Starving Armenians: America and the Armenian Genocide, 1915-1930 and After

Rating:
Summary: lessons from yesterday for today
Review: Professor Merrill has written a fascinating book with many lessons. Instructive is the way oil politics at the 1923 Lusanne Conference got in the way of a European response to the national and humanitarian consequences of the Armenians' 20 previous years of suffering Turk inflicted "crimes against humanity" (the word genocide hadn't been coined, but crimes against humanity had been identified at the Versailles Conference). Now the west wants to use human rights to cover the military drive to the middle east oil spigot, thus an instructive irony.
I had experience in Central America in the late 1970s and early 1980s and comparisons with congregationalist ministers in 19th century Armenia and Catholic liberation theologians in Central America are relevant. Also, in both cases the indigenous peoples were wiped off of the map of fertile lowlands and condemned to infertile highlands. The human rights response was similar too with the congregationalist Near East Relief organization comparable to the widespread Catholic church support of Caritas, the Paulists, or others for Central American indigenous peoples under seige.
Also, here in the US Armenian success stories are legion. My family boasts relatives of the Colombosian family, famous for their Colombo yogurt. The Colombosian family lost extensive 1st generation family in the genocide. They continue to support the establishment of the Armenian holocaust museum in Washington DC, among other efforts.

Rating:
Summary: lessons from yesterday for today
Review: Professor Merrill has written a fascinating book with many lessons. Instructive is the way oil politics at the 1923 Lusanne Conference got in the way of a European response to the national and humanitarian consequences of the Armenians' 20 previous years of suffering Turk inflicted "crimes against humanity" (the word genocide hadn't been coined, but crimes against humanity had been identified at the Versailles Conference). Now the west wants to use human rights to cover the military drive to the middle east oil spigot, thus an instructive irony.
I had experience in Central America in the late 1970s and early 1980s and comparisons with congregationalist ministers in 19th century Armenia and Catholic liberation theologians in Central America are relevant. Also, in both cases the indigenous peoples were wiped off of the map of fertile lowlands and condemned to infertile highlands. The human rights response was similar too with the congregationalist Near East Relief organization comparable to the widespread Catholic church support of Caritas, the Paulists, or others for Central American indigenous peoples under seige.
Also, here in the US Armenian success stories are legion. My family boasts relatives of the Colombosian family, famous for their Colombo yogurt. The Colombosian family lost extensive 1st generation family in the genocide. They continue to support the establishment of the Armenian holocaust museum in Washington DC, among other efforts.