... you say "cheap".
50 Cent is in Turkey this week. Curtis Jackson, in the middle of a performance in the Aegean summer resort of Çeşme, draped himself in a Turkish flag and began holler'in at the crowd:
"When I say Atatürk, you will say respect."
He also went on to ask audience members where he could find some weed.
Hayatimda bu kadar aptal bir hedefi benim memleketimden buraya gelebilecektiğini inanamiyordum.
Or in English, "Why do only douche bags have passports?"
Atatürk is a debatable figure, particularly among the audience that would want to see 50 Cent in concert here. It's hip-hop for god's sake, anti-establishment, anti-authoritarian, and lots of shiny. Bling... bling... come on!
Is it poor planning on the part of his handlers? I seriously doubt Curtis Jackson would knowingly go to Spain and pay his respects to Franco, or give a shout-out to Mussolini in Italy.
It's crap like this that makes it distincly embarrassing for me to be an American living in Turkey. In general, Americans know two things about Turkey:
1. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (by that I mean his name)
2. A problem with Kurdish people is happening somewhere near here
Many would be hard pressed to find it on a map, because we haven't ever formally declared war on the country, so there's been little media interest.
Just as when Hillary, and later Obama, came to visit, I'll hear about this event for months; from taxi drivers and pastry sellers, and all sorts of people, generally on the right wing of Turkish politics that I prefer not to speak with because most of them will probably echo the same damn opinion. Somehow, this will get sucked into the nationalist rhetoric that I so frequently run into, and I'll be the ass (or worse, really offend someone) for pointing out that Curtis Jackson, in point of fact, is just an ignorant hip-hop star and not really the sort of person a proper Kemalist wants waving the flag around.
Seriously, every time an American gets a hold of a microphone in this country, they take a shot at exposing how fundamentally retarded and ill-informed we can be. I need my insulated, self-righteous indignation and sense of cultural superiority in order to justify continuing to live here. It's just too easy to connect the dots: Curtis Jackson = Tard, and Curtis Jackson = American, thus American = Tard, and in conclusion Sean = Tard.
Thanks a lot Curtis, keep on rockin.
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
More on Iran...
Just cause this stuff is important...
The writer of the blog and these twitter posts is an Iranian that Gregg met through a friend. He is in Iran presently.
South is South
Homeboy on Twitter
There's a lot of information, misinformation, and rumor going around, and this is probably the last I will post on the matter (as I am neither there, nor informed enough to be a source of quality info). His description of the protests seems similar to what we do in Istanbul on May 1, except that paramilitaries and cops are shooting people. I watched an incredibly disturbing video on Facebook, of a woman bleeding from several bullet wounds: one to the breast, one to the eye.
She is most assuredly dead now.
The tactics and approach of the Iranian leadership are nothing short of fascist. I don't know if the term "Islamo-fascism" is being thrown around stateside, but I wanted to offer that the term is misleading. What we are witnessing in Iran is typical of how states behave, when their power is seriously challenged. Islamic, Catholic, Communist, Democratic... everything happening in Iran right now has happened before elsewhere.
From what little I know of Musavi's politics, I know that I don't like them. This is surely the situation for many protesters on the street, who are agitating for wholesale reform of the Iranian mechanisms of government and economics. Revolutions make for strange bedfellows, just as they did in Iran's previous revolution. I hope that the Iranian left has enough sense to get armed and prepare for a backlash from the political right, should the present stage of dissent succeed.
Otherwise, we will probably witness a repeat of the 1980s, with a new pro-western face for the fascism.
The writer of the blog and these twitter posts is an Iranian that Gregg met through a friend. He is in Iran presently.
South is South
Homeboy on Twitter
There's a lot of information, misinformation, and rumor going around, and this is probably the last I will post on the matter (as I am neither there, nor informed enough to be a source of quality info). His description of the protests seems similar to what we do in Istanbul on May 1, except that paramilitaries and cops are shooting people. I watched an incredibly disturbing video on Facebook, of a woman bleeding from several bullet wounds: one to the breast, one to the eye.
She is most assuredly dead now.
The tactics and approach of the Iranian leadership are nothing short of fascist. I don't know if the term "Islamo-fascism" is being thrown around stateside, but I wanted to offer that the term is misleading. What we are witnessing in Iran is typical of how states behave, when their power is seriously challenged. Islamic, Catholic, Communist, Democratic... everything happening in Iran right now has happened before elsewhere.
From what little I know of Musavi's politics, I know that I don't like them. This is surely the situation for many protesters on the street, who are agitating for wholesale reform of the Iranian mechanisms of government and economics. Revolutions make for strange bedfellows, just as they did in Iran's previous revolution. I hope that the Iranian left has enough sense to get armed and prepare for a backlash from the political right, should the present stage of dissent succeed.
Otherwise, we will probably witness a repeat of the 1980s, with a new pro-western face for the fascism.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Historically speaking...
A few days ago I was thinking about Columbia (it came up in a class I was teaching), and the thought led me back to Turkey. The thought was something like:
'Imagine a _____ [fill in a country] where there had been no US intervention in the 20th century. What paths would the many imaginative and beautiful people there have chosen for themselves? What lives would they be living now? What national obsessions and grass-roots initiatives would they be acting out?'
I don't think people fully realize, that an event like the Iranian revolution, in 1979, doesn't represent merely a serious change in 1980. Rather, it represents frantically dramatic and unpredictable changes for their culture in 2009. We are witnessing that play out now.
Turkey, which saw huge gains for labor and human rights in the 60s and 70s, is instead (almost thirty years after the last coup), now a country of high unemployment and authoritarian management-worker relations, a stifled press, etc. My school, for example, keeps taking parts of my paycheck, and that just doesn't happen in countries with strong unions.
The consequences of these and other historic catastrophes make me uncomfortable. I feel both a sense of powerlessness and accompanying discomfort due to the awareness that, back home in the US in the same thirty-year period, we nurtured a culture of largely playful people, who are highly digital-savvy, and for the most part, pretty cool.
There's a bit of white guilt buried there, I suppose, but more than that, I am merely aghast at how horrifyingly wrong our foreign policy has been... pretty much as long as we've had foreign policy. From where I sit, I feel that the US and Western Europe are, or rather were, securely insulated by their prosperity. A lot of beautiful things resulted from that, along with a lot of waste.
With all this in mind, I found the graphic below, which made my jaw drop...
This image represents the catastrophic failure of free-market capitalism (if not, simply, all capitalism) over the last twelve months. Looking forward, I feel this bodes ill for the United States' future prospects, particularly if we intend to continue with a modified capitalist economy. We were a country that could spend on demonstrably influential projects (even if I don't agree with all/any of them). From here on out, I don't know that we will have money to spend at all.
Here is a link to the article.
I am trying to imagine how distinctly different American culture is now, from say the oil crises of the 1970s (I'm just choosing a random crisis from roughly thirty years ago). The America my kids (God-forbid) grow up in will be distinctly less-influential than that into which I was born. Who knows whether that will be a good thing, but I doubt it.
For real though, the AIG bailout costs the same as the Marshal Plan did!?!
Jumpin' gee wilikers!
'Imagine a _____ [fill in a country] where there had been no US intervention in the 20th century. What paths would the many imaginative and beautiful people there have chosen for themselves? What lives would they be living now? What national obsessions and grass-roots initiatives would they be acting out?'
I don't think people fully realize, that an event like the Iranian revolution, in 1979, doesn't represent merely a serious change in 1980. Rather, it represents frantically dramatic and unpredictable changes for their culture in 2009. We are witnessing that play out now.
Turkey, which saw huge gains for labor and human rights in the 60s and 70s, is instead (almost thirty years after the last coup), now a country of high unemployment and authoritarian management-worker relations, a stifled press, etc. My school, for example, keeps taking parts of my paycheck, and that just doesn't happen in countries with strong unions.
The consequences of these and other historic catastrophes make me uncomfortable. I feel both a sense of powerlessness and accompanying discomfort due to the awareness that, back home in the US in the same thirty-year period, we nurtured a culture of largely playful people, who are highly digital-savvy, and for the most part, pretty cool.
There's a bit of white guilt buried there, I suppose, but more than that, I am merely aghast at how horrifyingly wrong our foreign policy has been... pretty much as long as we've had foreign policy. From where I sit, I feel that the US and Western Europe are, or rather were, securely insulated by their prosperity. A lot of beautiful things resulted from that, along with a lot of waste.
