Posted on 10/10/2007 4:25:53 PM PDT by postaldave
i can distinguish between what the Turkish leaders of 1915 did and what the Turkish leaders of 2007 are doing. i don’t hold today’s leaders responsible for what earlier leaders did. however, i do wonder at their reluctance to admit the truth of their history. all of us can look back on human history and recognize that wrongs were done. the Germans have worked hard to do so post WWII. that is all that people expect of Turkey.
Such symbolism for the sake of symbolism that brings with it nothing but further potential difficulties for guys down range is utter BS. You can talk tough all you want from the safety of CONUS.
Pandering to our enemies. Bud, you don't have a clue.
Timing I suppose. Turkey is more than fed up with the PKK and have been threatening to go into Northern Iraq. Giving them an insult will help decline appeals of tolerance. Dems really don’t want for the news out of Iraq to be positive.
To call Turkey "Islamist" is laughably absurd. You would equate Ataturk's strictly secular construct with Iran's Islamic Republic?
Turkey would be an Islamic state if it were not for routine military intervention.
That is quite true, now more than ever. I personally cannot see how Turkey avoids a civil war sometime in the next 10-20 years.
My two cents...
Governments in the Muslim world have three forms of legitimacy. Kingship, religion, nationalism. Kingships don’t work out very well, and require an already established ruler.
So, Turkey can choose religion or nationalism. Of course, the military and other such leaders do NOT want religion. In their mind, the only way to prevent a slide into religious rule is to strengthen the nationalism of Turkey. Any affront to this unity directly leads to stronger religion and chips away at their legitimacy as a secular, strong nation.
My theory as to why Turkey is always rabidly responsive to any attacks on the integrity of Turkey or its history.
I would expect people who choose to be downrange to have the courage of their convictions.
As I said - Those down range are actually stopping atrocities, facing evil.....and not with symbolism, but with risking their very lives. Big F'ing difference.
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