The Quiet American
My loyal readers are you, Ricochet. You are the people who have shown that you value my work, and the work all my colleagues do here, in the only way that matters in a free market: by paying for it. Had it not been for my mother, who has helped me through the recession, City Journal, and Ricochet--that means you, every one of you who thought, "Should I pay for this?" and made the decision, "Yes, this is worth it," I would have gone under long ago.
My mother is a university professor. It pains, degrades and humiliates me to take her money, because it isn't mine. I didn't earn it. I don't think it is wrong for her to spend the money helping her daughter if that's the way she chooses to do it; I am not taking it from her by force. But it is ultimately as corrupting to me to live on charity as it is to anyone. It deprives me of the pride of saying, "I earned this money by providing something someone else wanted enough to pay for it."
Members of Ricochet may have noticed that I've been quiet lately, and that the tone of my posts has been increasingly bitter. I feel that I owe everyone here--because you have been supporting me in a way that has given me the honest satisfaction of doing an honest job--an honest account of my state of mind, rather than a ruminative silence.
The truth, to the extent that I understand it myself, is that I'm looking at the world with deep cynicism these days. So are many journalists I know. I don't live in Greece, so I cannot say firsthand whether everything in this report is true. But intuitively, I suspect that it is. Please, read it through. And consider this sentence:
The problem of media freedom in Greece is like the issue of the country’s debt – everyone knows about it but nobody talks about it,” a leading Greek columnist told us, asking not to be named. “We’re all guilty, including journalists. Our society is based on a tacit agreement to keep quiet about things. It’s a bit like the mafia vow of silence. It’s in everyone’s interest and in this way we avoid trouble. We’re going to pay dearly for our silence." His view was shared by everyone we talked to.
The problem of media freedom, like many others in Turkey, is one that everyone knows about but no one talks about. Everyone in Turkey is afraid that if he or she speaks too loudly against the government, he'll be locked up. It may not be true. It is probably also true, as apologists for the AKP say, that the situation is better for journalists than it has been in the past, that more journalists were locked up or killed during military governments than have been locked up lately. This misses the point: You only have to lock up a few to silence the others, especially when the memory of those times has scarred a generation.
The United States has no such problem: No one, but no one in the United States is seriously worried that he or she will go to jail for saying something and no one born in the United States can really imagine what it's like to be told, by your parents, "Don't say anything, because I won't be able to protect you if you do. Just stay out of that stuff." Americans worry about social censure, or losing a job, or being called a nut or a fascist for saying something politically controversial. That's almost certainly the worst that will happen to you.
No one in Turkey can really understand how true this is, except the ones who have been to America. I reserve a special contempt for Turks who have been to America and know that this is true and who come back and refuse to take a vigorous stand on behalf of their fellow Turkish citizens' right to speak without fear or intimidation. I am much more forgiving of Turks who think, "This is the way it is everywhere" because they have no way of knowing otherwise.
I reserve a special contempt, too, for the wealthy Turkish elites who know that if it gets too bad, they can always escape to America, leaving behind the people who can't to deal with the consequences of their cowardice.
But I feel contempt, too, for Americans who have this exquisite freedom, but insufficient curiosity about the rest of the world to support a robust, thriving profession of real foreign correspondence. Why have American news bureaus the world around shut down in the past ten years? Why has foreign news coverage dropped off the networks? Why is Al Jazeera, not CNN, the only major network that tries seriously to cover this region? It is not just the recession: Americans are still willing to pay for sports coverage. They are still willing to pay to be entertained by some of the most miserable, degraded pop culture icons produced in the history of human endeavor. America is still by far the wealthiest country in the world. Americans are willing to pay for what they think is "news"--but it happens chiefly to be entertainment, not news.
Blogs and the Internet have not filled the void of foreign news coverage. They can't. In the end, most Americans' view of the world beyond them is shaped by only a few news sources: television, and a handful of influential newspapers.
But.
