Duranty Redux: NYT Fawns Over Turkey’s Centralizing of Power
It is true that the passage of the referendum in Turkey, with 58 percent of the vote, can be seen as a victory for the AKP regime. But that point shouldn’t be exaggerated. The bad feature of the reforms — in terms of consolidating the Islamist government’s power — is to strengthen the regime’s control over the courts and to limit further the autonomy of the Turkish army.
At the same time, though, there were many other provisions that the overwhelming majority of Turks wanted — expanding freedoms and civil liberties and reining in the possibility of military coups — which those left-of-center have opposed in the past. Moreover, it was sold as a step toward Turkish entry into the European Union, still a prime goal, though something that’s never going to happen.
I would bet that if it weren’t for the fear of the provisions in the referendum strengthening the regime, 90 percent of Turks would have supported it, instead of 58 percent. But that was part of the trick: putting in two provisions fundamentally transforming the Turkish republic amidst twenty others that mainly referred to historical issues.
The New York Times fawned over the referendum, uncritically supporting the regime in a shameful and quite ignorant manner:
Turkey, already the Muslim Middle East’s sturdiest democracy, fortified its freedoms in a referendum on Sunday, with 58 percent of voters approving a package of constitutional amendments meant to end army meddling in civilian politics. That overwhelming “yes” vote showed that Turks are fed up with ultimatums and coups and want elected politicians fully in charge.
Well, yeah — but not pro-Iran, Islamist politicians who are moving toward control of the mass media and arresting peaceful dissidents, right?
Why doesn’t the NYT mention that the referendum also tightens the regime’s grip on the court system — practically the last independent institution — and other instruments of power to an extent that many Turks find frightening? This is pure propaganda for the Islamist regime, not a balanced assessment. Not a single criticism of the regime is mentioned, despite its growing power over the mass media, intimidation of critics, mass arrests, and other forms of repression and anti-democratic behavior.
This kind of editorial should be compared to that newspaper’s whitewashing of Stalinism in the 1930s and 1950s. Lenin once boasted that he would get the capitalists to sell him the rope with which to hang them — but even he thought that he would excite only their mercenary attributes. Today, Islamists often gain heartfelt and enthusiastic praise from their adversaries.
Will Turkey and Iran eventually fight each other to see who will control the new Caliphate?
Islam si!, Christianity No!.
Who else would the Times align themselves with but a potential enemy? Obama isn’t the only one who hates America and Americans.
Now back to supporting the Ground Zero mosque, no questions asked, and no investigative reporting either.
What I sense here is mutual pact between the two countries. With Iraq weak and really unable to defend itself, its only a matter of time for the two new allies to divide up Iraq. Turkey will probably use the excuse that the Kurds are supporting their brethren in Turkey to invade; and, Iran will invade to protect the Shiite population of Iraq. Third side of this coin is Syria, will it also invade? There’s gold in them hills for all three parties and I think that they are brash enough to try. I would look for them to move if they see that Obama is weakened and won’t be re-elected. He would never commit the US military to protect Iraq. (It reminds me of Jimmy Carter and Angola.) That aside, the three countries can field enough power to defeat the US military in a conventional struggle especially with the new weapons supplied by Russia. With Obama’s treatment of Israel, don’t look to them for help. Besides, they can easily be pinned down from Gaza and Lebanon.
Recently Kissinger launched the new F P initiative involving Iran, Pakistan, Russia and India to prevent a Taliban/AQ/ Narco terrorist state in Afghanistan, which is not in the interests of any of those states.
Turkey and Brazil are today talking sense to Iran on our behalf and the deals are moving forward in NY.
These deals are in American best interests in the region moving forward–Turkey is helping our policies as a loyal member of NATO.
Willfully ignorant, “the (German Nazi) charming young gentleman (of this time of 1933/1934/1935/1936/1937/1938/1939) are distinguished guests (here at Harvard/Oxford/etc) from a friendly nation (Nazi Germany)”, malicious anti-Jewish bigot,
You are culpable.
Correction (to what I wrote):
“gentleman”
should be,
“gentlemen”
Thank you, Lord Runciman, for letting us know of your good works. Keep it up!
If you look at a map of how this vote went I think your looking at the map of how turkey will go in a few years time when it goes to a civil war. http://welections.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/turkey-ref-20101.png
The kurds did not vote and so the 80% votes in the south west are only 8-12% of that population. There’s also a town in the black sea coast where the vote was 80% No but the rest of the province went 90% yes. Geographically its another Srebrenitsa. Turkey is highly balkanised. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk secularism held it together. Now they have voted for the negation of those laws, civil war will follow.
http://welections.wordpress.com/2010/09/14/turkey-referendum-2010/
Unless the army steps in as usual, and hopefully, very soon.
