Tuesday, August 29, 2006
More Parker
Polistra continues to study Robert Parker's book avidly. Oops, perhaps a bit too avidly.
At any rate, here's another bit of info that seems to have been lost in modern times.
Part of Bush/Wilson's justification for his profoundly stupid theories of democracy is the example of Turkey.
So, how was Turkey transformed from a backward totally Mohammedan country to a marginally modern, marginally democratic country? Was it by Free And Fair Elections Certified By Jimmy Carter? Nope, it was by Kemal Ataturk's personal tastes and brutal force:
That same afternoon, as he was drinking with his ministers, the jazz music stopped. Ataturk called for the band leader and said, "Why have you stopped playing?"
The band leader bowed low and said, "But, Highness, the muezzin on the minaret of the mosque outside is calling the faithful to prayer."
Ataturk said, "To hell with the mosque." That night, workmen tore it down brick by brick.
...
Ataturk put Turkish nationalism on a par with the most violent. Under his direction a racial theory was formulated which makes the teachings of Dr. Rosenberg in Germany seem pale by comparison.
Schoolbooks told young Turks that almost all the culture and civilization of the world was of Turkish origin. These books declared it was the Turks ... who sent out the founders, the inspiration for the Babylonian, Syrian, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman civilizations.
The moral: Mohammedanism is strong stuff. You can't replace it with a weak setup like democracy.
Later, Parker describes how the Turks played both sides against the middle in WW2: taking huge amounts of arms and aid from Britain and America, then giving us nothing useful in return - - - refusing to allow the Allies to use Turkish territory as a base. Sound familiar?
We just don't learn a goddamn thing from history. ¶ 8:45 PM
Polistra continues to study Robert Parker's book avidly. Oops, perhaps a bit too avidly.
At any rate, here's another bit of info that seems to have been lost in modern times.
Part of Bush/Wilson's justification for his profoundly stupid theories of democracy is the example of Turkey.
So, how was Turkey transformed from a backward totally Mohammedan country to a marginally modern, marginally democratic country? Was it by Free And Fair Elections Certified By Jimmy Carter? Nope, it was by Kemal Ataturk's personal tastes and brutal force:
That same afternoon, as he was drinking with his ministers, the jazz music stopped. Ataturk called for the band leader and said, "Why have you stopped playing?"
The band leader bowed low and said, "But, Highness, the muezzin on the minaret of the mosque outside is calling the faithful to prayer."
Ataturk said, "To hell with the mosque." That night, workmen tore it down brick by brick.
...
Ataturk put Turkish nationalism on a par with the most violent. Under his direction a racial theory was formulated which makes the teachings of Dr. Rosenberg in Germany seem pale by comparison.
Schoolbooks told young Turks that almost all the culture and civilization of the world was of Turkish origin. These books declared it was the Turks ... who sent out the founders, the inspiration for the Babylonian, Syrian, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman civilizations.
The moral: Mohammedanism is strong stuff. You can't replace it with a weak setup like democracy.
Later, Parker describes how the Turks played both sides against the middle in WW2: taking huge amounts of arms and aid from Britain and America, then giving us nothing useful in return - - - refusing to allow the Allies to use Turkish territory as a base. Sound familiar?
We just don't learn a goddamn thing from history. ¶ 8:45 PM
