Armenia became a republic and a state in 1918 at an enormous cost in blood. Artsakh became a republic and a state at an enormous cost in blood. Armenians have been pushed around by bigger powers for most of their history and I say NO to any more pushing around. Thanks, Raffi, for your stand, I hope that you and your colleagues can bring our leaders to your understanding.

Dear Armen, Although most of what you wrote is fine, however, what we Armenians are missing is the unity of thought and will. We need to start at home before we knock on other peoples doors. What the current Armenian goverment did with the Armenian couse is an utter embarsment. When others see that we are not sure what is it that we are after then no one will take us seriously let along respect us. Kurds are not any better than the turks, the Chinese or anyone will not do anything for us or even consider working with us unless we get our act together. We and only we have the solution to our problems in our hands, it is just a matter of seeing further than we are looking and stop repeating the same mistakes of the past. Let us face reality this is the "best" we can do and as long as we keep repeating the same things we wil get the same results. We know the problems and we seem to know the solutions and for so long we can not figure out on how to get there. We have only ourselves to blame.

Dear Mr Hovanissian, I have had great respect for you and your work. I have seen you in action for a long time. The very first time I travelled to Armenia, soon after independence, we shared the same train, airplane and the love of our nation and its ‘heritage’. It is for me a bit heartbreaking to read this appeal to the 3M knowing very well that it is going to fall into deaf years. You gave the answer to your own appeal in the title to the article: ‘Realpolitik’. It is simple, as long as Armenians don’t have a leverage on the military and finance industries and lobbies of the US, they can’t possibly go against the Turkish and Israeli lobbies. Having discharged the emotion, let us see what solution do we really have, knowing that the world is governed by Realpoliticians and not ‘nice guys’. Obama is just a puppet. The current geopolitical situation is changing fast and is giving Armenians new opportunities which we could use: 1. Against Turkey: The only force today which can give a hard time to Turkey consists of Kurds and their organizations. It is high time, we put aside our historic feelings and start active coalition building and strategic actions with the Kurds. This can take us a long way right into the heart of the Turkish bastion. 2. With China: In case it escaped your attention: the new owners of America are sitting in Beijing & Shanghai. Obama’s recent visit there was to meet his Shareholders and Board of Directors. So, let us start building our relations with China. The future road to Washington is going to be through Beijing. 3. New centers The old power centers of Europe and US are growing weaker every day. We have not been able to access those centers. They have kept us out and we have been preceded by other lobbies as mentioned above. Let is start building coalitions with the upcoming and centres: India, Brazil, Venezuela, Iran etc. These countries of the ‘old periphery’ are our natural allies. What have Europe, UK and US EVER done for us besides taking in our refugees, NOTHING. What did they do when we were getting slaughtered? NOTHING. So why should we keep begging them for friendship and sympathy? They don’t even apply their values to their own citizens, and you want them to do it to us??? I think I have made my point, and I don’t want to occupy too much ‘comment space’ on this web page so that other can comment too…

Thank you Raffi! Now, let's get the Armenian goverment on the same page first and begin from there to convince the rest of the world. Our work must start anew.

Make sure the Armenian government does not get blinded again. As Armenian Americans and human beings, most of us, have not given up. We shall try again. YES WE CAN