PR and propaganda fail in the face of reality in Armenia army

Yes, tragic incidents in the army happened in the past too. Yes, we may not have realised their full extend in the past due to lack of publicity. There might be some truth in such statements, but they cannot be used to justify the appalling reality of violence and abuse in the Armenian army that tend to turn into routine statistics of non-combat deaths as part of daily news headlines.

3 deaths + “incidents” in 5 days... Plus all those soldiers who were killed or ‘suicided’ over the past year or so... This is an indication of endemic problems of violence and bullying in our army and lawlessness on all the levels of military management and beyond that, without addressing properly and comprehensively, unsurprisingly getting worse and worse... And a reflection of complacency towards violence in our society where machismo still rules.

Ironically, even now state propaganda machine tries blaming “foreign sponsored NGOs” and human rights activists for damaging army’s reputation and its military and psychological capabilities with their criticism, publicity and demands. So it’s not murders or ‘suicides’ of soldiers but publicity surrounding those incidents and demand for answers and responsibilities that damage Armenia’s security and defense?!

We may do the most impressive breathtaking military parades for propaganda purposes. But any propaganda or PR exercise fail spectacularly when facing such realities.

Is Turkey bluffing re 'reaching deal' with Armenia?

What kind of 'roadmap' is this if reportedly opening the border is "out of the question"?

Is this Obama directed PR?.. again?.. to prevent using the G-word on 24 April?

Well, let's see what Armenia Foreign Ministry will have to say tomorrow...

Turkey says accord reached with Armenia on roadmap
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - A foreign ministry statement says Turkey and Armenia have made solid progress toward reconciliation and reached agreement on a roadmap to normalize ties. The statement issued late Wednesday says the two countries have reached a framework agreement that satisfies both sides. A senior government official, however, said opening the Turkish-Armenian border, closed in 1993, is "out of the question." He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak to media.

Obama, Turkey, and I

I never thought that PR could be so overwhelming.

It was like a huge show, like a Hollywood movie, or some would say a rock concert.

I decided to make this post only after this wave went down a bit.

I felt that I am under attack by all those media reports which forced me to choose between the Genocide recognition and rapprochement with Turkey. I refuse to consider such choice. I do not think they are mutually exclusive.

I am neither encouraged nor discouraged by Obama’s words. It was OK speech. You could not have expected more at that moment, at that time.

I do not buy “it’s not a right time” argument. Due to its geographical location and regional geopolitics, Turkey will always be a country of strategic significance. If we follow “it’s not a right time” argument, there will never be a “right time”. Just because there are strategic interests, a country cannot be free of human rights abuses, current or past, and especially the most extreme level of it – Genocide. Sadly, and not only with regards to Turkey, putting ‘strategic importance’ before human rights is widespread. Call me naïve, but I did (and still do) support Obama hoping that human rights and (at least relatively) ethical politics will be brought back to the global politics. Obama’s first steps in presidency proved that he is the man for the job to make changes. Therefore, the only right thing to do for Obama is to follow his pre-election pledges and recognise the Armenian Genocide.

Let’s put it this way: I will be very disappointed if Obama won’t stick to his promises, and I will be very disappointed if recent positive signs in Armenia-Turkey rapprochement fail. I am not convinced that recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the US will have a long term negative consequences. US are as important to Turkey, as Turkey to the US. Although not on the same scale, but France’s recent example proves that countries move on for more practical purposes. On the other hand, having secured the US formal recognition will perhaps help many in Armenian Diaspora to recover from a ‘Genocide identity’ and start focusing on more pressing needs for Armenia, that is human rights, regional peace, economy etc. (vain hopes?) Well, I do not know how these all will develop, but Turkey could have done much more if serious in normalisation of relationships without bullying tactics, with opening the border in the immediate aftermath of Russia-Georgia war (this could have an important humanitarian explanation).

Human rights abuses and crimes against humanity can never be considered as an internal matter of countries. It’s in a large part due to the external pressures, and the ‘threat’ of US recognition, that Turkey’s official position shows signs of changes. Of course, changes boosted internally too… Hrant Dink, intellectuals… In any case, for me, the most important and positive signs are Turkey’s internal developments, where Armenian question is becoming a less of a taboo, and increasing number of voices question the official line. While external pressures could damage this trend, they could also help in understanding that to avoid external pressures and manipulations they have to clean up this issue internally.

I have to say, I am supportive of Armenian government’s general position in relation to rapprochement with Turkey. (I do not know all specifics to be more precise) Armenian side did whatever possible to do to pave the way for reconciliation despite Turkey’s official refusal to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. Armenian officials were more than clear that they are for rapprochement without any preconditions. This is the only right and acceptable thing to do. Tying the opening of the border and reconciliation with other issues, such as Karabakh, is not only contra-productive, but aims at sabotaging the whole process.

Zhirinovsky at “Tashir” Armenian Music Awards – OMG!

The 4th Armenian music awards ceremony “Tashir 2009” was held on 4 April at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow. It’s one of the headlining dates in Armenian pop music calendar.

I am not going to discuss the show itself, except for in P.S. below. You may find many video clips on a YouTube channel. What I am disturbed with was the ‘performance’ of Zhirinovsky there.

Why on earth such an odious Russian nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky (Wikipedia ) was invited and had a speech devoted to the Armenian cause there? Was this a music show or what? Can’t we just have a nice Armenian music entertainment show, celebrating in this case a pop music, without involving politics, especially coming from Russian nationalists? Did the organisers actually think that just because Zhirinovsky delivered a ‘devoted’ to the “Armenian Question” speech full of hate to other nations and chauvinism would do any good to publicising our issues? He sounded more nationalistic but extremely fake (!) than those coming from some Armenian circles. I felt nauseous after watching his speech (video). Can’t some people understand that Zhirinovsky & co do not give a shit about Armenian problems, instead promoting their very own specific agenda. The PR-ed affiliation of such people with the Armenian issues could do only harm to their international perception.

