From: han@anadolu.michigan.com (hasan.b.mutlu)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish,talk.politics.mideast,talk.politics.soviet,soc.culture.greek,soc.culture.europe,soc.rights.human,soc.culture.iranian
Subject: Re: Traditional And Historical Armenian Barbarism...
Date: 15 Aug 92 04:10:42 GMT






<1992Aug14.110311.28041@cs.ubc.ca>
fayegh@cs.ubc.ca (David Fayegh)

>>Then what is it that makes America and the (so-called) Western states
>>so nervous whenever the possibility is raised that Arab or Islamic
>>states will acquire nuclear weapons? How about sharing? They even 

>Tough questions ...

Well, historical evidence indicates that these are not new developments. 
On the contrary, they are deeply rooted cultural truisms.

>(1) What humanity needs is not more nuclear weapons, but the adaptation
>of environmentally-sound technologies for civilian nuclear power generation
>and utilization.  How about sharing now?

In that, your promises sound a lot more like traditional Marxist analysis.

>(2) Hypocrisy with a dash of paranoia!?  But then what else is new?  :-) 
>(3) Give a character like ``chussain'' an A-bomb and he will kill a whole
>bunch of people with it. 
>(5) (add your favorite here)

Thus, conflicts perpetuate forever, as fate is reduced to unalterable
conditions surrounding one's birth, like one's skin color, native
tongue and ethnic identity.

>>So the future is not what it used to be. Or, perhaps the Islamic genie 
>>is out of the bottle.

>Well, if "the future is not what it used to be", then `the past is not
>what it will be'! ;-)  Any way you slice it, you are left without the 
>future or the past. So lets focus on the ``here-and-now'' domain for 
>a bit.

But what makes you think that it will work this time in 'here-and-now'
domain?

>>>as to `improve' one's `perceived state of being'. One can not simply
>>>"create" one's own society; one is born-in-to it without any choice 

>>I am forced to disagree with you. For instance, activism is a movement 
>>that lays stress on action. It is used to create an awareness about 
>>a cause and to advance it through forceful yet benign means. And activism
>>can be used in many areas, most common are religion, politics and the 
>>social issues.

>With all honesty, I can't quite figure out what it is that you are 
>disagreeing with ;-). 

That you can create your own society.

>Now, if activism is to be used to induce awareness
>about a noble cause and advance it through equitable and non-violent
>methods, then I would be the first to join without any hesitation.
>As you have stated above, "activism can be used in many areas"; 
>deciding on the cause and the means used to advance such causes
>are the difficult issues that need to be addressed by the accountable 
>activists or potential activists. 

Fine. However, if a movement is deprived of a philosophy, mere
taking to the streets can not create a lasting effect. In such 
actions intellect is absent, emotions are mercurial and sentiment
rides high. These conditions make for a chaotic situation where
orderly throngs turn to a destructive mob in a short time. Sounds
familiar?

>>Wow. Being a 'human engineer' might be a blow to my self-image.

>Why do you feel/think that way? How do you perceive your own "self-image"?

Who gives a thunder?

>>Ideas and opinions should appear in black and white, because the pen
>>is the mightiest of all weapons. Nothing can beat the power of the

>I disagree: Ideas, opinions, history, traditions, etc. are _not_ black
>and white and hence the pen that only highlights "black and white" is 
>a pen that should not be taken seriously under most circumstances.
>It all depends on what the "written word" is trying to convey. 
>Just because someone or group put their fingers
>on the keyboards (or pen on paper) does not necessarily make the result
>`mighty', noble, etc., and worthy of adaptation and propagation. It is
>the ``content'' of the activist's message that is important. 

You missed the point. Ideas and opinions should appear 'in' black and white;
they are not necessarily black and white. See above.

>By the way, I find your definition of "knee jerk activism" very 
>interesting. 

It belongs to a dear friend.

>>Sorry; perhaps, some other time.

>I look forward to that time. And in the mean time ... back to work :-)

Sorry, it is just a matter of priority.

>>Well, history is becoming a 'mini-series' of your favorite cause,
>>sponsored by your favorite fundraising star.

>It is?  What is my "favorite cause" and who is my "favorite fundrasing star"?
>Please elaborate.  

Probably the best paradigm of the 'new world order' "thing" is represented
by the Disney theme parks. The mouse that roars billions in cash receipts
becomes the voice of a new global generation that wears the same designer
jeans in Lisbon and Lima, watches the same MTV in Los Angeles and Cairo,
and carries an instant conversation through personal computer bulletin
boards in Istanbul and Tokyo.

>>I guess that the workers of the world did not unite but personal
>>computers did.

>Hmmm ... may be the problem is that we don't have common definitions
>for "nation-states" and "`global village'. Shall we try again? 

The 21st Century unfolds at such a blinding pace that we do not even
yet have a vocabulary to correctly identify the emerging social forms.

>>Unfortunately/fortunately, media truly became the message. Now
>>everything could be brought into our living rooms at the flick of
>>a remote-control. The world as an 'infomercial' made it difficult
>>to guess where the information stopped and the opinion-shaping
>>began.

>I am so glad now that I got rid of my TV :-) and, yes, I did not watch
>a single minute of the olympic games. What a feeling :-) :-).

Hard to believe.

>How many hours a day do you watch TV?.

A joke?

>>Again, you eat yours and I'll eat mine.

>I am fasting right now, and hence will not be eating for a while so feel 
>free and eat whatever pleases you. 

And I wash my hands before I eat.

>As for ideas, I am willing to share to
>the best of my ability until it becomes an obsession ...

Play fair. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and
draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day
some.

Hasan B-) Mutlu

                     'Kill Turks and Kurds wherever you find them 
                      and in whatever circumstances you find them. 
                      Turkish children also should be killed as 
                      they form a danger to the Armenian nation.' 
                                     (Hamparsum Boyadjian - 1914)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish,talk.politics.mideast,talk.politics.soviet,soc.culture.greek,soc.culture.europe,soc.history