A Karabaghtsi told us that while still living in Karabagh, he always considered himself Armenian, but that when arriving and living in Armenia, he first heard “Hayastantsi,” “Karabaghtsi,” and all the rest.

“This has always disgusted me,” he said. “Armenians are a talented people, no doubt, but they have some character traits they should face up to…not just talk about, but face up to.

“One of those problems is the individual being only for himself, and not the nation. I’m thinking now about a Beirut-born Armenian who was living in Yerevan and went into business with an Arab, registering the business in his own name, as he was a citizen here. Then the Armenian cheated the Arab, who took what he could and left Armenia. Needless to say, the Arab never returned. The Armenian’s father, and the Arab, were friends in Beirut, so the Arab trusted the Armenian.

“The Armenian thought only about his pocketbook, not his father’s friendship with the Arab, and not about the good that their business venture, and future business ventures with the Arab, could have done for our country’s economy and people.

“And, in my opinion, Armenians could learn some lessons from the Turks when it comes to diplomacy. For instance, in my opinion, Armenians aren’t being smart when it comes to the issue of Genocide recognition. A recent letter sent to and published in the Armenian press in the US received no reaction…none. It said that Armenians should be congratulating Obama for going as far as he did in recognizing the Genocide, and should be announcing to the world that Obama recognized the Genocide with his description of what happened in 1915, his description fitting the legal definition of genocide perfectly. If we declared that Obama recognized the Genocide, the Turks wouldn’t know how to react. But they react well to our tears and complaints, which I think serve some of our Diaspora organizations well, and give them the reason they need to prolong their existence.”