With all this in mind, I found the graphic below, which made my jaw drop...
This image represents the catastrophic failure of free-market capitalism (if not, simply, all capitalism) over the last twelve months. Looking forward, I feel this bodes ill for the United States' future prospects, particularly if we intend to continue with a modified capitalist economy. We were a country that could spend on demonstrably influential projects (even if I don't agree with all/any of them). From here on out, I don't know that we will have money to spend at all.
Here is a link to the article.
I am trying to imagine how distinctly different American culture is now, from say the oil crises of the 1970s (I'm just choosing a random crisis from roughly thirty years ago). The America my kids (God-forbid) grow up in will be distinctly less-influential than that into which I was born. Who knows whether that will be a good thing, but I doubt it.
For real though, the AIG bailout costs the same as the Marshal Plan did!?!
Jumpin' gee wilikers!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Iranian Revolution: Part II?
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Turkish Children Speak the Truth...
From a friend's classroom:
Question: "What are some reasons that people are treated badly?"
Answer: "The Turkish people"
There was no period... but I wonder whether the child intended to complete the sentence.
Question: "What are some reasons that people are treated badly?"
Answer: "The Turkish people"
There was no period... but I wonder whether the child intended to complete the sentence.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Pete, Pete, and Repeat walk into a bar...
Let me try to connect the dots...
I've been listening to a podcast called "The Best of the Left", and last week there was a discussion about metaphorical echo chambers. According to Wikipedia, "the term echo chamber is any situation in which information, ideas or beliefs are amplified or reinforced by transmission inside an 'enclosed' space." I gather it is not an actual enclosed space, but instead the simple act of talking to, reading, or listening to opinions that already agree with one's own (thus reinforcing them as correct).
When you hear someone say, "you're preaching to the choir," they are basically saying to you that the echo chamber of your relationship is redundant, in this case.
The point made in the podcast, or what caught my ear, dealt with a study that sought to determine whether readers of online news were ghettoizing themselves into echo chambers, and only reading information from sources that reflected their opinions.
Turns out, they don't, defying the expectations of researchers.
The study showed that bloggers and their readers alike, prefer to read what the other side is saying. Thus, ideologies are defined dialectically, in relation to one another, rather than through echo chambers. Blogs go a step further, creating a venue where people can interact with the "other" side. Posting comments to a blog is one example of how this process works, mechanically speaking.
Another nail in the coffin of the newspaper industry!
This relates to Turkey, in a minute...
I was raised, like most Americans, on the assumption of an objective media. The idea that journalism should report "just the facts, ma'am", and that the field brought with it none of the dishonest taints which accompany academia, politics, or discussions around the water-cooler.
Thus was I in for a shock, my first summer in Turkey. Myself a young leftist at the time, I learned through leftist friends of leftist newspapers and leftist magazines. These were clearly and aggressively ideological publications, and available in most news-stands (except those owned by the political right). A magazine rack provides a number of political stances, and while searching for one, a reader inevitably learns about others. Publications are also pressed to keep each other honest, because what could be more fun than discrediting your ideological foes.
Some of these papers are sufficiently extreme, that they are constantly being closed by the government, and then re-organizing under different names. One specifically, Gündem, used to print a "Victims" column, everyday featuring a journalist, lawyer, or revolutionary killed by the Turkish "Deep State". To carry Gündem in public was to declare to other Turks your ideological stance.
I remember a man in Tatvan, who was holding up his Gündem such that any passerby could see the headline and title as they passed. I felt that he wasn't reading, so much as making a statement about his politics, a proclamation of his leftist-ness.
Certainly, it was an act of defiance. Gündem was shut down in 2005.
The New York Times seems intended for hippy-pussies by comparison.
I noticed long ago that Turks are generally more politically aware. My political persuasion often differs from those with whom I speak, but there is clearly a mutual understanding of the political spectrum, the agents of political change, and the means available for exercising power. We disagree, but we understand one another. It's like we're speaking the same language, even though we're not.
Turkey is a military state. What I find interesting, is that with political action literally paralyzed by the threat of imprisonment or extra-state assassination, dissident voices constantly emerge from all points of the political spectrum. Their contribution to the larger conversation resonates meaningfully. The closest thing we have to this is Jon Stewart getting into an argument with Tucker Carlson.
Either ours is a fundamentally conservative country, or our leadership has complete control, for the differences between liberals and conservatives never come down to ideology, but rather policy. Americans all seem to want basically the same things. I know I'm failing to define this clearly, but I'll need to think on it more. The Turkish Left and Right want radically different things for Turkey (different from each other and different from what the Turkish state presently provides).
I could be wrong (and perhaps I ran from the America of my parents' generation, and not mine), but I get the sense Americans just want a middle/upper-middle class, college educated, nuclear family, lifestyle. Something which could be described as "Compassionate Capitalism", which is maybe also eco-friendly.
My ideology leads me to want collective ownership of the means of production and democratic participation in all levels of society, also maximization of local political authority into smaller geographic areas than nations (of our size) would be appreciated.
Those are distinctly different goals...
I've been listening to a podcast called "The Best of the Left", and last week there was a discussion about metaphorical echo chambers. According to Wikipedia, "the term echo chamber is any situation in which information, ideas or beliefs are amplified or reinforced by transmission inside an 'enclosed' space." I gather it is not an actual enclosed space, but instead the simple act of talking to, reading, or listening to opinions that already agree with one's own (thus reinforcing them as correct).
When you hear someone say, "you're preaching to the choir," they are basically saying to you that the echo chamber of your relationship is redundant, in this case.
The point made in the podcast, or what caught my ear, dealt with a study that sought to determine whether readers of online news were ghettoizing themselves into echo chambers, and only reading information from sources that reflected their opinions.
Turns out, they don't, defying the expectations of researchers.
The study showed that bloggers and their readers alike, prefer to read what the other side is saying. Thus, ideologies are defined dialectically, in relation to one another, rather than through echo chambers. Blogs go a step further, creating a venue where people can interact with the "other" side. Posting comments to a blog is one example of how this process works, mechanically speaking.
Another nail in the coffin of the newspaper industry!
This relates to Turkey, in a minute...
I was raised, like most Americans, on the assumption of an objective media. The idea that journalism should report "just the facts, ma'am", and that the field brought with it none of the dishonest taints which accompany academia, politics, or discussions around the water-cooler.
Thus was I in for a shock, my first summer in Turkey. Myself a young leftist at the time, I learned through leftist friends of leftist newspapers and leftist magazines. These were clearly and aggressively ideological publications, and available in most news-stands (except those owned by the political right). A magazine rack provides a number of political stances, and while searching for one, a reader inevitably learns about others. Publications are also pressed to keep each other honest, because what could be more fun than discrediting your ideological foes.
Some of these papers are sufficiently extreme, that they are constantly being closed by the government, and then re-organizing under different names. One specifically, Gündem, used to print a "Victims" column, everyday featuring a journalist, lawyer, or revolutionary killed by the Turkish "Deep State". To carry Gündem in public was to declare to other Turks your ideological stance.
I remember a man in Tatvan, who was holding up his Gündem such that any passerby could see the headline and title as they passed. I felt that he wasn't reading, so much as making a statement about his politics, a proclamation of his leftist-ness.
Certainly, it was an act of defiance. Gündem was shut down in 2005.
The New York Times seems intended for hippy-pussies by comparison.
I noticed long ago that Turks are generally more politically aware. My political persuasion often differs from those with whom I speak, but there is clearly a mutual understanding of the political spectrum, the agents of political change, and the means available for exercising power. We disagree, but we understand one another. It's like we're speaking the same language, even though we're not.
Turkey is a military state. What I find interesting, is that with political action literally paralyzed by the threat of imprisonment or extra-state assassination, dissident voices constantly emerge from all points of the political spectrum. Their contribution to the larger conversation resonates meaningfully. The closest thing we have to this is Jon Stewart getting into an argument with Tucker Carlson.
Either ours is a fundamentally conservative country, or our leadership has complete control, for the differences between liberals and conservatives never come down to ideology, but rather policy. Americans all seem to want basically the same things. I know I'm failing to define this clearly, but I'll need to think on it more. The Turkish Left and Right want radically different things for Turkey (different from each other and different from what the Turkish state presently provides).
I could be wrong (and perhaps I ran from the America of my parents' generation, and not mine), but I get the sense Americans just want a middle/upper-middle class, college educated, nuclear family, lifestyle. Something which could be described as "Compassionate Capitalism", which is maybe also eco-friendly.
