maddogdrivethru.net

Indeed. One thing I was pointing directly to.

People will nitpick small bits, spread them around wherever their narrative aims require, and blow them up to much larger proportions. Always holding their target to different standards than their contemporaries in doing so.



I roll my eyes when I hear people crying about how the evil Christians invaded Muslim lands during the crusades. Sure, buddy. And the Muslims hadn't been doing exactly the same for the previous 300 years on a much wider geographical scale, and against more religions. Surprised it took so long for others to start pushing back, actually.

Such views are only modern revisionist indoctrinations from the usual crowd, damning their target while completely excusing others.

Turkish MPs are holding a second and final round of voting on constitutional changes to give President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sweeping new powers.
Under the plans, the president will be able to choose ministers and judges and the prime minister post will be axed.
Seven out of 18 articles were passed overnight. If MPs back the rest in the coming days, a referendum will follow.
Mr Erdogan says the package will create more stable government, but critics see it as a dangerous power grab.
He says the proposed changes will establish an executive presidential system like those in France and the United States.
It would be Turkey's first executive presidency in its modern history.
The constitutional amendments will also:
Change the president from a primarily ceremonial role to sole executive head of state
Give the president the power to enact some laws by decree
Create at least one vice-president post
Increase the number of MPs to 600 from 550
Lower the minimum age for lawmakers from 25 to 18
Allow the president to be a member of a political party
Stipulate that presidential and parliamentary elections be held simultaneously every five years
The Islamist-rooted governing AK Party (AKP) gained the three-fifths majority needed to give the package preliminary backing on Sunday, with the support of the right-wing Nationalist Movement Party, the fourth largest party in the legislature.
The Republican People's Party (CHP), the biggest opposition party, opposes the changes, and debates have been heated.
Last week a fight broke out in parliament after the AKP clashed with CHP members, when an MP tried to film a voting session during a debate.

How do you like that "god like" halo around the er dogs head?

Turkey’s currency begins to contract as tyranny takes hold
POSTED AT 11:01 AM ON JANUARY 22, 2017 BY JAZZ SHAW


When we talk about currency collapsing in countries controlled by dysfunctional tyrants, most of the news lately has come out of Venezuela. (And rightly so since I think you currently need a pickup truck to haul around enough cash to buy a can of soup there.) But there are signs that the Turkish lira is beginning to suffer as the regime of President Tayyip Erdogan consolidates power. Reuters is reporting that the lira has lost almost one third of its value since last year and businesses – particularly those representing western interests – are closing up shop and leaving shopping malls looking increasingly like ghost towns.

Turkish businessman Tekin Acar had contracts to open branches of his leading cosmetics chain in ten new shopping malls this year. A few days ago he canceled nine of them after sharp falls in the lira meant he would struggle to afford the rents.

Turkey’s currency has lost around a quarter of its value since the middle of last year, causing havoc for retailers selling imported goods or paying rent pegged to the U.S. dollar.

Many were already suffering from a sharp economic slowdown and dwindling tourism numbers after a spate of deadly bombings.

Foreign brands in Turkey are also suffering. Dutch clothing chain C&A, Britain’s Topshop, German cosmetics firm Douglas and U.S.-based dietary supplement retailer GNC (GNC.N) have disappeared from shopping centers in recent months.

Retail spaces in some of Istanbul’s biggest malls stand empty.

There’s a bit of wry, ironic humor in the fact that this news is coming out at the exact same time that Erdogan just succeeded in getting the constitutional changes he sought pushed through the Parliament. Not only will a vastly larger amount of power be vested in the executive branch, but Erdogan will be eligible to remain in office as President until 2029, at which time he will be 74 years old. (Of course, by that point getting an extension pushed through should be no trouble, assuming he’s still alive and interested in the job.) The office of the Prime Minister is being scrapped entirely and Erdogan will be able to appoint one or more vice presidents with no confirmation required by Parliament. He will also inherit the ability to declare a “state of emergency” at any time without consulting the legislative branch, giving him even more executive authority.

It’s not as if this is happening without a whisper of protest from the opposition. In fact, one Turkish MP literally handcuffed herself to the lectern in protest as the changes were being considered. It’s tough sledding for them, however, considering that Erdogan has been locking up people by the tens of thousands. Communications among the opposition are a challenge as well. Facebook and Twitter are frequently shut down and the government recently launched an investigation into ten thousand social media users for “posts which support terrorism” on those networks. You probably won’t be hearing from them again any time soon.

And in the meantime, businesses are closing down while the strength of the nation’s currency is collapsing. Should this come as any surprise? They’re losing tourist dollars rapidly since Turkey is currently not exactly the safest place in the world to vacation. There are terrorist attacks taking place in a few spots to be sure, but the greater threat is probably the risk of being perceived as being an opponent of Erdogan’s regime and having your stay extended by several years in a room with limited exit options. Let’s not forget that they’ve already locked up one American and Erdogan doesn’t act as if he’s afraid to do it again. Also, foreign owned businesses are closing up shop, eliminating jobs and purchasing options for consumers. The risk of doing business there may simply be too high for many of them under these conditions.

This is how tyranny progresses and it’s taking place in real time right before our eyes. For a nation which only twenty years ago had a growing, westernized system of capitalism in place and a thriving democracy, this is a tragic turn of events indeed.

This is how tyranny progresses and it’s taking place in real time right before our eyes. For a nation which only twenty years ago had a growing, westernized system of capitalism in place and a thriving democracy, this is a tragic turn of events indeed.

This is what happens to nations under the influence of islam unless they are literally floating on a lake of oil.

... the slow progress we see toward Tryanny in Turkey ...

Oh my, you think the whole turkiye gangland is goin' tranny?