P.S. Inga and Anush Arshakyan presented their Eurovision entry Jan Jan (Nor Par) at Tashir ceremony too. That was one hell of a messy choreography (video). Urgent attention needed.

Naked men in downtown Yerevan… to mark Valentine’s day

To mark Valentine’s day, Brabion Flora Service in Yerevan initiated an unprecedented PR action. They announced that all men who will be at their flora salon at 2 pm local time in swimwear or underwear only, will get a free bouquet. The organisers expected 1 or 2 men to turn up, but there were 10 or so there.

This is unprecedented since it’s not every day you could see naked Armenian men in downtown Yerevan. In fact, this is the first time that something like this is organised in Armenia. Well done to all those brave Armenian men who did not care what others would say and did what they wanted to do. Well done to organisers too. That’s what I call Valentine’s day in Yerevan ;)

*For more details, read A1+ story here (in Armenian)
**photos – Photolur, via A1+

Georgia: Government’s misadventure, total defeat, but winning PR war (The Times)

British The Times newspaper reveals the inside story of PR war won by Georgia. Other than that, it’s total defeat for Saakashvili’s adminstration and disaster for people in the region.

via The Times /emphasis mine/:

[...] President Saakashvili, who came to power in the Rose Revolution, never lacked for a punchy warning about the threat to world order. Comparisons with Soviet interventions in Hungary (1956) and Afghanistan (1979) were liberally sprinkled with appeals for aid in the hope of galvanising public opinion in the United States and Europe to demand action from their leaders.

Mr Saakashvili was flanked by the Georgian and European Union flags, even though Georgia is not a member. The message was clear – Georgia was aligning itself with the West against its former Soviet master.

As foreign correspondents poured into Tbilisi a team of Belgian PR advisers launched a slick operation to keep them updated with e-mail alerts detailing the latest alleged aggressions by Russia and the Georgian Government’s reaction. On Sunday, for example, more than 20 e-mails went out to shape Georgia’s message that Russia had launched an invasion.

Some of the claims veered into outright exaggeration – such as stating that Russian jets were “intensively bombing Tbilisi” or that Russian troops had taken Gori – but the 24-hour news culture meant that many organisations repeated them without independent verification.

Russian officials were made to look defensive and clumsy, but their ace card was Vladimir Putin, who was intent on demonstrating that actions speak louder than words. Stern-faced, while dressed in casual street clothes, Mr Putin’s action-man persona transmitted a determination to prevail.

State-controlled TV gave coverage to the grief of Georgia’s victims in South Ossetia, while glossing over Russia’s actions. The aim was to maintain support for the Kremlin at home, with little thought for the international message. Viewers saw one woman claiming that Georgian troops had set a building with people inside on fire. “They drove them in like animals, closed the house and set it alight,” she said. “We saw in another place how a tank ran over an old woman, running away with two children.”

At the end of the military campaign Mr Saakashvili was photogenically surrounded by a huge crowd of supporters in a sea of Georgian flags. It was a message of defiant unity for the cameras, even though the outcome in South Ossetia and Abkhazia has been disastrous for Georgia. Mr Putin needed no props. Russia’s Army had already delivered his message directly into Georgia.

Victors and vanquished

Winners

— Vladimir Putin: he made it clear to the world that Georgia had been the aggressor and that his soldiers were intervening to stop “genocide”

— Dmitri Medvedev: he announced the end of the war to coincide with the arrival in Moscow of President Sarkozy, providing him with a diplomatic coup

— Russian military might: as a contest it was Russia 10, Georgia 0

Losers

— Mikhail Saakashvili: the picture of the Georgian President cowering from a Russian helicopter said it all

— The Georgian people: thousands paid with their lives or had their homes destroyed because of their Government’s misadventure

— Nato membership: Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the Secretary-General, insisted that the war did not mean that Georgia had sacrificed its chance of joining the alliance, but it will not have improved its chances

— Western leaders: despite the diplomatic efforts and statements of outrage, they were outmanoeuvred by Moscow, unable to offer even a hint of military combat assistance for the would-be Nato member

Armenia: 'macho' PM

... or shall I say PR, PR till the end?! It seems that our PM's PR machine is working at its full force. This particular news item apparently aimed at toughening PM Tigran Sargsyan image to accommodate our macho loving society preferences.

Armenian Prime Minister hit the "top ten" in the shooting on target

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has demonstrated "excellent results" in the shooting on target. According to the "Novosti-Armenia", head of the Armenian Government hit the "top ten", shooting from a pistol "Beretta".

Unsurprisingly, "excellent sniper ability" were demonstrated by Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, who hit the "top ten" too, using 12.7 mm calibre sniper rifle "Black Arrow".

Armenian PM, accompanied by Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan and other members of the government, was visiting our troops and military positions along the North-East borders on 12 July, Saturday.

*photo - via Aravot daily

Hunk Putin? - No, thank you!

He made world headlines again, not for his actions or policy, but for his body. In an attempt to ammend his image with 'sexy macho' touch, he shows off his judo trained physique. In short, Putin goes fishing and strips off.

But the most hilarious picture with excellent Spiegel commentary is this one:

"Here Putin appears to be auditioning for a part in a Village People tribute show. We know the 80s are back, Vlads, but can a world leader really pull off fingerless leather gloves? And why the shrubbery in the belt?"

In case you can't get enough of these pictures, there are more here

*source of pictures: Reuters and DPA