My ideology leads me to want collective ownership of the means of production and democratic participation in all levels of society, also maximization of local political authority into smaller geographic areas than nations (of our size) would be appreciated.
Those are distinctly different goals...
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Some Links...
I wanted to make the lives of the curious that much easier, and gathered several links about the revolution (not sure what else to call it) in Greece. They include:
Statement by Greek Anarchists/ Anti-Authoritarians
Blog of a British Anarchist
Link to pictures... everything is basically on fire.
There was a call for global solidarity protests today, and I'll be checking the newspapers tomorrow to see if anything happened in Turkey. Last night, as we strolled past the Greek consulate, along the Istiklal, I noticed a police bus parked directly in front of the entrance, several cops dozing inside.
It was a rainy day today, but I do so hope they had to earn their paychecks.
Statement by Greek Anarchists/ Anti-Authoritarians
Blog of a British Anarchist
Link to pictures... everything is basically on fire.
There was a call for global solidarity protests today, and I'll be checking the newspapers tomorrow to see if anything happened in Turkey. Last night, as we strolled past the Greek consulate, along the Istiklal, I noticed a police bus parked directly in front of the entrance, several cops dozing inside.
It was a rainy day today, but I do so hope they had to earn their paychecks.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Pepper gas makes me sneeze...
There is a key component to political activism, one that all of my direct action experiences have lacked, and that is the potential to go completely bat-shit crazy.
In the run-up to the Iraq war, myself and 200,000 "focus group" members marched on Washington D.C. It was icy-cold, we had driven all night, and after listening to speeches on the mall, we took a long walk through the city toward the Navy yard. I knew I was there to oppose the coming war, but I remember saying to a friend:
"If we have all these people, and we really want to prevent this war, why don't we take over and occupy the White House and the Capitol Building. It'll at least be warmer."
So much for that plan. It's a lucky thing we were wrong and the war was a success.
Last May, I participated in an Istanbullu leftist right-of-passage, marching on Taksim Square to commemorate the victims of the 1 Mayis, 1977, state-authorized massacre there. About 20,000 protestors came out this year, in various parts of the city. Ultimately, we weren't much of a match for the 30,000 police and 2,000 jandarme, who had a busy day, and began raiding buildings and making arrests before dawn.
My friends and I got into Taksim on our good looks and charm, talking our way past a few cops by playing the "English teacher" card. I participated in one clash with police, which was a lot of running away from pepper grenades and water cannons, and after that I spent part of the day wandering the neighborhood observing smaller clashes, as the police demostrated their complete control of the situation. So thorough in their control were they, that at one point they beat and arrested some tourists. Me, I mostly just drank coffee in a leftist cafe, filled with other leftists hiding from an almost certain ass-kicking.
Walking home that day, my nose began to sting a little, like I'd just eaten something spicy. As a fit of sneezing set in, I realized I would probably never be much of a revolutionary. Sneezing like a baby panda doesn't exactly inspire fear.
Because these experiences were both unfulfilling and unsuccessful, I have the utmost respect for what Greek anarchists are doing to their country. In response to the slaying of a teenager by police, Greek leftists and youths have asserted their destructive potential. What better way to let your government know it has screwed up, than to burn it to the ground.
It has certainly gotten the attention of the powers-that-be.
I don't want this to be a treatise on government, or I would explain my reasoned argument for my support (I've even decided to start learning modern Greek!). I think it is sufficient to say that property destruction, interruption of infrastructure, and the shock-and-awe value of such tactics, is what state authorities respond to and how reform is provoked. Certainly, there are other methods, but those I listed above should have remained on the table before the Iraq war began, and they could make a valuable point here in Turkey as well.
In the last year, Turkish police violence has risen dramatically, detainees have been tortured or killed, and such behavior from police has become the rule, rather than the exception.
It's an old platitude, but one that appears tried and true:
No justice, no peace.
In the run-up to the Iraq war, myself and 200,000 "focus group" members marched on Washington D.C. It was icy-cold, we had driven all night, and after listening to speeches on the mall, we took a long walk through the city toward the Navy yard. I knew I was there to oppose the coming war, but I remember saying to a friend:
"If we have all these people, and we really want to prevent this war, why don't we take over and occupy the White House and the Capitol Building. It'll at least be warmer."
So much for that plan. It's a lucky thing we were wrong and the war was a success.
Last May, I participated in an Istanbullu leftist right-of-passage, marching on Taksim Square to commemorate the victims of the 1 Mayis, 1977, state-authorized massacre there. About 20,000 protestors came out this year, in various parts of the city. Ultimately, we weren't much of a match for the 30,000 police and 2,000 jandarme, who had a busy day, and began raiding buildings and making arrests before dawn.
My friends and I got into Taksim on our good looks and charm, talking our way past a few cops by playing the "English teacher" card. I participated in one clash with police, which was a lot of running away from pepper grenades and water cannons, and after that I spent part of the day wandering the neighborhood observing smaller clashes, as the police demostrated their complete control of the situation. So thorough in their control were they, that at one point they beat and arrested some tourists. Me, I mostly just drank coffee in a leftist cafe, filled with other leftists hiding from an almost certain ass-kicking.
Walking home that day, my nose began to sting a little, like I'd just eaten something spicy. As a fit of sneezing set in, I realized I would probably never be much of a revolutionary. Sneezing like a baby panda doesn't exactly inspire fear.
Because these experiences were both unfulfilling and unsuccessful, I have the utmost respect for what Greek anarchists are doing to their country. In response to the slaying of a teenager by police, Greek leftists and youths have asserted their destructive potential. What better way to let your government know it has screwed up, than to burn it to the ground.
It has certainly gotten the attention of the powers-that-be.
I don't want this to be a treatise on government, or I would explain my reasoned argument for my support (I've even decided to start learning modern Greek!). I think it is sufficient to say that property destruction, interruption of infrastructure, and the shock-and-awe value of such tactics, is what state authorities respond to and how reform is provoked. Certainly, there are other methods, but those I listed above should have remained on the table before the Iraq war began, and they could make a valuable point here in Turkey as well.
In the last year, Turkish police violence has risen dramatically, detainees have been tortured or killed, and such behavior from police has become the rule, rather than the exception.
It's an old platitude, but one that appears tried and true:
No justice, no peace.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
These folks are happy about Obama...
So happy, in fact, that in the city of Van they sacrificed forty-four sheep!
Following Friday prayers, in the village of Çavuştepe, the sheep were sacrificed in the hopes that Obama will be able to solve the global economic/political/terrorism problem (take your pick, there was a list). According to the daily newspaper, Milliyet, the villagers smeared the blood of the sheep across several posters, bearing slogans such as:
"The people of Van love Obama!"
"Obama, you are the man who will change the world!"
"You are one [a part] of us!"
After the sacrifice, portions of the sheep were combined with rice and the people of the village enjoyed a feast.
The people of Çavuştepe will also send several of the posters, and the famous Van cat, to the White House. I hope it doesn't bother Malia's allergies.
Following Friday prayers, in the village of Çavuştepe, the sheep were sacrificed in the hopes that Obama will be able to solve the global economic/political/terrorism problem (take your pick, there was a list). According to the daily newspaper, Milliyet, the villagers smeared the blood of the sheep across several posters, bearing slogans such as:
"The people of Van love Obama!"
"Obama, you are the man who will change the world!"
"You are one [a part] of us!"
After the sacrifice, portions of the sheep were combined with rice and the people of the village enjoyed a feast.
The people of Çavuştepe will also send several of the posters, and the famous Van cat, to the White House. I hope it doesn't bother Malia's allergies.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
A quick update...
There's been a lot happening, and I feel bad that I haven't been writing as much, so I'll throw all these out there in short-form:
- My employers have finally figured out why they hired me, and I've been doing actual work, at work. That's not to say they can keep me completely busy, because I found time to write this.
- I bought a bicycle, and I'm taking new risks with Turkish cab drivers and delivery mopeds with each new day. It's exhilarating. I'm also perfecting the over-the-shoulder-flick-off with my left hand, while keeping control of the bike with my right. Good times.
- We have a new President... apparently, he's a black man?
- We threw a crazy Halloween party at our place, last Friday. One of the neighbors got angry, and challenged our forty-strong group to a fight in the street. We sent him home without his fight, and brought the party to Taksim. Homeboy didn't want things to end, though, and came back looking for a fight (specifically with me) on Saturday evening. Luckily, I was busy, looking at a bike.
