Culture clash, the world gets more connected and people feel entitled to the same freedoms others enjoy. The middle east is finally coming into the 21st century. DD
I was in Istanbul just two days before these protests started. Walked through Taksim square repeatedly as my hotel was just 5 minutes away. Timing is everything sometimes. Beautiful city and very nice people; sad to see such violence.
Timing can be freaky. We drove out to West Texas and visited Big Bend, Ft. Davis, Alpine, Marfa, and looked at absolutely beautiful fields of golden grass waving in the wind. Thousands of acres of it, with few fences in a lot of places. Went to the McDonald Observatory. Everywhere, there was that incredible grass, spread out for miles as far as the eye could see. When we got back, it was one week before the fires started that caused so much damage and burnt hundreds of thousands of acres. We were stunned. You never know, do you.
I've been out of touch with the news for the last week so this is he first I am hearing about these protests. Kind if sad to see those horrific pics on the anniversary of Tiananmen but hope this leads to greater reform for a civil society. In many ways Turkey has been walking a fine line between a military dominated society or becoming Islamists so maybe a movement like this can keep Turkey from either of those.
I have always said on this forum that Erdogan is a dangerous Islamist. I applaud the freedom-loving, educated people of Turkey who resist Erdogan's dictatorial and backward-oriented tendencies. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...-Recep-Tayyip-Erdogan-of-Islamist-agenda.html
I cannot recommend it enough. Wish I had spent more time there. Amazing history, good food, good people, and a really neat cultural mishmash.
When are we Going to Have an American Spring? Occupy was brutally suppressed. The Tea Party was organized and initially funded by the ruling elite to support the present distribution of wealth and power by redirecting populist anger at the financial crash into harassing the extremely mild mannered reformist president. When? 1) I would say that it won't happen until we have a counterweight to the Fox News/right media that provides the fodder for misguided support of the one percent by the 99%. This counterweight is gaining ground. 2) The more or less direct bribing of government officials sanctioned by the GOP court in Citizen's United is overturned. 3) The portion of the Tea Party not primarily riled up over race sees their real issue is the same as Occupy. 4) The 99% can start regaining more control of the government. 1) and 2) are the keys.
soem amazing pictures here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...sed-pepper-spray-symbol-Turkish-protests.html
Turkish protests continue to increase -- it's getting pretty crazy as each side digs in... _____ Turkish police battle protesters after Erdogan warning Turkish riot police using tear gas and water cannon battled protesters for control of Istanbul's Taksim Square, hours after Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan demanded an immediate end to 10 days of demonstrations. Istanbul Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu appeared on television, declaring that police operations would continue day and night until the square, focus of demonstrations against Erdogan, was cleared. Police fired volleys of tear gas canisters into a crowd of thousands - people in office clothes as well as youths in masks who had fought skirmishes throughout the day - scattering them into side streets and nearby hotels. Water cannon swept across the square targeting stone-throwers in masks. The protesters, who accuse Erdogan of overreaching his authority after 10 years in power and three election victories, thronged the steep narrow lanes that lead down to the Bosphorus waterway. Many drifted gradually back into the square and lit bonfires, only to be scattered by more tear gas. Governor Mutlu said 30 people had been wounded on Tuesday. Erdogan had earlier called on protesters to stay out of Taksim, where a heavy-handed police crackdown on a rally against development of the small Gezi Park abutting the square triggered an unprecedented wave of protest. full articles
Erdogan is planting agents provocateurs in the group of the protesters who throw Molotov cocktails, because he wants to make them look violent so he can come down harsh on them. I know this for a fact.
I don't know if he is or not, but it would be a pretty classic tactic. Honestly, this guy reminds me of the late fellow that was in charge of Venezuela. Use the democratic process to install your followers into positions of power, control the media if at all possible, harass your political enemies, and if the chance presents itself, arrest them, rid the military high command of your opponents and replace them with your supporters. And so on. Sounds familiar to me. What's disturbing is that Turkey had, literally, a secular revolution. Quite a violent one, with all sorts of consequences. Their government has traditionally been secular for decades, with periods of military rule here and there, until Erdogan finally won an election. The military, in the heavy handed way militaries typically operate, insured that the country remained secular. Now everything has been stood on its head. I'm not sure how this will ultimately end.
I'm not discounting your post, but could you tell us how you know this info for a fact? I wouldn't be surprised at all if what you are saying is true, but extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
