Power outage, protests in Cuba

[AWRTR]

Tbh Turkey has been semi authoritarian since atta Turk. The idea that the military is constantly compelled to save the “republic” just seems to be more of a shogunate security ruling in the background of a puppet government. Erdogan is just a guy that made enough friends in the military to prevent them doing it to him.

However Turkey is far more secular and semi progressive than most of the major Islamic middle eastern countries.

It's pretty much authoritarian at this point. Calling it semi progressive in the sense of Sharia law is accurate, but like the vast majority of the Islamic world representative democracy isn't a workable model. The two are at odds to the point one has to go.

 

[81usaf92]

It's pretty much authoritarian at this point. Calling it semi progressive in the sense of Sharia law is accurate, but like the vast majority of the Islamic world representative democracy isn't a workable model. The two are at odds to the point one has to go.

I would say it’s more like Russia but of our flavor. I don’t see them as Islamic fundamentalist as much as I see them as some taste of Mussolini fascist. I see Erdogan as a guy who wants to rule like the Ottomans more than continue the Attaturk mythology of heroic revolution.

Turkey has its fundamentalists but they are far and away more secular than any modern middle eastern country not named Kuwait. Point is there is a very noticeable difference between stepping in Riyadh and Tehran than stepping into Istanbul. I sense Turkey deep down would prefer to be European than Middle Eastern but centuries of bad blood between the Ottomans and Western powers have never really healed nor is the fact that Turkey is constantly used as the gateway by extremists that really are seeking to do harm. However, I think Turkey being lifelong enemies of the Russians and allowing the US to utilize its land for military purposes does make me think they are a great ally to keep around

 

[Bazza]

The President of Cuba makes a historic announcement acknowledging negotiations with the United States.

Marco can get this done......