An Alternative Argument for Recognizing the Armenian Genocide

Turkey has devoted so much energy -- and money -- to denying the World War I-era Armenian genocide that you'd think their currency was tied to it. Likewise, successive U.S. administrations have spent so much time trying to keep Congress from passing resolutions about the event that it begs the question: All of proper moral and other reasons for recognizing the Armenian genocide aside, why not just do it, suffer whatever short-lived diplomatic temper tantrum Turkey wants to throw at us, and be done with it?

At a time when the Obama administration would likely rather be concentrating on health care or the economy (though certainly not Sudan, it seems, but that's another post), Congress is pushing the president to honor his campaign promise to recognize the genocide, forcing the administration into a corner and leading Turkey to turn the tired old trick of recalling its ambassador. It's deja vu, all over again, with the added intrigue of the campaign promise -- just ask Nancy Pelosi.

If you aren't swayed by the moral imperatives at play here, then consider the political cost-benefit analysis: What would be the cost of taking the moral high ground and putting an end to the matter once and for all, versus allowing it to pop up again and again, whenever seems to be most politically inconvenient? China makes similar threats all the time, warning American presidents not to meet with the Dalai Lama -- but has it ever amounted to anything that lasted longer than a news cycle or two? Does Turkey give us anything we absolutely can't live without? Do we give anything to Turkey that they wouldn't want taken away? Where's the game of hardball, here?

What if, though, Obama has some kind of plan to use his oft-espoused "soft power" approach to foreign policy to eventually coax the recognition out of Turkey, and forcing the issue now screws over any chance of it happening at all -- via bold Congressional resolutions or quiet diplomatic nudging? ("What if" being the operative words, as Obama's lack of transparency on human rights issues leaves much to be desired.)

Just something to think about.

Photo credit: Chuck Kennedy, President Obama in Istanbul.