- Turks are ridiculously happy about Obama becoming the President... all except the two guys who make my sandwiches, at the grocer's. They don't think that the American political system changes dramatically with a shift in leadership. They believe the United States is a fundamentally right-of-center country, no matter who's in charge. They also don't think that a black man will behave all that differently from a white man, when it comes to issues of foreign policy (they cited US support for Israel, an aggressive posture for foreign interventions, the diplomatic stance to leftist nations like Cuba and Venezuela). All I could do is shrug... I am about as cynical as they are, and the excitement about Obama has been lost on me. I just don't place hope in people. They, on the other hand, are Marxist-Lenninists, so their opinions probably don't matter.
- My room mate Emrah went to India. I hope he's having fun there. He'll get back tomorrow evening to find an American using his bed... I love guests!
- If it has ninjas, it must be cool? Ask this guy...
- My employers have finally figured out why they hired me, and I've been doing actual work, at work. That's not to say they can keep me completely busy, because I found time to write this.
- I bought a bicycle, and I'm taking new risks with Turkish cab drivers and delivery mopeds with each new day. It's exhilarating. I'm also perfecting the over-the-shoulder-flick-off with my left hand, while keeping control of the bike with my right. Good times.
- We have a new President... apparently, he's a black man?
- We threw a crazy Halloween party at our place, last Friday. One of the neighbors got angry, and challenged our forty-strong group to a fight in the street. We sent him home without his fight, and brought the party to Taksim. Homeboy didn't want things to end, though, and came back looking for a fight (specifically with me) on Saturday evening. Luckily, I was busy, looking at a bike.
- Turks are ridiculously happy about Obama becoming the President... all except the two guys who make my sandwiches, at the grocer's. They don't think that the American political system changes dramatically with a shift in leadership. They believe the United States is a fundamentally right-of-center country, no matter who's in charge. They also don't think that a black man will behave all that differently from a white man, when it comes to issues of foreign policy (they cited US support for Israel, an aggressive posture for foreign interventions, the diplomatic stance to leftist nations like Cuba and Venezuela). All I could do is shrug... I am about as cynical as they are, and the excitement about Obama has been lost on me. I just don't place hope in people. They, on the other hand, are Marxist-Lenninists, so their opinions probably don't matter.
- My room mate Emrah went to India. I hope he's having fun there. He'll get back tomorrow evening to find an American using his bed... I love guests!
- If it has ninjas, it must be cool? Ask this guy...
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Poetry...
The collision is beautiful, the politics and the pop culture, and I can't convey enough how richly and seamlessly absurd it can all be.
This is why I keep living in Turkey:
Bülent Ersoy, on her way to court to defend herself against the medieval Turkish legal code, had the support of more than one creative fan. The charge against her, of attempting to alienate the Turkish people from military service, follows her statements denouncing the mindless waste of life caused by Turkey's unofficial war against the Kurds of Northern Iraq.
"If I had a son, I would not send him to serve in the military."
As she entered the courthouse, spectators held signs reading "Biji Diva!"
Ersoy is reknowned in Turkey as one of the nation's first openly transexual singers. The signs championing her cause, written in Kurdish, best translate as "Long live the Diva!"
This is why I keep living in Turkey:
Bülent Ersoy, on her way to court to defend herself against the medieval Turkish legal code, had the support of more than one creative fan. The charge against her, of attempting to alienate the Turkish people from military service, follows her statements denouncing the mindless waste of life caused by Turkey's unofficial war against the Kurds of Northern Iraq.
"If I had a son, I would not send him to serve in the military."
As she entered the courthouse, spectators held signs reading "Biji Diva!"
Ersoy is reknowned in Turkey as one of the nation's first openly transexual singers. The signs championing her cause, written in Kurdish, best translate as "Long live the Diva!"
Monday, September 1, 2008
How to say "Fuck Off" in Arabic...
Iraq Signs Oil Deal With China Worth Up to $3 Billion
"The United States Embassy in Baghdad had no immediate comment on the oil deal."
"The United States Embassy in Baghdad had no immediate comment on the oil deal."
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Holy Shit!
Nothing to do with Turkey, really, but sometimes I do get a question from a curious taxi driver, or there's a conversation with other expats, about whether I will vote in the upcoming election.
Truth be told, I believe that electoral and other representative political systems are anti-democratic, and for the sake of freedom, should be fought wherever they are found.
Ahhh, but there is such power in that which I have been programmed to believe is important...
So, I tended to think I would vote. I missed the last election, on account of traveling, and I logged a note somewhere in my brain that I should make up for that lapse in my civic duty by voting in the next one.
Course, then I read stuff like this:
That covers every election I have been legally eligible to vote in. EVERY. FUCKING. ONE.
The article is here, and I found out about it here...
If someone told me that, in order to select a new President, I should transform a glass of water into ice, with my mind, I probably wouldn't give them the time of day (least, not more than 10 minutes). Here I am, thousands of miles away, and I'm being asked to play craps (or worse, the lottery) with my vote.
I cast it, and maybe they'll count it.
So, the answer to the question is a definitive "no".
Truth be told, I believe that electoral and other representative political systems are anti-democratic, and for the sake of freedom, should be fought wherever they are found.
Ahhh, but there is such power in that which I have been programmed to believe is important...
So, I tended to think I would vote. I missed the last election, on account of traveling, and I logged a note somewhere in my brain that I should make up for that lapse in my civic duty by voting in the next one.
Course, then I read stuff like this:
A voting system used in 34 states contains a critical programming error that can cause votes to be dropped while being electronically transferred from memory cards to a central tallying point, the manufacturer acknowledges.
The problem was identified after complaints from Ohio elections officials following the March primary there, but the logic error that is the root of the problem has been part of the software for 10 years, said Chris Riggall, a spokesman for Premier Election Solutions, formerly known as Diebold.
That covers every election I have been legally eligible to vote in. EVERY. FUCKING. ONE.
The article is here, and I found out about it here...
If someone told me that, in order to select a new President, I should transform a glass of water into ice, with my mind, I probably wouldn't give them the time of day (least, not more than 10 minutes). Here I am, thousands of miles away, and I'm being asked to play craps (or worse, the lottery) with my vote.
I cast it, and maybe they'll count it.
So, the answer to the question is a definitive "no".
Thursday, August 14, 2008
This seemed apt...
... hopefully, folks will forgive the language. I heard this here in Turkey, and the "n" word sometimes gets thrown around by Turks who have no idea of the baggage it carries. I figure, they wrote the joke, so it's a little dishonest to rephrase the thing.
If it's true, all I can say is, way to go, 'Red, White, and Blue'.
To avoid appearing a Rusky-phile, I'll add that Putin's idea of a measured response to conflict is, well, so much like Israel's that it confounds all notions of justice. I reckon Saakashvili got more than he bargained for, but it's all pretty complicated.
In high school, I remember studying a little-known kid named Gavrilo Princip, who somehow managed to spark The Great War by assassinating Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria. Beats the hell out of your best college prank. Chopping the history lecture down to size, EVERYBODY in Europe, and a number of others, decided to get involved in one of the largest land-grabs since the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889.
Quite a few parties involved, and a whole lot of oil, gas, and other stuff. Looks like we're getting ready to see how much like the 20th century we can make our 21st.
A new agent was brought into Langley for training by the CIA. The program took years, and cost millions, as the agent was trained for all possible mission circumstances: jungle and arctic warfare, high an low elevation para trooping, airplane and helicopter flight, deep sea diving, Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh, and Polish.Reading this article, I remembered the joke...
Weeks of his training emphasized the history and geography of Moscow. The agent became an expert in the Kremlin, and needed to be, as he would be a covert operative in the heart of Soviet Union. Studying maps, local stories and anecdotes, he was prepared to appear a native of Moscow, born and raised, and to reside in the city for five years.
The insertion itself was dangerous, involving (surprisingly) both a submarine and a high altitude jump. After his arrival in Moscow, the operative met his contacts, settled into his safe house, and took his first week to explore the city, finding it just as he had been trained to.
After receiving orders for his first mission, the agent stopped into a local pub, known as a gathering place for intelligence personnel from various agencies. It was a good place to get information.
The agent went to the bar and ordered a vodka, in fluent Russian. Striking up a conversation as the keep poured his drink, he felt confident that he would begin to glean information about the patrons. Setting down the vodka, the bar keep stopped the agent mid-sentence.
"Look, if you want to talk with your KGB friends, go over there, table is in the corner."