Israel can be pinned down in guerilla-style war, yes, but if they were ‘allowed’ (as Obama thinks of it – but then, he is an arrogant jumped-up enemy of Israel) to unleash their full power against Gaza and Lebanon, they could flatten them both in 24 hours and still have enough left to intervene in Iraq with the IAF.
Anyway, what do you expect from the vile NYT? They have supported any mass-murdering enemy of the human race for the past 80 years. This is hardly new.
My previous comment is harsh speech and is unbeneficial. I wrote my previous comment in anger. It was wrong for me to write my previous comment.
The following speech (the following writing) is more beneficial.
The following are expressions of views that are paraphrasings of expressions of views that, in the 1930′s, were expressed by the faculty and heads of many prominent universities (Ivy League and other universities) in the United States and Britain, and are expressions of views that are similar to views that, in the 1930′s, were expressed by many other people in the United States and Britain, including high officials of the government of Britain, and are expressions of views that are expressions of views that are similar to the expression of views that were, in the previous comment by commenter “Victor”, expressed by commenter “Victor”.
“The (German Nazi) charming young gentlemen (of this time of 1933/1934/1935/1936/1937/1938/1939) are distinguished guests (here at Harvard/etc) from a friendly nation (Nazi Germany).”
“Those protestations (by those few Jewish “ridiculous” people against the hosting and honoring of the “charming guests (German Nazi officials – one of whom is an alumni of this university (Harvard)) from a friendly nation (Nazi Germany)” by this university (Harvard/etc)) are ridiculous.”
In the 1930′s, the expression of these views was pervasive.
In the 1930′s, in the Western countries, including the United States, the Nazi regime was verbally defended by politically “Liberal” self-professed “Pacifists”, and was supported by many Socialists, and was supported by many of the members of the ethnically West European governing class of Britain and the United States, and was hugely supported by, and was financed by, most of the members of the ethnically West European, wealthy, industrialist and financier class of the United States.
“voters approving a package of constitutional amendments meant to end army meddling in civilian politics.”
THE ARMY was the ONLY line of opposition to the ISlamization by ERdogan- he has systematically removed his oppostion, first the army then the courts– openly allied with IRAN. To pretend Turkey is an EU or USA or ISrael ally, does not make it true- Turkey is AXis of Evil aligned–as they did ww1 and ww2- chose NAZI fascism (ISLAM is the same as NAzism)
NYT should SUED into oblivion for the LIES they publish– those who aid and abet the world dominance of ISLAM are greater threat than ISLAM- this is a pure propaganda from a leftist controlled media- as it was yes in 1930′s – we are in similar times and situations – and then as now NYT is a JEWHATING booster of NAzism
The article that initiates this thread draws an analogy with the NYT/ Duranty editorials and reports that whitewashed Stalinism in the 1930s.
Time to invoke Godwin’s law I am afraid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law
“Godwin’s law applies especially to inappropriate, inordinate, or hyperbolic comparisons of other situations (or one’s opponent) with Hitler or Nazis or their actions.
There are many corollaries to Godwin’s law, some considered more canonical (by being adopted by Godwin himself) than others. For example, there is a tradition in many newsgroups and other Internet discussion forums that once such a comparison is made, the thread is finished and whoever mentioned the Nazis has automatically “lost” whatever debate was in progress.”
“Victor”,
My first comment to you was accurate and true, but I wrote it in anger, and was harsh speech, and I subsequently thought that it was unbeneficial, and therefore inappropriate, because it was harsh speech.
However, I now think that it may have been appropriate.
I would like to be kind to you and communicate to you in such a skillful way that would cause you to perceive facts of reality that would cause you to realize why the views that you hold are wrong and why what I wrote in my first comment to you is accurate and true, but I realize that I do not have the ability to communicate to you in such a way that would enlighten someone who is so ignorant (of factual history, and of current reality, and of their own mind) that they, as a result, hold the wrong views that you currently hold.
“Victor”,
I mean you no harm. May you one day realize the wrongness of the views that you currently hold.
Thank you, Lord Runciman, for letting us know of your esteemed thoughts. Keep up the good work!
Godwin’s “law” is stupid, and the “corollary” from it is dumb.
That’s all that needs to be said about it.
Oh, censoring posts now? Idiot.
My mistake, sincere apologies. Cache issues on my computer, evidently. My unreserved apologies again.