tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799914692887174209.post6118740184337407307..comments2024-01-15T21:30:40.609+03:00Comments on Istanbul's Stranger: An Update On the Minutiae of Stranger's WorldStrangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933997864575809110noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799914692887174209.post-44838334294961568292010-11-21T18:19:23.265+02:002010-11-21T18:19:23.265+02:00Saving the rest for a future post...
That'll ...<i>Saving the rest for a future post...</i><br /><br />That'll probably be a magnet for various anonymous commenters, but I know it won't deter you. Keeping this bit in mind is probably worthwhile:<br /><br /><i>... which I expect is more common than we're led to believe in either the Turkish or foreign press</i><br /><br />Yeah journalism (and punditry) on such issues is uniformly bad here or abroad. The fun part -- which you'll notice too if you stay here another decade -- is that the same crowd spreads different kinds of untruths (aren't I tactful!) in different times and the same kind of people (though not the same people) look at them in awe. <br /><br />In any event, just so I don't sound sound too pessimistic, lemme point out compared to other states that emerged from the Ottoman wreck (including those to our West) we seem to be doing fine. We seem to have avoided direct colonial rule, the Nazis, the Soviets, widespread civil wars and democracy-bringing foreign invasions. Looking at the visible intellectual class here I am tempted to attribute this success, as it were, to the mysterious powers of our <i>nazar boncuks</i> but perhaps there are people who really know what they are doing who work for us.Bulent Murtezaoglunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799914692887174209.post-84306930575027396762010-11-21T08:35:47.948+02:002010-11-21T08:35:47.948+02:00Ha! Why is it that these men just won't accep...Ha! Why is it that these men just won't accept our money whenbills have to be paid? There are ways around it..I have learned. It's a case of having to because I want all the bills paid on time. I just use an on-line bank account and pay them from that...then "lose" the paper bills!Ayakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16903896106779269050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799914692887174209.post-64525103591478136042010-11-20T15:40:10.227+02:002010-11-20T15:40:10.227+02:00Unfortunately it's always one extreme or the o...Unfortunately it's always one extreme or the other, isn't it? Though I guess the AKP side is less extreme, because I'm much less likely to use the word "rabid" in relation to their adherents.<br /><br />I suppose the Tea Party in the US is a best-case example of well-channeled anger in comparison to what could happen here.<br /><br />I do wonder, though, where the middle ground is, or even if there is one.<br /><br />Saving the rest for a future post...Strangerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933997864575809110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799914692887174209.post-58689518079532317912010-11-20T14:54:30.793+02:002010-11-20T14:54:30.793+02:00Stranger,
Even my in-laws went to a Rally for th...Stranger, <br /><br /><i>Even my in-laws went to a Rally for the Republic in Taksim Square-- not at all like them, especially the MIL, who refuses to be cajoled into the Danger and Filth and Illness of Taksim for any other reason.</i><br /><br />Caglayan -- not Taksim. Yes, I realized that there was a huge turnout when I went out looking for a simitci and saw the crowd heading there on Halaskargazi cad. I then found out my neighbors went and was surprised. Then it turned out some of my friends went and I was even more surprised. Shows you how much I know about my country, doesn't it? <br /><br /><i>Those rallies were largely peaceful, and seemed to go nowhere, unfortunately.</i><br /><br />They were peaceful indeed. Having said that, I should also say that I know someone from the 'net (headscarved wife) who almost got attacked by some rally-goers in a <i>vapur</i>. Of course our government knows to plant plain clothes officers everywhere when they truly wish there to be no incidents and one just popped up and made sure people remained sane (lovely, isn't it? ordinarily we'd complain about cops being everywhere and listening to what people are saying to each other). So:<br /><br /><i>I often wonder why they aren't angrier, or more mobilized.</i> <br /><br />You might also want to wonder how that anger can be channeled, what kind of political movement would exploit the mobilization and whether that would be good. Do you want a movement based on or catering to your in-laws' or husband's political views to run the government of this country? What would that mean for liberties here? <br /><br />One of the main problems with the AKP is that those who oppose it are or can be even less liberal (in the Turkish, civil libertarian sense, not the US sense).Bulent Murtezaoglunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799914692887174209.post-86202104675383517462010-11-20T12:40:55.974+02:002010-11-20T12:40:55.974+02:00Bülent, I often wonder why they aren't angrier...Bülent, I often wonder why they aren't angrier, or more mobilized. Even my in-laws went to a Rally for the Republic in Taksim Square-- not at all like them, especially the MIL, who refuses to be cajoled into the Danger and Filth and Illness of Taksim for any other reason. Those rallies were largely peaceful, and seemed to go nowhere, unfortunately. But I wonder what will happen when all these people finally get fed up with being ignored, too. Or maybe they're just used to it.<br /><br />I have a rant on this topic I'm saving for a future post.Strangerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933997864575809110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799914692887174209.post-45797632192657110112010-11-19T23:18:16.205+02:002010-11-19T23:18:16.205+02:00there's that special blend of religious/social...<i>there's that special blend of religious/social conservatism and rabid nationalism here, which I expect is more common than we're led to believe in either the Turkish or foreign press</i><br /><br />Yes. This is different than what's -- IMHO erroneously -- called conservatism wrt. AKP. The 'special blend' you sense may have the potential to get scary if people are provoked and mobilized at a street level, and can cut through class lines to an extent. The 2007 Rallies for the Republic and crowds they managed to get is perhaps an example of one such attempt.Bulent Murtezaoglunoreply@blogger.com