Against Majority-Rule History

When it comes to Armenia, I'm a biased supporter. Several years ago, I won a Department of State/US Agency for International Development contract to assist the Government of Armenia in rethinking telecommunications regulation. Over several years, I spent weeks and months in Yerevan, the capital. This was only a decade after independence from the Soviets, so the infrastructure was poor. But I immediately fell in love with the Armenian people, who seemed more lively, and more conservative, than in other Caucasus-region countries I had worked: I likened them to libertarian cowboys (intended as a compliment). The government representatives with which I worked were -- virtually without exception -- wise, informed and genuinely interested in reform and deregulation, particularly Davit Harutyunyan who, though younger than I, was then Minister of Justice (and currently a member of the National Assembly). Ultimately, I helped draft the new Armenian Law on Electronic Communications, which opened the sector to competition.

So I'm pro-Armenia--but against the genocide resolution approved by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, backed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and opposed by the Administration. My disagreement isn't solely grounded on foreign policy "realism" -- though the highly negative reaction of important anti-terrorism ally Turkey would be reason enough. Nor is it just because it's a "meaningless resolution" -- though it is -- or because I deny the slaughter occurred (it's established fact). Rather, I'm persuaded by Best of the Web's James Taranto's odd but elegant point in Wednesday's column:

What about Congress's obligation to affirm historical truth? With all due respect to our distinguished elected representatives, whatever gave anyone the idea that they are authorities on history? Off the top of our head, we can't think of a single credentialed historian in the House, and even if there are a handful, we'd be astonished to find one who specializes in World War I-era Ottoman history. . .

When Armenian-American activists demand congressional affirmation, they play a mug's game. By ceding historical authority to lawmakers, who are manifestly unqualified to exercise it, they open themselves up to an adverse historical judgment that has nothing to do with historical truth.

Today's legislators have enough trouble passing legislation, never mind the usual flock of resolutions ranging from obvious to pointless to silly. And neither the House nor Senate was established to be a fact-finder; don't count on Congress to settle century-old historical scores.

The past isn't something subject to a vote.