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The Armenian Genocide: How To Sell It

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  • The Armenian Genocide: How To Sell It

    THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: HOW TO SELL IT
    By Avedis Kevorkian

    http://keghart.com/node/511
    4 July 2009
    Philadelphia, PA USA

    Shortly after the April 24 "Go to Hell" message to the Armenians from
    the Liar in the White House, President Medz Yeghern, a contact at
    the National Space Agency sent me a photo taken from space showing
    a large number of people standing in a large circle and pointing to
    the person on the right and asked what I made of it.

    I told him that it was a couple of million Armenians and they were
    pointing to the person to their right and blaming that person for
    the fact that President Medz Yeghern had not kept his promises to
    the Armenian about the Armenian Genocide.

    He wanted to know what it was all about. I explained that when he was
    a candidate for office, Medz Yeghern promised all sorts of good things
    to the Armenians but after he won and was inaugurated, he received
    his instructions from Ankara and reneged on all his promises, and
    the Armenians were now trying to blame someone.

    "So," he said, "there's nothing significant about it, right?"

    "Yes," I said, "there is nothing significant about it. Armenians are
    always blaming others for whatever happens or doesn't happen."

    "I should throw the photo away?" he asked. "Yes," I said, "it is
    worthless.

    I am throwing away my copy, as well."

    Now that the blame-game has all but died off, however, I thought
    it was time20for me to express an opinion or two. And, to do so,
    I must discuss the fine art of selling. Yes, I know that Armenians
    are expert businessmen.

    But, somehow, they don't translate their business acumen into matters
    political.

    Two men want to buy suits. The first man goes into a men's shop, takes
    a suit off the rack, tries it on. The salesman says to him. "Please
    buy this suit, because I get a good commission." The second man
    goes into a men's shop, takes a suit off the rack, tries it on, and
    the salesman says to him, "Oh, Yes! This is you. You look ten years
    younger. In fact, perhaps you shouldn't buy this suit because all
    the women will chase you down the street."

    Which salesman made the sale?

    Now, let us reverse the direction, and talk about two other
    salesmen. The first salesman goes to President Medz Yeghern and says,
    "We were the first Christian nation and we were the victims of the
    first Genocide of the Twentieth Century, so you should say so because
    it is the right thing to do." The second salesman goes to President
    Medz Yeghern and says, "If you use the 'Genocide' word, we will kick
    you the Hell out of the Inçirlik airbase in our country."

    Which salesman's message got across?

    Whenever I have taught or lectured on public relations, and when
    speaking to potential clients (so they have no misgivings of my
    approach) I say, "It is not wh at you want, it is not what I want,
    but it is what the editor wants that gets used."

    Just one of many possible examples. Many years ago, I represented
    both the local Foster Care organization as well as the Foster Care
    Agency of the Federal Government (they were not connected, though
    they knew each other).

    When I reached my office one Monday morning, there were three messages
    from Washington, and one from the local director with the note,
    "Call me first."

    I called her and she explained that she had been in touch with
    Washington, knew that I had messages from the Washington director,
    and explained the background. It seemed that a comic on his program,
    on Sunday, had done a very nasty skit on what was the life of a child
    in foster care, and, it turned out that the comic had been a foster
    child and had an unpleasant experience. Washington, my local director
    said, was demanding that I do something.

    I called Washington, got the background (again) and her firm views
    that I "demand" that the network apologize. I told her that networks
    don't apologize. But, I said I would try to do something.

    I called CBS (the network) and spoke with a couple of people, both of
    whom were sympathetic. I will spare the details of the conversations.

    Eventually, I was referred to a producer asking what could be done. I
    said that during National Foster Care week, later that month, there
    wou ld be a major conference in Atlanta, and that it might be a good
    idea if CBS would cover. There was a pause, and then the one word,
    dear to the hearts of public-relations people, "Exclusive?" I said,
    "Of course."