There is a big "but." I do happen to believe in freedom--economic freedom, as well as freedom of speech. I do believe that if there's no market for something, it is because no one wants it, and much as I think the wonderfulness of Claire Berlinski's prose and insight should be cherished and remunerated, my bank balance says, quite clearly, that the world does not agree.
So, yes, I am sitting here and asking myself: Should I be listening to this market signal? Is the market right? I certainly don't want the government to fund what I do--although I must say, for the kind of news gathering I respect, the government employees who wrote the Wikileaks cables have my full admiration. The world's lack of interest in what they wrote, however, is remarkably telling.
If I can't make a living by writing novels and books about politics and articles about Turkey, should I conclude that I've been told by the facts of life--which I still believe to be conservative--that what I'm doing is not of as much value as I would like to think?
That's what I'm asking myself, and that's why I'm quiet these days. I'm having a deep think about whether my sense that something is wrong here is prompted by something being wrong here, or just by wounded narcissism and a sense of undue entitlement. Often, I've noticed, people who spend their lives complaining bitterly that their talent has not been sufficiently recognized are confused: They're generally just not that talented.
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Comments:
Jan '11
Re: The Quiet American
'The World' is a curiously insular, clannish place: it seems to be engraved into our bones or DNA or whatever to not give much of a damn about things outside our own self-described circles unless either a) said thing in question impacts us directly, or b) the details are salaciously juicy. The older I get the more inclined I feel to not give a damn about the world and its opinions, for those very reasons.
Perhaps you just need to find some line of work which pays the bills and indulge your passion for real meat-and-potatoes writing as a hobby, like a trained concert pianist unable to find satisfactory work and left tickling the ivories in a local bar. If, of course, that sort of thing wouldn't just suffocate your will to live.
Edited on September 18, 2011 at 8:18amJan '11
Re: The Quiet American
The "Turkish Diaries" posted here have been invaluable (bad turn of phrase, sorry). Judith Levy's perspective from Israel has been similarly rewarding. If only Ricochet could grow and expand in an orderly manner, with reliable "correspondants" in interesting countries, that could be - oh wait, that would actually be the historic role of the major media outlets. But we have lost trust in the "three letter TV channels" and established newspapers (except my beloved National Post, Canada, of course).
Back to the point of your post - remuneration. The world is a sorry and sad place, where talent is not always appropriately recognized. I don't know what to say other than that. Perhaps I can quote Lileks where he says he has a lot of hobbies, and some pay, and some don't. But hobbies and passions that don't pay the rent can be quite personally unsatisfying and can lead to dejection.
Lucky are those who are fortunate enough to do what they love, and who are financially appropriately rewarded. Currently, you are not in that sphere. For that, I am sorry. I apologize for my lack of clarity and sophistication in writing. :(
Mar '11
Re: The Quiet American
Claire, thank you very much for this piece.
I know how hard it is to write something as, well, revealing as that. These are tough times economically, and I have had similar thoughts lately. Besides my own experience, I also have many friends who are highly gifted, yet are struggling lately to make ends meet.
While times aren't as bad as they were in the 30s, I find myself constantly reminded of the stories of my grandparents and assorted uncles and aunts of that generation. And then I am reminded that I knew them long after they had lived through those times, and in most cases prospered.
And that's just my family, who had the good fortune to live in the USA; my wife's grandparents, who lived in Kishinev, survived Stalin, escaping the Nazis, and then decades more of life in the USSR before making it to Israel (in time for a few more wars).
The point of this ramble? Every generation has its own cross to bear, and odds are there will be long, tough times to get through. That's what family is for.
May '10
Re: The Quiet American
Welcome to H.L. Mencken's world.
May '10
Re: The Quiet American
Ayn Rand makes a distinction between philosophically objective value and socially objective value. Philosophically objective value refers to the estimation of a thing in accordance with the "criterion of the most rational mind possessing the greatest knowledge, in a given category, in a given period, and in a defined context". Socially objective value refers to the estimation of a thing in accordance with the criteria of most people.
What this implies is that the market is as good as its constituents. If everyone ditches Shakespeare and spends their time watching "Brazilian Orgy, Volume 2", the market isn't going to improve their preferences; it will only cater to them. Thus, a work of great literary or scientific significance can go unnoticed for quite some time. It can be depressing, but what's the alternative? A Berlinski family reality show?
