Turkey's Orgy of Arrests Continues, World Pretty Much Indifferent
The Western commentariat is preoccupied, indifferent, or just confused by all those Turkish names. Here's something of a roundup.
"Meanwhile, it is unclear what exactly is going on — a battle between elements of the state? Between the police or judicial system and MIT? Between the AKP and the ‘deep state’? Between MIT and the military? The plot is so thick that it’s become impenetrable. (To me, at least.) Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) Chairwoman Ümit Boyner said yesterday, 'We are moving away from the rule of law day by day. We regular people are watching the power struggle within the Turkish state with horror and an increased sense of insecurity.'
Watching prosecutors and the judiciary at work in Turkey is a bit like watching an out-of-control truck rampaging down the highway in the wrong lane. You can’t figure out why it’s happening, where it’s going, or how to stop it. You want to close your eyes, but you can’t. You know what’s coming, just not when, where, how, or who the crash will take down with it."
And I'm asking myself, why should anyone in the West care? I'm tired of prefacing my comments with, "This matters to you because ... " In truth, it doesn't, much. There's nothing you can do and there's no reason for an ordinary American to care all that much about this.
What bothers me intensely, though, is a feeling of complete intellectual disgust. Everyone's just completely baffled by this? It's all impenetrable, inscrutable and Oriental? It's neither fish nor fowl, East nor West, Turkey's so complicated, I give up? Does that remind anyone just a bit of those Barbie dolls that were programmed to say, "Math is so hard?"
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Comments:
Re: Turkey's Orgy of Arrests Continues, World Pretty Much Indifferent
I hate to be flippant, but how many divisions does a common grievance have?
Nov '10
Re: Turkey's Orgy of Arrests Continues, World Pretty Much Indifferent
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
I hate to be flippant, but how many divisions does a common grievance have? · 1 hour ago
To be sure. But just remember that the man who smugly made that original remark is gone --and his empire with him. And the object of his contempt is still around.
May '10
Re: Turkey's Orgy of Arrests Continues, World Pretty Much Indifferent
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Matthew Gilley
I can't help concluding that the U.S.'s primary appeal to people in other countries is that it is "so strangely far away from the concerns of most of the rest of the world."
What I worry about greatly, however--and I don't know whether I worry about it with justification--is that living in the US creates the illusion that the rest of the world is not only far away (which it is) but that it doesn't exist (which is false), or that there's nothing to be gained from learning about it. I don't know whether Ishouldworry about this.
We're both right, and you should worry about it (Exhibit A is Ron Paul's foreign policy). I didn't fully appreciate the U.S. until I lived abroad for a few months. I think everyone who has the chance should live abroad - not vacation, but actually live in a neighborhood, shop for groceries, etc. I also think it's healthy for ex-pats to come back home for a year or more at a time - keeps the perspective fresh.
Jan '12
Re: Turkey's Orgy of Arrests Continues, World Pretty Much Indifferent
Matthew Gilley
Forgive the off-topic comment, but I can't help concluding that the U.S.'s primary appeal to people in other countries is that it is "so strangely far away from the concerns of most of the rest of the world." In fact, my great-great-great grandfather left Sweden for precisely that reason.
Now back to the topic at hand. · Feb. 15 at 11:35am
It was then.
May '11
Re: Turkey's Orgy of Arrests Continues, World Pretty Much Indifferent
We know that Turkey is sliding backward, like a lot of other places, and we also know that the current administration's attention is the last thing we wish to apply to any problem. We are racing for our lives, and Turkey will have to figure out for themselves whether they wish to become an enemy of the United States or not. I will be fine with it either way, once we figure out how to remove our domestic enemy, and our foreign policy can stop treating enemies like friends and friends like enemies.