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PolitiFact Lie of the Year: Romney's Ad on Jeeps Made in China

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EPR-radar12/12/2012 7:40:39 pm PST

re: #120 ProGunLiberal

I think I see what EPR says about the intensity.

I thought you knew the history, and was embracing that level of intensity.

To grossly over-simplify, Ataturk was on a mission to modernize Turkey. He had control of the army, and basically instituted a military dictatorship with the unusual premise of transforming Turkey from a backward religious culture to a modern secular culture (the Fez laws being a tiny part of this scheme).

Basically, he tried to do an enlightenment by force. The results have not been completely satisfactory. In particular, freedom of religion is a very difficult issue in Turkey. Religion has been controlled by the government for decades, and any loosening of these controls (as is occasionally attempted), tends to results in very radical religious elements seizing power. The government is stuck on the back of a tiger with no way to get off.

Another reason not to embrace Ataturk too enthusiastically is the Armenian issue, often referred to as a genocide.