Aug '11
Re: The Quiet American
At the risk of sounding a bit like a fanboy......
Claire, I for one joined Ricochet because I read pretty much everything you write and have done so for a couple of years. I think I came across your work through Michael Totten's blog. Following you on Twitter led me to Ricochet.
Since I'm not an American, I'm a lot less interested in local US politics and extremely interested in global politics, and particularly the Middle East. I do find a lot of what is posted here very interesting, but I'm here because of you. If you had your own blog, I would happily pay the few bucks a month that I pay here to read your stuff. Its a bit like a bonus here that I get your writings, plus a bunch of other interesting stuff and of course, the cherry on the cake is the interaction with the other Ricochet members/readers.
Not sure what my point is here, except to try and encourage you to keep up the outstanding work.
Apr '11
Re: The Quiet American
Don't go anywhere. Hang in there. Remind yourself that among all those deaf and blind journalists, you are needed. Turkey would be missing a big chance without you. I will advertise the blog to my Turkish friends. Doesn't Turkey get richer by the hour? Who knows maybe the newly rich, as the supporters of higher democracy, can spare 5 TL for freedom of speech.
Aug '11
Re: The Quiet American
Michael Labeit
If everyone ditches Shakespeare and spends their time watching "Brazilian Orgy, Volume 2"..... · Sep 17 at 11:48pm
I'm not familiar with that one. Is that on iTunes or Amazon?
Jun '10
Re: The Quiet American
Claire, I don't know what to write. Usually in a situation such as this I would write nothing, but I feel compelled to write something that will at a minimum suggest understanding. If it means anything to you, I want you to succeed. If it means anything to you, I know anger, loss, and terror. But, I also know patience and peace. There is no irony in the fact that the anger, loss, and terror have taught me patience and helped me find peace. Sometimes the only thing left is hope, Pandora was none to bright, but she was quick enough to prevent its flight.
May '10
Re: The Quiet American
jonorose
Michael Labeit
If everyone ditches Shakespeare and spends their time watching "Brazilian Orgy, Volume 2".....
I'm not familiar with that one. Is that on iTunes or Amazon?
Both. I checked, twice.
Dec '10
Re: The Quiet American
Michael Labeit
Ayn Rand makes a distinction between philosophically objective value and socially objective value. Philosophically objective value refers to the estimation of a thing in accordance with the "criterion of the most rational mind possessing the greatest knowledge, in a given category, in a given period, and in a defined context". Socially objective value refers to the estimation of a thing in accordance with the criteria of most people.
I think Michael hit this one on the head. The thought that crossed my mind as I read your post, is that Claire, you are a modern Dagney Taggert, stuck in a world that not striving very hard for it's own long term survival. Reality will catch up with us, as it caught up with Neville Chamberlin, as it caught up with the Romans, as it cuaght up with the Soviets.
Thank your mother on behalf of all of us here. Her charity extends far beyond your bank account, to the minds of thousands of readers here dependent on you to be our eyes abroad.
Edited on September 18, 2011 at 9:21amRe: The Quiet American
I appreciate this. I'm not in any doubt that what I've written has been of some value--inherently, in the sense that even had I not received a penny, I'd feel that I wrote some part of the truth. But here is the thing: America needs more than one reliable correspondent in "interesting countries." It needs fully-staffed newsrooms, with cynical, experienced editors at the helm, awash in money to do serious investigative reporting, all of them old hands in the country and the region, people who know who's who and know when they're being spun. We're now so far from that. And I'm looking at the coverage of news from Turkey and becoming more cynical by the day: How could the world's media fail to notice this? Broad daylight, in Istanbul!
Jul '10
Re: The Quiet American
Claire, your passion for your work is infectious and your scrupulous attention to detail appreciated. You challenged me into shaking the dust off my Bernard Lewis and rereading myself the Netanyahu book that I use as Terrorism 101 with the little Sisyphuses. I, myself, have been looking around to see where I can give more with regard to the current political conflicts of the day.