    Again, I will spare the details. We agreed that the conference would
    be given fifteen minutes on the morning program, and that would
    include "eavesdropping" on a round-table discussion, and film of two
    foster-care homes--one a ghetto family and one an upper-middle-class
    family.

    I called my Washington Director and told her what we agreed. She was
    elated. She said that she would re-arrange the seminars and talks and
    selected one of great public interest, and re-set its time. Meanwhile
    I worked with my local director, and she selected two homes. I called
    CBS and told the producer what was done, and she set a date for a
    camera crew to come to Philadelphia.

    To sum up. The 15-minute segment was introduced with the announcement
    that a discussion was "in progress" and a brief filming of the
    discussion, then the scene changed to the ghetto home and the interview
    with the two foster parents and two of their foster children, then back
    to Atlanta, then to the upper-middle class home and the two foster
    parents and their two foster children, and then back to Atlanta,
    and a prepared sign-off.

    Needless to say, both my clients felt that I could walk on water.

    I narrate the above not to boast, but to indicate that begging would
    have achieved nothing, but I was able to give the producer something
    she could legitimately use.

    Now back to the hapless Armenians.

    The reason that no one truly gives a damn about the Armenians is
    because the Armenian message is "I want" and not "I give."

    It's bad enough that Armenia has no natural resources America wants and
    needs (natural gas, oil, minerals, etc.), but it is common knowledge
    that the country is run by crooks and thieves and thugs. So, the only
    possible "offer" Armenia could make to America is to pretend it has
    clout and muscle with both Moscow and Tehran and that Armenia would
    be an ideal middleman between Washington and Moscow and Washington
    and Tehran. It could offer to conduct some quiet diplomacy and create
    greater understanding between Washington and the two countries.

    Failing that, the Armenians in America must ask what they can give
    the Liar in the White House. That can be summed up in two words:
    "Votes" and "Money" Like all presidents, Medz Yeghern has his eyes
    on a second term, already.

    However, he needs to get over a vital hurdle--the elections of
    2010. The message that the Armenians should send to the White House
    is that all Armenian votes in 2010 will go to Republican Party
    candidates--Governors, Senators, Representatives--with the aim of
    giving the Republicans the control of the State Capitols and=2 0of
    Congress. And, the suggestion should be made that there is always
    April 2010 for him to keep his pledges and promises, if he wants his
    party to get the Armenian vote, in November 2010.

    As to money, it is a fact that, in politics, it talks very loudly.

    Armenians should start thinking very seriously of being major
    contributors to the two political parties--the American political
    parties, that is. This is especially important with candidates in
    areas where there are no meaningful number of Armenian voters. An
    example will serve.

    There was once a very influential Senator, Henry Jackson of the State
    of Washington. He was so pro-Israel, he was known as the "Senator
    from Israel." He was not Jewish, and the number of Jewish votes in
    his state, when he was active, was 0.06 percent! But, Jackson was
    the darling of the Jews and he was supported financially almost
    beyond measure.

    You can be sure that during and after campaigns, politicians carefully
    scrutinize the list of donors. If they see Armenian names, they will
    think Armenian. If they see no Armenian names, they will ask "Armenian
    who?" You can be sure that on November 5, when president-elect
    Medz Yeghern looked at the list of donors, he saw very few Armenian
    names. Thus, it wasn't a very difficult decision to say, "To Hell
    with the Armenians."

    The time to think of punishing Medz Yeghern is now. While the y are
    in the process of dealing with Medz Yeghern, the American Armenians
    should also contact their local Republican parties and ask who they
    can help and how they can help.

    Before anyone says anything, let me say it first. Voting for the
    Republicans is not a reward for past support. The Republicans have had
    their share of liars. But, in the present circumstance, the Republicans
    are being used as messengers to the present Liar in the White House.

    Oh, I forgot to mention that the first suit salesman was Armenian,
    and the second suit salesman was Turkish.
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