The Word Genocide and US Presidents

• 04.23.2016, 18:42
•  America,  Diaspora

 "Mr. President, don’t turn your back. Recognize Armenian Genocide," thousands of posts with the following words every year on April 23 appear in many US Armenian-populated cities.  

It is common knowledge that the international recognition of Genocide largely depends on its recognition by the United States.  Although, for example, the US 40^th president, Ronald Reagan, at a time pronounced the word "Genocide," nothing has changed, because the recognition of  Genocide by the USA depends on the decision of the executive body.

Starting from the US 42^nd president Bill Clinton there have been a tradition: each year on April 24 the US president issues a statement on the Armenian Genocide. Since 1994 up to present already three US presidents every year on April 24 labeled Armenian Genocide in by any term, but not Genocide.

Bill Clinton started to speak not of the very Genocide, but of the development opportunities for the Republic of Armenia, of the Armenian –Turkish rapprochement, even of the peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict and of the US being utmost use to Armenia.

Successor of Clinton, president George Bush before becoming a president promised the Armenian community in case of being elected to call the things by their names and to call the 20^th century tragedy Armenian Genocide.  However after getting the support of the Armenian community George Bush throughout the whole period of his tenure, was not loyal to his promise and called the Armenian Genocide "mass killings", "massacres", "crime against  humanity", "great calamity" etc.

It is important to note that the statements also contained no information about the organizers and committers of the crime. There were mentioned only time and place.  

In diplomacy this is called "maneuvering discourse," when the events are described in non-direct and equivocal language; the one that avoids the expressions that assume next steps. Instead of event descriptors there are general estimations and emotional expressions.  In such kind of speech all the addressees in case of willingness can find points of their interest. Such kind of discourse neither rejects nor confirms Genocide. However such a discourse has a far-reaching goal not rejecting avoid recognition, in any case becoming an obstacle to recognition.

The US 44^th president Barack Obama, who often called Genocide the massacres committed by Turkey when acting as a senator, after becoming a president not only preserved the main form of the statements used by his predecessors,  but moreover  improved it.

Obama made his April 24 statements more diverse and ambiguous directed to different addressees and assuming contradictory interpretations. On April 24, 2010 in his statement Obama said: "It is a devastating chapter in the history of the Armenian people, and we must keep its memory alive in honor of those who were murdered and so that we do not repeat the grave mistakes of the past."

Now it is already six years, that the Armenians in the US and all over the world especially on the eve of April 24 ask Barak Obama to keep his promise and to at least that year recognize Armenians Genocide. However, the US president’s advisers seem to find new words and expressions each year to continue their high level maneuvering discourse and policy. The same situation we witnessed this year as well.