The agent was dumbstruck. "How did you recognize that I'm an agent?"
Cleaning out a glass, the bartender looked at him, "Your Russian is fluent, you know city and culture well. Only, we have not a lot of niggers in Moscow."
If it's true, all I can say is, way to go, 'Red, White, and Blue'.
To avoid appearing a Rusky-phile, I'll add that Putin's idea of a measured response to conflict is, well, so much like Israel's that it confounds all notions of justice. I reckon Saakashvili got more than he bargained for, but it's all pretty complicated.
In high school, I remember studying a little-known kid named Gavrilo Princip, who somehow managed to spark The Great War by assassinating Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria. Beats the hell out of your best college prank. Chopping the history lecture down to size, EVERYBODY in Europe, and a number of others, decided to get involved in one of the largest land-grabs since the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889.
Quite a few parties involved, and a whole lot of oil, gas, and other stuff. Looks like we're getting ready to see how much like the 20th century we can make our 21st.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
The People I Meet When I Travel: The Turkish Envoy to Iraq
I met the Turkish envoy to Iraq on a flight to Ankara from Istanbul, in May. We were sitting next to each other, and when I noticed him reading an English newspaper, I struck up a conversation. I don't know what I said to get it started, and I never remember, so whenever I find myself in a situation to start talking with someone, I usually don't know what to say. I lucked out, anyhow, cause once he got his turn to speak, it turned into a mini-lecture, and I was saved all the effort of actually having to talk, or think about how fast an object free-falls.
He was on his way back to the capital from Baghdad, where he said the security situation was "improving". He and his staff never felt at risk, but it had taken time to get used to gun shots and explosions... which were a daily occurrence.
I didn't learn anything that research wouldn't turn up, but he had this matter-of-fact manner for describing the role of Turkey, vis-à-vis US foreign policy towards Iraq. He used terms like "mediator" and "intermediary" and "alternative voice", and discussed very honestly how Turkey's policy cues and talking points come largely from Washington. Perhaps, if he'd known the term, "step-and-fetch" would have been among them.
"Your State Department," he said, "needs Turkish diplomats to assert much of their agenda, because Iraqi's are growing tired of the American presence. It is an occupation, after all, and it helps if we can step in to make it look and feel less like that."
Iraq needs a lot of help, and Turkey has been doing a great deal of that, under the direction of the United States. He indicated that this kind of diplomacy was, obviously, very helpful for furthering Turkey's relations with their southern neighbor.
I assume there are additional, unspoken advantages, for both Turkey and the United States. I don't know what they are. I speculate, however, that one reason the House of Representatives abandoned its efforts to recognize the 'Armenian Question', as it's called in Turkey, as a genocide, has to do with our present interests in the region.
If the gentleman's demeanor was any indication, the Turkish government can do some serious bargaining with the US on a number of fronts. He seemed to feel pretty good about that.
He was on his way back to the capital from Baghdad, where he said the security situation was "improving". He and his staff never felt at risk, but it had taken time to get used to gun shots and explosions... which were a daily occurrence.
I didn't learn anything that research wouldn't turn up, but he had this matter-of-fact manner for describing the role of Turkey, vis-à-vis US foreign policy towards Iraq. He used terms like "mediator" and "intermediary" and "alternative voice", and discussed very honestly how Turkey's policy cues and talking points come largely from Washington. Perhaps, if he'd known the term, "step-and-fetch" would have been among them.
"Your State Department," he said, "needs Turkish diplomats to assert much of their agenda, because Iraqi's are growing tired of the American presence. It is an occupation, after all, and it helps if we can step in to make it look and feel less like that."
Iraq needs a lot of help, and Turkey has been doing a great deal of that, under the direction of the United States. He indicated that this kind of diplomacy was, obviously, very helpful for furthering Turkey's relations with their southern neighbor.
I assume there are additional, unspoken advantages, for both Turkey and the United States. I don't know what they are. I speculate, however, that one reason the House of Representatives abandoned its efforts to recognize the 'Armenian Question', as it's called in Turkey, as a genocide, has to do with our present interests in the region.
If the gentleman's demeanor was any indication, the Turkish government can do some serious bargaining with the US on a number of fronts. He seemed to feel pretty good about that.
Monday, August 4, 2008
I obviously don't understand Turkish politics...
Last week, there was a historic vote by the Turkish High Court, to decide a pending case against the ruling AK Party. The decision was, basically, a 'yea' or 'nay' vote to close down the party for being a threat to Turkey's secular constitution, or some such business. I could list the charges, but I don't want to bother. Sometimes, the absurd realities here are so numerous as to bore me.
For our purposes, the important details are, there are 11 judges, one abstained, four voted 'nay', and six voted 'yea'.
So, the party was shut down...
But NO! Apparently, having the majority of votes doesn't matter, and the party was not actually closed.
The article was in Turkish, and surely, the word "unanimous" was buried somewhere there, in reference to the necessary number of votes to pass. Least wise, there was some kind of explanation and I missed it. I think I had half-finished the article, when I realized there wasn't a closure happening and started over from the beginning. This is the problem when one reads a newspaper in a foreign language: details find the massive gaps in one's fluency.
Imagine reading:
During the baseball game between the Cardinals and the Cubs, as W*@^@! caught a &%^$ !@#$ from %$!@, a @#$! @#$%& %$!@ crashed into &%^$ @#$! @#$%& &%^$ and injuring left &%^$, DeRosa. The game @#$%& %$!@, ending @^@! 4-3 %& &%^ sixth %%$#.
Which would translate as:
During the baseball game between the Cardinals and the Cubs, as Ward caught a fly ball from Pujols, a meteorite crashed into left field, leaving a massive crater and injuring left-fielder, Mark DeRosa. The game was called, ending with a score of 4-3 in the sixth inning.
Sadly, all I walk away with is the score...
For our purposes, the important details are, there are 11 judges, one abstained, four voted 'nay', and six voted 'yea'.
So, the party was shut down...
But NO! Apparently, having the majority of votes doesn't matter, and the party was not actually closed.
The article was in Turkish, and surely, the word "unanimous" was buried somewhere there, in reference to the necessary number of votes to pass. Least wise, there was some kind of explanation and I missed it. I think I had half-finished the article, when I realized there wasn't a closure happening and started over from the beginning. This is the problem when one reads a newspaper in a foreign language: details find the massive gaps in one's fluency.
Imagine reading:
During the baseball game between the Cardinals and the Cubs, as W*@^@! caught a &%^$ !@#$ from %$!@, a @#$! @#$%& %$!@ crashed into &%^$ @#$! @#$%& &%^$ and injuring left &%^$, DeRosa. The game @#$%& %$!@, ending @^@! 4-3 %& &%^ sixth %%$#.
Which would translate as:
During the baseball game between the Cardinals and the Cubs, as Ward caught a fly ball from Pujols, a meteorite crashed into left field, leaving a massive crater and injuring left-fielder, Mark DeRosa. The game was called, ending with a score of 4-3 in the sixth inning.
Sadly, all I walk away with is the score...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
From the Indiana Jones side of Turkish history...
Every day is a new twist in the case of the coup attempt by "Ergenekon", which was recently sort-of attempted but then broken up.
Some of the highlights from last week:
- The diary of a general involved in the plot could not be admitted as evidence, but did outline how the coup was planned. Note to self, when planning a coup, it is best not to keep a journal about it.
- The case against Ergenekon members is in excess of 2,500 pages. This caused a delay in presenting the case in court, because there were problems with the printer.
- Several previous acts of terrorism and prominent assassinations, including that of Hrant Dink, are being linked to Ergenekon. It's really hard to say if this is wild speculation, or if it is information based on elements of the case. I was living here when this happened, and the events surrounding the murder and the arrest of key suspects gave the appearance of both a conspiracy and subsequent cover up.
- In a bit of political theater (which who knows, may turn out to be true), a leading AKP member suggested that the attack on the American consulate in Istanbul was part of the Ergenekon plot to destabilize the country. You gotta understand that in Turkey, the government and military seldom get along, and are prone to bickering with one another. When the military wants to take power, they generally precede their coup with paramilitary violence. Then, the military declares the government unfit to rule, and takes control. I'll sketch out the history of this later, because it has been done THREE TIMES in forty years. I used to fake asthma attacks to get out of school, but honestly, I think I did it twice.
The slow pace with which information reaches the public must be due to the fact that the case is 2,500 pages long. Takes time to read all that.
Today's new bit is really special.
