Is the world really in a dark place right now or has modern technology and the 24-hour news cycle merely shed light on the dark places that have always been there? Certainly the mood of the average citizen has been deeply affected, in a negative way, since the dubious ascendency of Donald Trump to leader of the free world. The collective societal anxiety and angst, fueled by a deep suspicion of the motives and integrity of our leaders and institutions that has been building for quite some time, paints a dark and sinister picture indeed, but the level of incompetence and the degree of uncertainty exhibited by the current administration has largely fostered a general sense of foreboding.
The release this weekend of the movie “The Promise”, both chilling and inspirational, recounts a chapter in world history that many if not most Americans are unfamiliar with: namely, the Armenian genocide which may have claimed as many as 1.5 million Armenians between 1915-1917. The term genocide was first introduced by Raphael Lemon in 1944 and is derived by combining the Greek word geno-, meaning race or tribe, with the Latin term -cide which means killing. In years since the definition has been expanded to describe the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.
While Turkish officials vehemently deny their complicity in the Armenian genocide to this day the New York Times covered the issue extensively, publishing as many as 145 articles in 1915 alone, according to an account by John Kifner, a former senior foreign correspondent for the Times.
While I consider myself a student of history and political science I cannot recall any discussion of the event in either my undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate studies. The first I heard of the Armenian genocide was during the time I served as a U.S. Senate staff member during the decade of the 1980’s. I can vividly recall former Kansas Senator Bob Dole speaking on the issue on numerous occasions. I found it both odd and interesting so I did some research on the issue to broaden my knowledge. Of course this was at a time before the internet and when research required laborious investigation of the card catalogue in the library (for those too young to even appreciate what I am talking about, google card catalogue or dewey decimal system).
I was obviously shocked by what I discovered and now along comes this movie and its treatment of the subject. While it certainly may be a hard sell to suggest that people plunk down the cost of a movie ticket to learn about another dark chapter in the history of mankind I heartily suggest that you do so to earn an appreciation for the complex historical and cultural parameters that have contributed to foreign policy and international relations issues. It is no coincidence, I am sure, that the movie opened on the weekend prior to the 102nd anniversary of the acknowledged start of the genocide, April 24, 1915. The movie is an important statement about an important issue at an important time in the world.
It is somewhat ironic that the allegations inferred in this cinematic treatment of history come on the heels of disturbing developments in the recent Turkish elections that effectively diminish representative democracy and point to a rise of authoritarianism in a part of the world that is mired in seemingly hopeless and brutal oppression. This is a part of the world, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, where our understanding of past and current conflict has only gained currency since the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Yet, even after nearly 16 years of involvement in the region the general understanding of cultural and religious differences here in the United States is quite limited. With the advent of the first World War and the impending collapse of the Ottoman Empire the Armenian genocide can be viewed as religious cleansing pitting largely Islamic Turkey against largely Christian Armenia. In the current context, however, how many Americans are comfortable discussing the differences between Sunnis, Shia, and Kurds? Our strategy for intervention must be premised upon a comprehensive acknowledgment of the historical contexts that contribute to each conflict. The Promise is an attempt to educate us and hopefully encourage us to learn more.
History lessons may not always offer answers to prickly questions governing relations between countries and cultures, but they surely help contextualize long-standing difficulties that can offer a key to helping resolve current problems. Having some appreciation for Korean-Chinese historical perspective, other than a 10 minute lecture from the Chinese President, hardly an objective observer, can offer avenues of policy development that could avert confrontation and conflict. Fostering some appreciation for the history of the fall of the Ottoman Empire could help pave the way for constructive dialogue on Turkey’s continuing role in NATO. Factual evidence, scientific inquiry, historical knowledge and a basic intellectual curiosity are key ingredients to effective public policy formulation and execution. The message to the new administration is to embrace these lessons.
Foreign policy is an exacting and complicated exercise with potentially enormous consequences, intended and unintended. It cannot and should not be taken lightly and there are seasoned experts in the State Department and foreign embassies around the world who can shed significant light on dark issues. Yet this administration proposes essentially gutting the very resources that are critically required through its budget cuts to Foggy Bottom. This is just one more example where the President and his staff must exercise prudence, rationality, patience, and yes strategic planning not merely gut instinct and armchair quarterbacking.
Even if the populace is not sufficiently educated on the historical dimensions of foreign policy it is expected of our leaders and the institutions they represent. Get to work and start solving the problems that you are only making worse with the bellicose saber-rattling that only inflames already tense relations between allies and adversaries alike. Fulfill the promise entrusted to you if not by a majority of the people then at least a majority of the Electoral College.