[IMC-Process] Re: [IMC-Tech] edits to /cities.inc

[Daniel P]

On Mon, 26 Dec 2005, [ISO-8859-15] andrés wrote:
> IMHO, Armenia is definitely in Europe.

This could be perceived as splitting hairs, but as an Armenian, I 
*strongly* object to that.  The Caucasus countries themselves are not part 
of the European subcontinent: they are part of the Asian continent. 
Wikipedia, for what it's worth, agrees with me: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasus

The same article does mention, correctly, that many view the region as 
"culturally" identified with Europe.  In my view, the view that Armenia is 
part of Europe is a load of bullshit that's advanced by those who think 
pandering to a European, or White, identity will advance their own 
position in the world.

To classify Armenia as part of Europe and not Iran, Azerbaijan, or Georgia 
(neighboring countries of Armenia, in addition to Eastern Turkey), then we 
have developed a classification that resembles the preferences of some 
towards white skin, and not geography.

In these times, it seems that Europe is trying to grow it's borders (all 
of Turkey, Armenia, Israel) in the same way that gentrifing neighborhoods 
here in Pittsburgh tend to "grow" and consume poorer neighborhoods and 
neighborhoods of color.  Just as with gentrification, not everyone is fine 
with this process of European expansion and the inherent undertones of 
European dominance.

Daniel P
Pittsburgh Indymedia Volunteer