The newest allegation from the case suggests that the Ergenekon group is linked to a mythical Turkish secret society, over 600 years old. The central Asian "Argata", were living a wretched existence in caves, trapped in a land surrounded by mountains. Conveniently, a she-wolf led them to freedom through a secret passage. Happy day!
That ancient group later became the Ergenekon, charged with ushering the Turks rise to world domination. Basically, it's the James Bond version of an Aesop fable. The length of the case may be explained by the fact that it contains the entire text of the Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as The Once and Future King.
Imagine if Bush were arrested for war crimes, and the case exposed that neo-conservative Republicans were the legacy of the Knights Templar.
Then imagine if a lawyer actually claimed that in court...
Some of the highlights from last week:
- The diary of a general involved in the plot could not be admitted as evidence, but did outline how the coup was planned. Note to self, when planning a coup, it is best not to keep a journal about it.
- The case against Ergenekon members is in excess of 2,500 pages. This caused a delay in presenting the case in court, because there were problems with the printer.
- Several previous acts of terrorism and prominent assassinations, including that of Hrant Dink, are being linked to Ergenekon. It's really hard to say if this is wild speculation, or if it is information based on elements of the case. I was living here when this happened, and the events surrounding the murder and the arrest of key suspects gave the appearance of both a conspiracy and subsequent cover up.
- In a bit of political theater (which who knows, may turn out to be true), a leading AKP member suggested that the attack on the American consulate in Istanbul was part of the Ergenekon plot to destabilize the country. You gotta understand that in Turkey, the government and military seldom get along, and are prone to bickering with one another. When the military wants to take power, they generally precede their coup with paramilitary violence. Then, the military declares the government unfit to rule, and takes control. I'll sketch out the history of this later, because it has been done THREE TIMES in forty years. I used to fake asthma attacks to get out of school, but honestly, I think I did it twice.
The slow pace with which information reaches the public must be due to the fact that the case is 2,500 pages long. Takes time to read all that.
Today's new bit is really special.
The newest allegation from the case suggests that the Ergenekon group is linked to a mythical Turkish secret society, over 600 years old. The central Asian "Argata", were living a wretched existence in caves, trapped in a land surrounded by mountains. Conveniently, a she-wolf led them to freedom through a secret passage. Happy day!
That ancient group later became the Ergenekon, charged with ushering the Turks rise to world domination. Basically, it's the James Bond version of an Aesop fable. The length of the case may be explained by the fact that it contains the entire text of the Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as The Once and Future King.
Imagine if Bush were arrested for war crimes, and the case exposed that neo-conservative Republicans were the legacy of the Knights Templar.
Then imagine if a lawyer actually claimed that in court...
Monday, July 14, 2008
It was a busy week last week...
There's not a lot that I worry about in Istanbul. There are worries, that are often discussed over beer with good friends, but I don't walk around Istanbul scared that any of the below list will actually victimize me. Rather, I take an academic interest in these potential disasters, because they always seem inevitable. The inevitability of the event has nurtured a desire to witness it, a desire to share with Istanbullu (Istanbul natives) the experience and a part of the collective memory. I'm not saying I want to be where it happens, and certainly not suffer from it, but I do want to know more about the event and learn of it through talking with Istanbullu. This might be a journalistic impulse, or that of the oral historian, or plain dumb, but I'd be lying if I denied it.
So, I'm miffed that my exile in Ankara condemned me to miss three out of the five on the list.
Top Five Lurking, Completely Random, and Imminent Fears of Sean Cox in Istanbul:
5. Getting stabbed by a glue-sniffer.
On a scale of 1-17 (as a good friend used to say), 1 being the least likely and 17 the most likely, I project the odds that I may be attacked by a crazy person sniffing glue at about a 4 (though with the present state of unemployment and political disenfranchisement, this number is likely to rise). This is the only thing I ever really worry about in Istanbul, and usually I keep an eye out to avoid situations where I might bump into people high on inhaled household products.
4.5 Blindness from drinking bad Rakı
I only worry about this when I'm drinking suspicious tasting rakı, the anise-flavored alcohol that is oh-so-good with fish and cheese. A few years ago, a moon-shine rakı was "accidentally" bottled by YeniRakı, a major producer of the stuff. A number of people died and several were struck blind. Like I said, it's only a worry when the restaurant you're in runs out of the quality stuff, and instead brings you their "special brew" in a fish bowl from behind the bleach on the counter.
4. Terrorism
Terrorism is a funny concept, and one I generally struggle to wrap my mind around. Depending on who you are and your intentions when you kill innocent people, you are a terrorist. If you attack police, military, jandarm, armed contractors, paramilitaries, or spies, you are also a terrorist (the same is not true of them if they attack you or innocent people). I could lump terrorism in with number two, because the tactics are similar and the experiences at the business end of it are basically the same. It makes me sad, but Turks seem to accept that armed groups (government/military affiliated or ideologically driven) will employ terror against random and unsuspecting civilians, in order to make a point. In any event, I never fear that this will happen to me in Turkey. The glue-sniffers pose a more realistic threat.
3. Tanker Ship Collision in the Bosphorus
The fear is not so much the collision itself, as what might happen to the contents of the tanker involved. Petroleum or chemical products may explode. Other chemical products may seep out and cause illness or death. A major tear in the side of the tanker may enable the glue-sniffing terrorists inside to escape and go on a rampage through the city. You get the picture.
2. Military Coup
This is higher on the list for two reasons. First, I think it more likely to directly affect me than anything else previously listed. Second, if it did happen, it would be way more interesting (for "interesting", read adventure-provoking) than most things previously listed. At least, one thinks so. In reality, it may just mean I take several days off work and have to buy my groceries at a certain time of day. Everybody I know on the political left would probably be detained, so I wouldn't have anyone to drink with. I imagine it would be a period of prolonged boredom, similar to what one experiences when living in Ankara.
1. Earthquake
This is something I think about on a weekly basis. Istanbul sits along the North Anatolian fault line, and has been struck by devastating earthquakes 12 times since the 5th century. The 1,000 mile long, strike-slip fault, transfers pressure from west to east, moving the epicenters of earthquakes along the fault and steadily closer to Istanbul over the years. The last major disaster on the fault, in 1999, leveled the nearby town of İznik, killed nearly 20,000 people, and scared the dickens out of Istanbullu, many of whom spent the next several weeks camping out in the streets. With little (or no) preparation on the part of the Turkish government, this disaster, when it comes, will be one of Biblical proportions.
So, to my chagrin, last week there was a derailed coup attempt, a shooting at the US consulate, and a tanker collision with a public park. All I could do was read the newspapers, which proved better at being retarded (and misleading) than writing informative articles. I refer you to the Turkish Daily News' headline from Friday, Al-Qaeda Linked to Istiniye Attack. Al-Qaida was not merely not involved, but they ran a headline based on speculation... probably a police officer saying, "Al-Qaeda is a terrorist group, maybe they could have done this." I guess it sells papers.
Each of these events probably deserves it's own post... and I'll try to get around to that. With disaster befalling the city I love, I busied myself with a trip to Hattuşaş, the ancient Hittite capital. It made for a lovely weekend.
So, I'm miffed that my exile in Ankara condemned me to miss three out of the five on the list.
Top Five Lurking, Completely Random, and Imminent Fears of Sean Cox in Istanbul:
5. Getting stabbed by a glue-sniffer.
On a scale of 1-17 (as a good friend used to say), 1 being the least likely and 17 the most likely, I project the odds that I may be attacked by a crazy person sniffing glue at about a 4 (though with the present state of unemployment and political disenfranchisement, this number is likely to rise). This is the only thing I ever really worry about in Istanbul, and usually I keep an eye out to avoid situations where I might bump into people high on inhaled household products.
4.5 Blindness from drinking bad Rakı
I only worry about this when I'm drinking suspicious tasting rakı, the anise-flavored alcohol that is oh-so-good with fish and cheese. A few years ago, a moon-shine rakı was "accidentally" bottled by YeniRakı, a major producer of the stuff. A number of people died and several were struck blind. Like I said, it's only a worry when the restaurant you're in runs out of the quality stuff, and instead brings you their "special brew" in a fish bowl from behind the bleach on the counter.
