Campaignia Everywhere!
One month left to go and the election campaigns are going crazy! So much that they are tying up the printers and none of us other printer customers can get a decent print job done on time. ARG! The town is painted with party posters and I have to say, the ARF did an incredible job showing up. They were prepared, they were planned, they were effective. As other bloggers have posted, they had a rally at Aznavour Square where thousands showed up.
But the one thing I still don't see ACROSS the board is PR that talks to issues. Most posters are pictures of people, either the candidates or the type of people they are appealing to. I am quite the American in mindset that I'm used to seeing candidates kissing babies and digging holes to impress their voters of how "common" they are. Here is the EXACT opposite. They flaunt their money to show how much power they have, and according to them, that is what the people respond to. But I ask, if people want politicians with money and power, why do they complain that politicians have too much money and power? Is that really what they respond to, or is it the exposure alone?
Tonight I attend a meeting for "It's Your Choice" for Diasporans interested in becoming election observers. Not sure that I would make a good observer as I have admitted bias, but I'll be there to start photographing pre-election activity as I've been too busy to do anything 'til now.
And on the other end of the world, we have the other campaignia front between Armenians and the Turkish lobby. While the Armenian Genocide Resolution is picking up Congressional support, the Turks are fighting back with all the money in the world. Here's another concept... all the money Turkey has spent and continues to spend on lobby efforts to deny the genocide or manipulate the system could have just simply gone towards reparations. Now they want to admit the genocide took place, but not pay reparations. They should just ask for their money back from Livingston and all the other lobbiests who robbed them blind, hand it over to us and call it a day.
Seriously though, it seems like the Turks are really getting nervous because they are pushing harder than ever. Now the many spin-offs from TARC (Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission) are continuing to push for their desired results: recognition without reparations. As Kojian commented on his own previous blog, you don't get to commit a crime, admit it and not be punished for it. That would be the absolute worst example to set for the world. Commit a crime, admit to it, but continue to reep (sp?) the benefits you gained from it without ANY threat of reparations. This will absolutely feed the idea to other nations that committing genocide is COMPLETELY ACCEPTABLE!
Well, for once I have faith that we have enough strength in Congress to fight off this ridiculous proposal. The ANCA held a very successful advocacy day in Washington recently and the community as well as Congress continue to amp up their efforts to pass this resolution once and for all. No discussion of reconciliation should even be considered before that happens. Recognize, pay for your crime, then reconcile 'til your ears bleed. Open the border, bring your products, I'll personally travel to Turkey and spend my money without regret. But no dice until then.
But the one thing I still don't see ACROSS the board is PR that talks to issues. Most posters are pictures of people, either the candidates or the type of people they are appealing to. I am quite the American in mindset that I'm used to seeing candidates kissing babies and digging holes to impress their voters of how "common" they are. Here is the EXACT opposite. They flaunt their money to show how much power they have, and according to them, that is what the people respond to. But I ask, if people want politicians with money and power, why do they complain that politicians have too much money and power? Is that really what they respond to, or is it the exposure alone?
Tonight I attend a meeting for "It's Your Choice" for Diasporans interested in becoming election observers. Not sure that I would make a good observer as I have admitted bias, but I'll be there to start photographing pre-election activity as I've been too busy to do anything 'til now.
And on the other end of the world, we have the other campaignia front between Armenians and the Turkish lobby. While the Armenian Genocide Resolution is picking up Congressional support, the Turks are fighting back with all the money in the world. Here's another concept... all the money Turkey has spent and continues to spend on lobby efforts to deny the genocide or manipulate the system could have just simply gone towards reparations. Now they want to admit the genocide took place, but not pay reparations. They should just ask for their money back from Livingston and all the other lobbiests who robbed them blind, hand it over to us and call it a day.
Seriously though, it seems like the Turks are really getting nervous because they are pushing harder than ever. Now the many spin-offs from TARC (Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission) are continuing to push for their desired results: recognition without reparations. As Kojian commented on his own previous blog, you don't get to commit a crime, admit it and not be punished for it. That would be the absolute worst example to set for the world. Commit a crime, admit to it, but continue to reep (sp?) the benefits you gained from it without ANY threat of reparations. This will absolutely feed the idea to other nations that committing genocide is COMPLETELY ACCEPTABLE!
Well, for once I have faith that we have enough strength in Congress to fight off this ridiculous proposal. The ANCA held a very successful advocacy day in Washington recently and the community as well as Congress continue to amp up their efforts to pass this resolution once and for all. No discussion of reconciliation should even be considered before that happens. Recognize, pay for your crime, then reconcile 'til your ears bleed. Open the border, bring your products, I'll personally travel to Turkey and spend my money without regret. But no dice until then.
posted by Arsineh at 11:33 AM
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