Filibuster Cartoons
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The Democratic-controlled US Congress is pushing a bill through that would formally declare the Ottoman Empire’s World War I-era massacre of over a million of its Armenian citizens as a “genocide.” Almost everyone acknowledges that a genocide occurred during this period, especially the Armenians themselves and their immigrant communities in North America, who never, ever stop talking about it.
The Turks, however, have an equally fanatic obsession with denying the genocide, and flying into a furious rage whenever someone uses the g-word. For example, the Turkish government has already recalled their ambassador from Washington in protest of this bill even being considered.
Bush has denounced the bill as a pointless gesture that serves to only harm Americo-Turkish relations. But it’s a bit hypocritical for him to say that, considering he personally awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the Dali Lama last week, despite heavy Chinese lobbying for him not to. He ignored the protests, saying it was more important to stand up for principle.