4. Terrorism
Terrorism is a funny concept, and one I generally struggle to wrap my mind around. Depending on who you are and your intentions when you kill innocent people, you are a terrorist. If you attack police, military, jandarm, armed contractors, paramilitaries, or spies, you are also a terrorist (the same is not true of them if they attack you or innocent people). I could lump terrorism in with number two, because the tactics are similar and the experiences at the business end of it are basically the same. It makes me sad, but Turks seem to accept that armed groups (government/military affiliated or ideologically driven) will employ terror against random and unsuspecting civilians, in order to make a point. In any event, I never fear that this will happen to me in Turkey. The glue-sniffers pose a more realistic threat.
3. Tanker Ship Collision in the Bosphorus
The fear is not so much the collision itself, as what might happen to the contents of the tanker involved. Petroleum or chemical products may explode. Other chemical products may seep out and cause illness or death. A major tear in the side of the tanker may enable the glue-sniffing terrorists inside to escape and go on a rampage through the city. You get the picture.
2. Military Coup
This is higher on the list for two reasons. First, I think it more likely to directly affect me than anything else previously listed. Second, if it did happen, it would be way more interesting (for "interesting", read adventure-provoking) than most things previously listed. At least, one thinks so. In reality, it may just mean I take several days off work and have to buy my groceries at a certain time of day. Everybody I know on the political left would probably be detained, so I wouldn't have anyone to drink with. I imagine it would be a period of prolonged boredom, similar to what one experiences when living in Ankara.
1. Earthquake
This is something I think about on a weekly basis. Istanbul sits along the North Anatolian fault line, and has been struck by devastating earthquakes 12 times since the 5th century. The 1,000 mile long, strike-slip fault, transfers pressure from west to east, moving the epicenters of earthquakes along the fault and steadily closer to Istanbul over the years. The last major disaster on the fault, in 1999, leveled the nearby town of İznik, killed nearly 20,000 people, and scared the dickens out of Istanbullu, many of whom spent the next several weeks camping out in the streets. With little (or no) preparation on the part of the Turkish government, this disaster, when it comes, will be one of Biblical proportions.
So, to my chagrin, last week there was a derailed coup attempt, a shooting at the US consulate, and a tanker collision with a public park. All I could do was read the newspapers, which proved better at being retarded (and misleading) than writing informative articles. I refer you to the Turkish Daily News' headline from Friday, Al-Qaeda Linked to Istiniye Attack. Al-Qaida was not merely not involved, but they ran a headline based on speculation... probably a police officer saying, "Al-Qaeda is a terrorist group, maybe they could have done this." I guess it sells papers.
Each of these events probably deserves it's own post... and I'll try to get around to that. With disaster befalling the city I love, I busied myself with a trip to Hattuşaş, the ancient Hittite capital. It made for a lovely weekend.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Deep Shit...
This will take some explaining.
In my first semester here, way back in 2004, there was often political talk, the sort which sounds unmistakably like "conspiracy theories". I'm gonna have to keep those words in quotes, cause I know it's often a derogatory phrase. Try to understand that I'm attempting to articulate phenomenon, which people actually believe to explain their world. Sometimes, when people speculate about possible interests and agendas within an organization, they come up with some absurd stuff:
"Sean, did you know that the Jews control the world?"
- "No, I didn't. I'm not a Jew, but I'm Jew-ish, do you think they will give me a job?"
"Sean, did you know that the Jews planned and carried out the Sept. 11th attacks?"
-"I can believe it, they also eat puppies, right?"
"Sean, did you know that America is run by the Jews?"
-"Huh, so are Jews in general poor administrators?"
And so on... The concept of who is a "Jew" is an interesting one here, and the term is generally synonymous with "Israeli". I can understand why, but that doesn't make it sound any less preposterous. Admittedly, AIPAC, the US alliance with Israel, and Israeli spies in the White House, all feed these "theories".
The bait and switch with the above conspiracy theory is that it creates the impression of unseen and impregnable ethnic forces honing American policy, distracting from the fact that a long-time ally willfully compromised US national security and is being investigated for it. There is a conspiracy, but the associated theory is nonsense!
Apologies for the long explanation. "Conspiracy theory" is a genre that I had to learn to negotiate while conducting my Fulbright research. I think it is a legitimate way that people deal with the unknown shadows of their governments. It happens everywhere, and all the more frequently in societies or circumstances of questionable democratic openness. The theory is confirmed by a real event, though the event may be evidence of some other possible theory. Either way, I regard it as important that people, who are prevented from knowing/trusting what goes on in their country, are making an effort to explain it.
Seriously though, can we stop with UFOs?
That said, if evidence were presented today that confirmed UFO conspiracy theories, I would probably crap my pants and become a believer.
This is what happens in Turkey, often.
Turkey has many "conspiracy theories", and perhaps I'll explain some of the absurd ones later. Right now, I want to talk about history (which is, anyway, just a PC term for "conspiracy theory").
The household theory in Turkey, the one known by EVERYONE (I'm always shocked by this, like it's part of the school curriculum), is called the Derin Devlet, or "deep state". It describes the money and power interests that are formed by the intersection of military, government, radical right wing, mafia, and capital agendas. S0me of them were "trained" my the CIA as part of Operation Gladio. These people are generals, journalists, assassins, businessmen, police, terrorists, chefs, etc., all plotting Turkey's future behind the scenes. As the theory goes, this group manipulates public opinion through media control, disappears key opposition, leads all the major arms of government and the military, and so on.
In short, they are in charge and unknown... and probably Jewish, depending on who you ask.
Here is a short list of events, attributed to the Derin Devlet, that made international news:
Assasination of Father Santoro
Assasination of Hrant Dink
Murder of Journalists and Academics (generally on the political left)
The Taksim Square Massacre in 1977
There is even a version that projects the Derin Devlet as starting back in WWI, tying it into the Armenian Genocide.
The thing about a theory, is that it is related to evidence. In this case, I don't know which came first, the chicken or the egg, but the evidence is definitely startling (I'm loving up on Wikipedia today, cause you probably can't read Turkish):
"The Susurluk scandal was an affair that rocked Turkey between 1996-1997, and pointed to an illicit relationship between the government, the armed forces, and organized crime in the country, a connection sometimes attributed to the Deep state."
Basically, there was a car crash in 1996. When authorities arrived on the scene, they found the bodies of an Istanbul deputy police-chief, the leader of militant right-wing gang, and a mafia hit-woman. The only survivor of the crash was the Şanliurfa leader of the "True Path Party". I recommend following the link, cause the description of the grab-bag which the crash offered up is amazing, and pretty damning.
So, why am I covering all this old news? Context.
Starting in January, "some 33 people, among them former generals, lawyers, two “mafia” leaders, rank-and-file soldiers and even a journalist [were] apprehended in a nationwide operation...", members of another secret organization, Ergenekon. The following weekend, thirteen more were arrested. Yesterday, according to TDN's print edition, twenty-five more of these douche bags went down.
It's fascinating for me, to say the least, because the Deep State is part of the fabric of so many political discussions. Like I said, it's as though all that "evidence" on UFOs, that just couldn't be believed, were suddenly confirmed as the truth. At the same time, though, it is hard for me to be optimistic. The words of a friend, spoken after the first round of arrests, are ringing in my ears:
"This is nothing to get excited about. One-half of the Deep State just decided to arrest the other half. They'll be replaced soon enough."
In my first semester here, way back in 2004, there was often political talk, the sort which sounds unmistakably like "conspiracy theories". I'm gonna have to keep those words in quotes, cause I know it's often a derogatory phrase. Try to understand that I'm attempting to articulate phenomenon, which people actually believe to explain their world. Sometimes, when people speculate about possible interests and agendas within an organization, they come up with some absurd stuff:
"Sean, did you know that the Jews control the world?"
- "No, I didn't. I'm not a Jew, but I'm Jew-ish, do you think they will give me a job?"
"Sean, did you know that the Jews planned and carried out the Sept. 11th attacks?"
-"I can believe it, they also eat puppies, right?"
"Sean, did you know that America is run by the Jews?"
-"Huh, so are Jews in general poor administrators?"
And so on... The concept of who is a "Jew" is an interesting one here, and the term is generally synonymous with "Israeli". I can understand why, but that doesn't make it sound any less preposterous. Admittedly, AIPAC, the US alliance with Israel, and Israeli spies in the White House, all feed these "theories".
The bait and switch with the above conspiracy theory is that it creates the impression of unseen and impregnable ethnic forces honing American policy, distracting from the fact that a long-time ally willfully compromised US national security and is being investigated for it. There is a conspiracy, but the associated theory is nonsense!