Do not be so sure about the sanctity of civil rights and freedom of speech in this country. As I noted in my blog I have heard off the record reports of leftist vandalism and intimidation of political donors based on FEC filings.
Tonight I had a meeting that may see my efforts bear fruit and seriously affect my professional trajectory. I cannot say more for awhile yet, but you and Ricochet helped shape my thinking in a direction that made that possible.
Practical advice is always shooting in the dark on these things, but I have seen journalists provide speeches and guest lectures at institutes and universities, Mark Steyn and Michael Yon recently drew premium dollars from me for personalized autographs. A Claire Berlinsky picture book of Istanbul might do well.
Best of luck.
Jan '11
Re: The Quiet American
Not mine to say - but could there be PayPal donations icon embedded into the Ricochet site for specific contributors? Michael Yon's work is fascinating to me - could or should there be a supplemental "voting by dollars" mechanism for correspondants who contribute here? (I hear Lileks say he's doing this for free, and yet Rosanne Barr has a reality TV show).
Then we get to the problem of people not knowing "when to vote" with their money . . . . .
Jul '10
Re: The Quiet American
So this is what, pay per non-view?
Re: The Quiet American
Thank you, all of you.
It has occurred to me lately that perhaps the only vehicle by which to tell this story is a novel. Not a blog post, not journalism, but a novel.
And I know it would be good for me to step back from trying to write for a while and just read.
Nov '10
Re: The Quiet American
Dear Claire,
The market optimally services desires, not needs. On the whole, desires correlate with needs; but not always. The market is a loose criterion of the good, not an absolute one.
The sorry fact is this: there is taste and crassness, substance and triviality, morality and corruption. Producers of objective goods, like incisive journalism, will sometimes be disdained; and producers of objective bads, like [insert favorite] will sometimes be embraced.
This is not an argument for sidelining hoi polloi in matters economic or political. However, just because you are not in favour of the -crat does not mean you are not one of the aristo-s.
To my mind, and that of everyone here, the very fact that you let current market inform your view of yourself speaks volumes. You are the principled self-doubting antithesis of self-satisfied state hirelings.
So, don't let it go to your head--but you have fans.
Edited on September 18, 2011 at 11:27amNov '10
Re: The Quiet American
"It can be depressing, but what's the alternative? A Berlinski family reality show?"
Hmm. Maybe there is an alternative after all...
Jun '10
Re: The Quiet American
Come home, Claire. Think how beautiful the West Coast here is. It's safe here (Mark Steyn notwithstanding) and there is a lot of work in some parts of the country. If not the West Coast then how about Texas? It's booming.
If you come back to America it will be like sinking into a warm bath of comfort. Nice neighbors, english-speaking everywhere, people who took down Flight 93 -- that sort of thing.
I think Mark Steyn is right about the next couple decades: it's going to get dicey. Why not get inside the Green Zone? With your contacts and experience you can still carry on with Ricochet and help inform us about Turkey, the Middle East and Europe. We need you. But, we need you happy.
Apr '11
Re: The Quiet American
Hey, Claire?
Like many others, I don't know how to advise you. I was stationed in Turkey for precisely 33 days a million-billion years ago and have that kind of detached interest - I'm fascinated by it, and have loosely kept track over the years on what's happening, but I don't have the compelling, overwhelming interest that I have for things American.
I tell you true: I became a Ricochet member so I could get the Steyn-Goldberg-Long podcasts (which lately they've been failing to provide - b******s). But I genuinely admire your reporting (and other Ricochet features). (And I'm pleased you're getting some small amount of the dough those plutocrats Long & Robinson are rolling up. :-))
My only suggestion: Make a bold, over-sweeping "This is what's happening" statement at the beginning of your articles, immediately followed by a quiet withdrawal.
Naw, that'd be wrong.
Include lots and lots of links, and an archive?
If you have to pull the plug, I understand. And I ain't gonna guilt you into staying. I will miss you when/if you're gone.
little "l" love,