The Erasure of Memory
Connect these dots: US Vice President J.D. Vance’s office recently deleted a social media post commemorating the Armenian Genocide, shortly after his meeting with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev. This swift removal occurred despite a declaration made by President Biden in 2021, formally recognizing the 1915-1923 Ottoman-era mass killings as genocide — a move that broke decades of US
presidential silence on the matter. This incident is not an isolated misstep but a familiar pattern of geopolitical maneuvering. For decades, the US government tiptoed around the term 'genocide' to avoid antagonizing Turkey, a key NATO ally. When the House of Representatives passed a resolution in 2019 affirming the genocide, only 11 members voted against it, highlighting widespread bipartisan
support the executive branch often sidestepped for strategic reasons, much to the frustration of the Armenian diaspora. Consider the double standard: while the US regularly denounces historical atrocities in adversarial nations, its response is muted or erased when it conflicts with current strategic partnerships, particularly concerning energy interests or military alliances. This selective
application of moral principles demonstrates how historical recognition becomes a bargaining chip, rather than a consistent ethical stance. The deletion underscores the transactional nature of international relations, where historical truths are expendable. The removal of the post signals that, for some in Washington, strategic alignment with Azerbaijan—a significant oil and gas producer and