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Hardened Fascist Dictatorship in Turkey
Stephen Lendman
Some observers suggest Erdogan may have staged Friday’s botched coup, a false flag to solidify unchallenged power - retaliation coming hard and fast, long knives out in full-force, rule of law principles discarded.
According to justice minister Bekir Bozdag, around 6,000 alleged coup plotters and regime opponents were arrested and detained. “(C)leansing…continu(es),” he said.
Numbers likely to rise, Erdogan is using what happened to eliminate political, military and other opponents, how despots always operate.
He blamed exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, living in Pennsylvania, Turkish intelligence claiming (without evidence) “signs that (he) is working closely with certain members of military leadership against the civilian government.”
Despotism’s Triumph in Turkey
Stephen Lendman
Friday’s coup was state-sponsored false flag deception, Erdogan using it to consolidate tyrannical rule - eliminating shaky remnants of democratic governance.
Regime authority already is unforgiving, waging slow-motion genocide against Kurds the way America ravished its native people, how Israel massacres Palestinians, NATO and rogue regional leaders complicit through silence.
Erdogan partners with Obama’s naked aggression on Syria - endorsing regime change, actively supporting the scourge of terrorism he rhetorically opposes. He, family members and regime officials profit from selling stolen ISIS oil, lets Turkey be a launching pad and safe haven for terrorist operations, supplying their fighters with weapons, munitions, other material support and medical treatment for their wounded.
Anyone criticizing or insulting him risks prosecution for terrorism, espionage or treason. Press freedom is pure fantasy. Turkey imprisons more journalists than any other country. Political assassinations remove opposition figures.
Public Support for Turkey’s Erdogan More Suspect Than Real
Stephen Lendman
In the wake of Friday’s aborted coup, thousands rallying for Erdogan looked suspect. Like all leaders, he can mobilize hard core faithful on short notice to show public support.
Saturday demonstrations looked more staged than authentic. Genuine support in the wake of an aborted coup would bring tens or hundreds of thousands out in force.
After the April 11, 2002 coup attempt against Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, popular support was overwhelming. Spontaneous mass protests erupted. Tens of thousands took to the streets, demanding he be reinstated.
On April 13 he was back, telling Venezuelans “(w)e demonstrated that a united people will never be defeated.”
Chavez was a world-class democrat, a populist hero, beloved and widely supported. Erdogan became prime minister in March 2003, then president since August 2014.
Tyranny’s Ugly Face in Turkey
Stephen Lendman
Friday’s coup appeared state-sponsored, a vehicle to roust out political, military and other regime opponents - long knives unleashed against them with a vengeance.
The toll keeps mounting - scores, maybe hundreds, killed, countless numbers injured, massive numbers of arrests made.
According to prime minister Binali Yildirim, 7,500 were rounded up, arrested and detained so far, more likely coming - witch-hunt charges to follow, guilt by accusation automatic.
Victims include 6,000 military officers and lower-ranking personnel, 755 judges, 650 civilians and 100 police.
Military Coup Defeated By The People
Gilad Atzmon
Many of my friends do not like Erdogan and his regime. Some of my Turkish peers who are artists and intellectuals see the Erdogan regime as dictatorial. They complain that their elementary rights have been compromised. I understand their plight. Many of my western colleagues who comment on Turkey also do not like Erdogan. They criticize Erdogan's approach to Syria and Asad, and they do not like Erdogan's aggression toward Russia or his dealings with Israel.
Yet, despite the general condemnation of Erdogan within intellectual and artistic circles, the Turkish president is extremely popular in Turkey. Earlier today, the Turkish people heeded their President’s webcam call to take to the streets and defeat a well-orchestrated military coup.
Trump’s Worldview?
Stephen Lendman
Trusting politicians is imprudent. Notoriously they say one thing and do another. Judge them solely by their actions, not promises, most turning out empty.
Trump is a businessman with no public policy record - in contrast to Hillary Clinton’s deplorable one, showing she’s dangerous, untrustworthy, legally challenged, wicked and ruthless.
Will Trump differ if elected president in November? Or is he just another business as usual wannabe politician, a dirty rotten scoundrel like all the rest? Selecting Tea Party hardliner Mike Pence as his running mate isn’t reassuring - even though vice presidents are virtually powerless, little more than appendages of their bosses.
Consider Trump’s pluses and minuses despite no public policy record on which to judge him, just stump speech rhetoric.
America Resembles Gunfight at the OK Corral
Stephen Lendman
Hollywood is now real life. Instead of good v. bad guys shoot ‘em ups, it’s killer cops against people of color, mostly unarmed Black youths, victims of racist injustice.
Do five Dallas police officers lethally shot days earlier, another 10 wounded and now three Baton Rouge cops killed, seven others wounded on Sunday indicate victims are beginning to retaliate - or perhaps as one of my readers suggests a “gov’t covert ops designed to foment race war.”
Most likely it reflects a combination of justifiable public anger exploding, along with state-sponsored terrorism, most recently in Orlando and Nice, false flags turning Western communities into battlegrounds - terrifying people to accept permanent wars on humanity and elimination of fundamental freedoms on the phony pretext of protecting national security.
Brexit: A Workers’ Response to Oligarchs, Bankers, Flunkies and Scabs
James Petras
Introduction
The European Union is controlled by an oligarchy, which dictates socio-economic and political decisions according to the interests of bankers and multi-national business. The central organs of power, the European Commission (EC), the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have systematically imposed austerity programs that have degraded working conditions, welfare programs, and wages and salaries.
EU policies demanding the free immigration of non-unionized workers to compete with native workers have undermined wage and workplace protections, union membership and class solidarity. EU financial policies have enhanced the power of finance capital and eroded public ownership of strategic economic sectors.
The European Union has imposed fiscal policies set by non-elected oligarchs over and against the will and interests of the democratic electorate. As a result of EU dictates, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Ireland have suffered double-digit unemployment rates, as well as massive reductions of pensions, health and educational budgets. A huge transfer of wealth and concentration of decision-making has occurred in Europe.
Republican Political Circus Kicks Off in Cleveland
Stephen Lendman
Political conventions showcase party standard bearers, portray unity, and create the illusion of a political process serving everyone equitably - democratic governance at its best when nonexistent.
Cleveland is Trump’s show, presumptive GOP nominee, to become official when delegates formally choose him as party standard bearer.
Convention proceedings more resemble reality TV than democracy in action. A rogue’s gallery of speakers include right-wing politicians, military figures, and Trump family members, culminating with the nominee’s acceptance speech.
Daily themes include making America safe again, making it work again, making it first again and making it one again - the usual type pomp and circumstance signifying nothing, circus proceedings, little more, best ignored.
Erdogan, Turkey’s Netanyahu
Stephen Lendman
They’re two of a kind, power-hungry despots masquerading as democrats, waging wars at their discretion, killing and persecuting with impunity, hostile to fundamental civil and human rights - scoffing at rule of law principles, values, norms and standards, getting away with high crimes because who’ll intervene to stop them.
They’re valued US imperial allies. Ironically Obama has strained relations with both leaders - forced to tolerate what he can’t change, so far at least.
What can’t go on forever won’t, nor will their leadership stand the test of time. Whether their successors improve or worsen things remains to be seen.
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