I always enjoy these language pieces but this one was particularly interesting. I don't want every single one of my comments to be comparisons to be Britain, but I was really struck by the contrast between the Yozgat farmer's appeal to his community's self-interest on the basis of a higher principle, and the ugly language and ideas of the recent farmers protests we had in the UK regarding the introduction of an inheritance tax for agricultural land: https://youtube.com/shorts/330rDBf58Jo?si=-n21ZsHLdE1CujZy
For all Turkey's problems, it does seem from the outside there is a real core of the population, that despite their many different views and interests, engages with political arguments as citizens in a constitutional system. I'm sure Turkish policies is far messier on the inside on a normal day but it is clearly a much more pluralist political culture than eg Russia ever has been, or eg Hungary today.
Anglo or Western politics really seems to have lost this type of sophistication. Despite being frustrated, the public is passive, and the political system doesn't have an outlet for reaching out beyond either the small minorities of key swing voters or hyper engaged partisans. It is almost that the bizarre thing is so many discontened people are continuing to vote for established parties rather than choosing something new and risky.
If Turkey is at the 'highest stage of resentful authoritarianism' then this reaction to Ekrem's imprisonment would seem to suggest what the answer to that stage is. It's not more focus groups or slightly cheesier ads or slightly better turnout on election day, but encouraging the public to take responsibility for the political system they live in. It's only by taking ownership of the problems a society faces and trying to solve them that citizens can practice democratic self-government, which is surely the only alternative to both bully power and these paralysed liberal bureaucracies that don't even understand their own decaying legitimacy.
Hi Ant, thanks for the comment. I love the comparisons to Britain, so do keep them coming!
Part of the feeling I want to get across with these pieces is that energy in democratic discourse. This is a country with 150 years of democratic experience, and that is deeply ingrained in the citizenry.
I’m not sure it’s always as virtuous as it may seem at that Yozgat rally. That did seem to be based on economic pain, rather than a long-standing concern with the system of government and the health of the republic. But maybe that’s OK. It’s certainly good enough for me.
I think there is greater cynicism in Europe, and the systems of government are more calcified. It’s very difficult to achieve any kind of change it seems. In the UK, Labour basically won the last election by saying that it was going to keep most things as they are. That was astonishing to me.
I always enjoy these language pieces but this one was particularly interesting. I don't want every single one of my comments to be comparisons to be Britain, but I was really struck by the contrast between the Yozgat farmer's appeal to his community's self-interest on the basis of a higher principle, and the ugly language and ideas of the recent farmers protests we had in the UK regarding the introduction of an inheritance tax for agricultural land: https://youtube.com/shorts/330rDBf58Jo?si=-n21ZsHLdE1CujZy
For all Turkey's problems, it does seem from the outside there is a real core of the population, that despite their many different views and interests, engages with political arguments as citizens in a constitutional system. I'm sure Turkish policies is far messier on the inside on a normal day but it is clearly a much more pluralist political culture than eg Russia ever has been, or eg Hungary today.
Anglo or Western politics really seems to have lost this type of sophistication. Despite being frustrated, the public is passive, and the political system doesn't have an outlet for reaching out beyond either the small minorities of key swing voters or hyper engaged partisans. It is almost that the bizarre thing is so many discontened people are continuing to vote for established parties rather than choosing something new and risky.
If Turkey is at the 'highest stage of resentful authoritarianism' then this reaction to Ekrem's imprisonment would seem to suggest what the answer to that stage is. It's not more focus groups or slightly cheesier ads or slightly better turnout on election day, but encouraging the public to take responsibility for the political system they live in. It's only by taking ownership of the problems a society faces and trying to solve them that citizens can practice democratic self-government, which is surely the only alternative to both bully power and these paralysed liberal bureaucracies that don't even understand their own decaying legitimacy.
Hi Ant, thanks for the comment. I love the comparisons to Britain, so do keep them coming!
Part of the feeling I want to get across with these pieces is that energy in democratic discourse. This is a country with 150 years of democratic experience, and that is deeply ingrained in the citizenry.
I’m not sure it’s always as virtuous as it may seem at that Yozgat rally. That did seem to be based on economic pain, rather than a long-standing concern with the system of government and the health of the republic. But maybe that’s OK. It’s certainly good enough for me.
I think there is greater cynicism in Europe, and the systems of government are more calcified. It’s very difficult to achieve any kind of change it seems. In the UK, Labour basically won the last election by saying that it was going to keep most things as they are. That was astonishing to me.