The Byzantine Forces Behind Turkish Politics

[roo_ster]

http://takimag.com/article/the_byzantine_forces_behind_turkish_politics_steve_sailer/print#axzz2WrRsCXlr

The place really is byzantine, intricate, and opaque.

It’s extraordinarily difficult to come up with an analogy to American history that would shed some light on Turkish politics since the beginning of the 20th century.

All right, try this: Imagine that in 1908 the most advanced thinkers of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Greenwich Village take over the US Army. They eventually move the capital to Omaha and rename the country the Midwestern Republic. Yet the four times the country elects somebody a little more Christian than a Unitarian Universalist, the Army stages a coup.

Finally, the Midwesterners stare down the Army. To rub in their long-thwarted dominance, the Midwestern Christian Party then orders all the bars in New York City to close at 10PM, driving New Yorkers into Times Square to protest.

Does that clear everything up?

No, I guess it doesn’t.

But that’s kind of the point.

Plus, masonic conspiracy theories facts!

If you are interested in history, do mash the link.

[SADShooter]

Thanks for the interesting info, but not for the damn earworm.

[roo_ster]

Thanks for the interesting info, but not for the damn earworm.

http://www.lyricsdepot.com/they-might-be-giants/istanbul-not-constantinople.html

Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night

Every gal in Constantinople
Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople
So if you've a date in Constantinople
She'll be waiting in Istanbul

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way

So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks

Istanbul (Istanbul)
Istanbul (Istanbul)

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way

Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks

So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks

Istanbul

[SADShooter]

May you be trapped in an elevator listening to a loop of Celine Dion...

[RevDisk]

All right, try this: Imagine that in 1908 the most advanced thinkers of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Greenwich Village take over the US Army. They eventually move the capital to Omaha and rename the country the Midwestern Republic. Yet the four times the country elects somebody a little more Christian than a Unitarian Universalist, the Army stages a coup.

Finally, the Midwesterners stare down the Army. To rub in their long-thwarted dominance, the Midwestern Christian Party then orders all the bars in New York City to close at 10PM, driving New Yorkers into Times Square to protest.

Except for the last part, sounds kinda awesome.

I liked working with the Turks. I still have some rugs, a nargile (they knew enough english not to call it a hookah), silks, etc from Turkey. Good troops, but the officers could be ... yea, tough to explain. Unthinking superiority? They thought of themselves as nearly a separate species.

[Hutch]

Rev, a good friend of mine, former Air Force EM, was on the Incirlik airbase when a Turkish officer summarily executed a Turk EM sleeping on his guard post.  No repercussions, apparently.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Rev, a good friend of mine, former Air Force EM, was on the Incirlik airbase when a Turkish officer summarily executed a Turk EM sleeping on his guard post.  No repercussions, apparently.

There were repercussions
Lot fewer naps on guard duty

[dogmush]

I've only worked with Turkish officers.  Never with their enlisted.

It took a lot of professionalism for us not to kill them. 

[MicroBalrog]

Finally, the Midwesterners stare down the Army. To rub in their long-thwarted dominance, the Midwestern Christian Party then orders all the bars in New York City to close at 10PM, driving New Yorkers into Times Square to protest.

Sounds like a good reason to start flipping police cars to me.

[RevDisk]

Rev, a good friend of mine, former Air Force EM, was on the Incirlik airbase when a Turkish officer summarily executed a Turk EM sleeping on his guard post.  No repercussions, apparently.

Yea, heard rumors of that. It's not a good system in my opinion. If you treat enlisted as serfs, you will get nothing but serfs.

[MicroBalrog]

IN the Soviet Union, officers also treated enlisted men like crap in many units.

One of the results was that quite a few drunk officers were shot... legally.

THere were several incidents of officers returning to base drunk at night, and therefore failing to remember their password - which had to be said loudly and clearly.

Then they were shot as intruders, and the enlisted men received rewards for their vigilance.

[RevDisk]

IN the Soviet Union, officers also treated enlisted men like crap in many units.

One of the results was that quite a few drunk officers were shot... legally.

THere were several incidents of officers returning to base drunk at night, and therefore failing to remember their password - which had to be said loudly and clearly.

Then they were shot as intruders, and the enlisted men received rewards for their vigilance.

I'm one of those folks that always gave fraggers the benefit of a doubt.

There is a legitimate chance it is for the good of the service.

[Tallpine]

I'm one of those folks that always gave fraggers the benefit of a doubt.

There is a legitimate chance it is for the good of the service.

I actually remember seeing a "mutiny" broadcast on CBS news back in the Vietnam days.

An entire platoon sat down and refused to follow the 2nd Lt any farther.

[RevDisk]

I actually remember seeing a "mutiny" broadcast on CBS news back in the Vietnam days.

An entire platoon sat down and refused to follow the 2nd Lt any farther.

Not that I know anything about it personally, but I did hear a rumor once of some folks forgetting to mention the location of some toe popper mines when a 2LT was taking a stroll. I'm actually not sure of the legality of that. Is it mutiny to follow all orders but not volunteer important information? Dumb insolence is not on the books anymore, and I think that'd be the closest crime.

[MicroBalrog]

http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21579850-note-turkeys-prime-minister-among-others-winning-elections-not-enough-zombie-democracy

Zombies.