Dear Gutless Person Who Just Sent Me an Anonymous E-mail
You just sent me an enraged three-paragraph e-mail telling me that I've been overlooking the problem of corruption and crony capitalism in Turkey. You seriously said that. To me.
Why don't people like you have the guts to say exactly what you said to me in that e-mail in public, and use your name, instead of leaking to foreign journalists in the hope that they'll say it for you? If everyone who said to me what you just wrote stood up and said it in public, you'd have a free country.
Here's the e-mail. Probably from someone who thinks saying this in public would hinder his own ability to feed at the corporatist trough.
Your first mistake is taking Akyol seriously. The second one is assuming that what Akyol and other shills call 'free market' is actually a 'free market.' Privatizations (some of which are shady including the wired Telco monopoly), gov't construction projects and a huge dose of welfare state are hardly 'free market.' It is marketed as 'free market' and therefore what people see as a gov't driven swindle (which they will vote for in part because of the welfare aspect) causes them to hate the 'free market.' If they had been hearing pundits truly defend free markets (cannot be done, you'd get fired) they'd probably still be for free markets.
You guys are cutting Akyol too much slack and aiding in his wasting his considerable talents while he's busy discrediting himself. He is not a businessman, he is from a political family and he would have no understanding of business or markets outside of figuring out what to say and who to serve to get paid (his dad was a sr. MHP muckity muck while MHP was shedding blood, so they don't pick and choose what kind of power they get close to either).
OTOH, you yourself have talked to businessmen at least and know people who run small businesses. Does anything you see and hear about resemble anything like a free market? (as an ideal understood and specified by theorists of such stuff) For big money there's cutting deals with political authority (eg Telco monopoly is kept intact and is allowed if not supported in their entry into related markets, in exchange they make 'early payment's before crucial elections at the very least). For small guy there are huge burdens from the gov't (macro and micro on top of corruption) alongside the new schemes of extortion from the cemaats. What free market people, or anyone with some intellectual integrity and knowledge should do in this climate is to provide an analysis of what's wrong and what the AKP would have done if they practiced what their men in the press are feeding hapless foreigners. IE sth. like what you do for other freedoms (thank you).
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Re: Dear Gutless Person Who Just Sent Me an Anonymous E-mail
Wow, I've got some Code of Conduct violations for that guy… his analysis isn't actually bad in places, but where it is, it's pretty much exactly the Berlinski Line. Ah well.
Oct '10
Re: Dear Gutless Person Who Just Sent Me an Anonymous E-mail
This so weird for me because I just sent you an email today asking for your opinion about Akyol's recent book on Turkey. I think I have my answer.
Re: Dear Gutless Person Who Just Sent Me an Anonymous E-mail
I haven't read it yet, and Mustafa is a friend of mine--with whom, on some issues, I disagree. I'm looking forward to reading his book.
Jul '10
Re: Dear Gutless Person Who Just Sent Me an Anonymous E-mail
Change a couple of names around and references to certain highly visible political figures of the day and it could be talking about Washington, DC, where cronyism an corruption is reduced to a lean six sigma process.
Oct '10
Re: Dear Gutless Person Who Just Sent Me an Anonymous E-mail
I look forward to reading what you think of the book if you could do a mini-review.
Re: Dear Gutless Person Who Just Sent Me an Anonymous E-mail
A review copy is in the mail, I've been told.
Sep '10
Re: Dear Gutless Person Who Just Sent Me an Anonymous E-mail
I confess, it was me. I also sent you the copy of my monthly newsletter, the autographed photo and the fan club membership pin you ordered. That will be $34.95 plus $2.95 shipping and handling. For only $2.95 a month, you can also subscribe to our video updates on hairballs, demanding tuna and keeping dogs under control.
Sep '10
Re: Dear Gutless Person Who Just Sent Me an Anonymous E-mail
The worst thing about being upstaged in the satire department is being upstaged by a guy who dresses like me.
Sep '10
Re: Dear Gutless Person Who Just Sent Me an Anonymous E-mail
Pseudodionysius, all I can say, is you look mahhhvelous!
Mar '11
Re: Dear Gutless Person Who Just Sent Me an Anonymous E-mail
Cat fight!
Sep '10
Re: Dear Gutless Person Who Just Sent Me an Anonymous E-mail
Its more important to look good than to feel good.
Oct '10
Re: Dear Gutless Person Who Just Sent Me an Anonymous E-mail
It must be nice to have free books sent to you to read and review. I wouldn't mind doing that.
Re: Dear Gutless Person Who Just Sent Me an Anonymous E-mail
bereket kelile
It must be nice to have free books sent to you to read and review. I wouldn't mind doing that. · Aug 13 at 9:08pm
Getting the books is great. Reviewing them is one of my least-favorite jobs--one that always gives rise to immense procrastination. The moment I know I have to read a book, it suddenly becomes the only book on my shelf I don't want to read.
Needless to say, I am not talking in the abstract. There's a book I have to read staring at me reproachfully on my desk right now--and I know for sure that if I didn't have to read it, I'd really want to read it.
Oct '10
Re: Dear Gutless Person Who Just Sent Me an Anonymous E-mail
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
bereket kelile
It must be nice to have free books sent to you to read and review. I wouldn't mind doing that. · Aug 13 at 9:08pm
Getting the books is great. Reviewing them is one of my least-favorite jobs--one that always gives rise to immense procrastination. The moment I know I have to read a book, it suddenly becomes the only book on my shelf I don't want to read.
Needless to say, I am not talking in the abstract. There's a book I have to read staring at me reproachfully on my desk right now--and I know for sure that if I didn't have to read it, I'd really want to read it. · Aug 13 at 11:18pm
You're right and I can see that happening to me too.