Apologies for the long explanation. "Conspiracy theory" is a genre that I had to learn to negotiate while conducting my Fulbright research. I think it is a legitimate way that people deal with the unknown shadows of their governments. It happens everywhere, and all the more frequently in societies or circumstances of questionable democratic openness. The theory is confirmed by a real event, though the event may be evidence of some other possible theory. Either way, I regard it as important that people, who are prevented from knowing/trusting what goes on in their country, are making an effort to explain it.
Seriously though, can we stop with UFOs?
That said, if evidence were presented today that confirmed UFO conspiracy theories, I would probably crap my pants and become a believer.
This is what happens in Turkey, often.
Turkey has many "conspiracy theories", and perhaps I'll explain some of the absurd ones later. Right now, I want to talk about history (which is, anyway, just a PC term for "conspiracy theory").
The household theory in Turkey, the one known by EVERYONE (I'm always shocked by this, like it's part of the school curriculum), is called the Derin Devlet, or "deep state". It describes the money and power interests that are formed by the intersection of military, government, radical right wing, mafia, and capital agendas. S0me of them were "trained" my the CIA as part of Operation Gladio. These people are generals, journalists, assassins, businessmen, police, terrorists, chefs, etc., all plotting Turkey's future behind the scenes. As the theory goes, this group manipulates public opinion through media control, disappears key opposition, leads all the major arms of government and the military, and so on.
In short, they are in charge and unknown... and probably Jewish, depending on who you ask.
Here is a short list of events, attributed to the Derin Devlet, that made international news:
Assasination of Father Santoro
Assasination of Hrant Dink
Murder of Journalists and Academics (generally on the political left)
The Taksim Square Massacre in 1977
There is even a version that projects the Derin Devlet as starting back in WWI, tying it into the Armenian Genocide.
The thing about a theory, is that it is related to evidence. In this case, I don't know which came first, the chicken or the egg, but the evidence is definitely startling (I'm loving up on Wikipedia today, cause you probably can't read Turkish):
"The Susurluk scandal was an affair that rocked Turkey between 1996-1997, and pointed to an illicit relationship between the government, the armed forces, and organized crime in the country, a connection sometimes attributed to the Deep state."
Basically, there was a car crash in 1996. When authorities arrived on the scene, they found the bodies of an Istanbul deputy police-chief, the leader of militant right-wing gang, and a mafia hit-woman. The only survivor of the crash was the Şanliurfa leader of the "True Path Party". I recommend following the link, cause the description of the grab-bag which the crash offered up is amazing, and pretty damning.
So, why am I covering all this old news? Context.
Starting in January, "some 33 people, among them former generals, lawyers, two “mafia” leaders, rank-and-file soldiers and even a journalist [were] apprehended in a nationwide operation...", members of another secret organization, Ergenekon. The following weekend, thirteen more were arrested. Yesterday, according to TDN's print edition, twenty-five more of these douche bags went down.
It's fascinating for me, to say the least, because the Deep State is part of the fabric of so many political discussions. Like I said, it's as though all that "evidence" on UFOs, that just couldn't be believed, were suddenly confirmed as the truth. At the same time, though, it is hard for me to be optimistic. The words of a friend, spoken after the first round of arrests, are ringing in my ears:
"This is nothing to get excited about. One-half of the Deep State just decided to arrest the other half. They'll be replaced soon enough."
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
You, me and the AKP...
I don't support their politics, their policies, or their vision of Turkey, but the Justice and Development Party (AKP) seems to have the support of the Turkish people, and I won't just shrug that off. Islamist parties have, in the last twenty years, been the only recognized and "acceptable" political opposition to the secular and liberal military/elite leadership, and as their democratic support has grown, so has their acceptability declined.
The Islamists, again and again, get organized, recognized, and voted into power on platforms based on the very same traditional, religious, family values, that the evangelical right has been famous for in the United States. It just has an Islamic twist (it comes with head scarves!). All the time, these parties are hounded by the military and elites, who claim that "secularism is under attack", "Atatürk's legacy will be undone", and "they will have us all wearing head scarves!"
Any or all of these claims may be true, and probably are. I'll make a list of what the AKP has done later. Yet, given the crimes that the military and wealthy elites have inflicted on the rest of the populace, I don't really trust them to be the healthy alternative for the future of the Turkish people.
There was a time when widespread, popular support for both political and militant leftist groups gave the wealthy minority serious cause for concern. The force required to instate Turkey's most recent constitution (circa 1982), was directed primarily against labor unions, leftist lawyers and journalists, and most anyone else trying to resist the coup d'etat. I have spent hours writing about this period, as it was the subject of my Fulbright research. Instead, I'll just say that it invoked my sympathy. Wikipedia has a reasonable, quick-and-dirty on the subject.
In the aftermath of the violence, there frankly wasn't much of the left left, at least not as an activist political body that could be a foil for the right. Many of its leaders were banned from politics and the unions were not permitted to organize. During the period, two revolutionary reforms were initiated: Islamic religious classes were made a mandatory part of the school curriculum, and the rapid (indeed catastrophic) liberalization of the economy was undertaken. The idea was prop up Islam as the opposition to class-based ideologies, and with the help of foreign investment, create an Islamic capitalist-class (known as "Green capital"). Turkey went up for sale, and it worked...
... for the most part. It has had the unforeseen consequence of creating an empowered, well-funded, traditional and religious political bloc, that more than fills the vacuum of the left. The first generation of post-coup children graduated from high school in 2000. They are going to universities and advocating for the right to wear the headscarf on campuses. They even succeeded briefly, this year, before the courts reinstated the ban. This group will continue to be very politically active, as they perceive themselves (and probably are) both the majority and the oppressed.
Neither the Islamists nor the secular elite appear particularly concerned about the economy. The present show-down between the military and the AKP, which has scared foreign investors and caused a drop in the lira, is an indication that the the elite establishment thinks it is more important to harry Islamists than it is to yield to democracy.
As a leftist friend likes to say, when the traditional and liberal elements of the political right are fighting, "İtler ve köpekler birbirine yiyorlar". Turkish has two words for dog, so roughly: "The dogs are eating the dogs".
The Islamists, again and again, get organized, recognized, and voted into power on platforms based on the very same traditional, religious, family values, that the evangelical right has been famous for in the United States. It just has an Islamic twist (it comes with head scarves!). All the time, these parties are hounded by the military and elites, who claim that "secularism is under attack", "Atatürk's legacy will be undone", and "they will have us all wearing head scarves!"
Any or all of these claims may be true, and probably are. I'll make a list of what the AKP has done later. Yet, given the crimes that the military and wealthy elites have inflicted on the rest of the populace, I don't really trust them to be the healthy alternative for the future of the Turkish people.
There was a time when widespread, popular support for both political and militant leftist groups gave the wealthy minority serious cause for concern. The force required to instate Turkey's most recent constitution (circa 1982), was directed primarily against labor unions, leftist lawyers and journalists, and most anyone else trying to resist the coup d'etat. I have spent hours writing about this period, as it was the subject of my Fulbright research. Instead, I'll just say that it invoked my sympathy. Wikipedia has a reasonable, quick-and-dirty on the subject.
In the aftermath of the violence, there frankly wasn't much of the left left, at least not as an activist political body that could be a foil for the right. Many of its leaders were banned from politics and the unions were not permitted to organize. During the period, two revolutionary reforms were initiated: Islamic religious classes were made a mandatory part of the school curriculum, and the rapid (indeed catastrophic) liberalization of the economy was undertaken. The idea was prop up Islam as the opposition to class-based ideologies, and with the help of foreign investment, create an Islamic capitalist-class (known as "Green capital"). Turkey went up for sale, and it worked...
... for the most part. It has had the unforeseen consequence of creating an empowered, well-funded, traditional and religious political bloc, that more than fills the vacuum of the left. The first generation of post-coup children graduated from high school in 2000. They are going to universities and advocating for the right to wear the headscarf on campuses. They even succeeded briefly, this year, before the courts reinstated the ban. This group will continue to be very politically active, as they perceive themselves (and probably are) both the majority and the oppressed.
Neither the Islamists nor the secular elite appear particularly concerned about the economy. The present show-down between the military and the AKP, which has scared foreign investors and caused a drop in the lira, is an indication that the the elite establishment thinks it is more important to harry Islamists than it is to yield to democracy.
As a leftist friend likes to say, when the traditional and liberal elements of the political right are fighting, "İtler ve köpekler birbirine yiyorlar". Turkish has two words for dog, so roughly: "The dogs are eating the dogs".
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