered by the ChiComs and the tens of millions killed by Stalin, other Soviets, Pol Pot, Ho Chi Minh, Castro, etc., and the number of civilian victims of the Communist genocide probably approaches 200 million.
Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, or Israel?
Israel - for the benefit of their relationship with Turkey.
Sticky issue, it seemed like they were going to reverse and stick it to Turkey a couple of times, but I guess it is always good to have something useful in your pocket.
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