Hi people. It's been a long time.

[unity100]

Back after a loooong hiatus. Im happy to see the forum alive and well, especially the presence of abundant threads about intriguing concepts. 

I see some old names, a lot of new names... How much time has passed...

[Aion]

Oh hai.

[AnthroHeart]

Welcome back.

[Diana]

Awesome that you're back. I read a lot of your posts. Looking forward to more now.

[Steppingfeet]

Welcome back!

[rva_jeremy]

Welcome back!

[native]

Well hello

[third-density-being]

Hello Unity and Welcome back.

[Ashim]

Prove it that it's you.

[third-density-being]

Prove it that it's you.

Like showing His Ra-nipple?

[unity100]

Prove it that it's you.

Is any of us still the one s/he was back 10 years ago...

[Ankh]

Welcome back! What a wonderful surprise to see you back here after such a long time!

[unity100]

Thank you all for your warm welcomes.

[Ashim]

We recently discussed how we have all come along, spiritually, during the past 7 years or so.

What would you say? How have you been getting on?

Do you have any thoughts that you wish to share with the forum?

[BlatzAdict]

welcome back. long time no thought parlay.

[unity100]

What would you say? How have you been getting on?

I have been heavily involved on social/economical/political topics, huge amount of reading, listening, talking. As a companion to this, i did a hefty amount of online activism, ranging from sharing information to writing pieces.

That was one of the reasons why i left b4 circa 2010 - i said, well, we are all talking spirituality and change, but as long as people are hungry, homeless, without the means and the time to free their mind, they wont be able to do spiritual progress, leave aside effect any change. I decided to engage in the -then new - tide of activism and contribute to the extent i could.

I believe it bore ample fruit.

[Ashim]

What would you say? How have you been getting on?

I have been heavily involved on social/economical/political topics, huge amount of reading, listening, talking. As a companion to this, i did a hefty amount of online activism, ranging from sharing information to writing pieces.

That was one of the reasons why i left b4 circa 2010 - i said, well, we are all talking spirituality and change, but as long as people are hungry, homeless, without the means and the time to free their mind, they wont be able to do spiritual progress, leave aside effect any change. I decided to engage in the -then new - tide of activism and contribute to the extent i could.

I believe it bore ample fruit.

Aha, so Trump is your fault?

[Aaron]

Would you be interested in sharing any of the stuff you wrote, unity?

Working with the local groups in your country to make sure everyone is fed and sheltered is magnificent service. Is your country now effectively a dictatorship under the new leader, or have you relocated?

[unity100]

Would you be interested in sharing any of the stuff you wrote, unity?

i'd rather not, since that would be linking the unity100 identity and my real identity too much. i very much think that it is not a good idea to expose yourself online too much, even though personal identities are pretty much easily trackable to various states/governments.

Working with the local groups in your country to make sure everyone is fed and sheltered is magnificent service.

That's not what i did. Important though these are, they do not have lasting impact on the direction that a society takes. Moreover, in certain countries organizations of certain type (religious, political or other affiliation) monopolize these activities, and it may be dangerous for those who engage in charity activities in an organization which is competing with other affiliations. This may not apply to every country, of course.

Is your country now effectively a dictatorship under the new leader, or have you relocated?

The main problem with Turkey was not a particular man, but Islamism being pumped up as a control tool by mainly United States foreign policy. This created numerous and sizeable islamist groups, which have not only pushed Turkey towards a radical islamist axis, but also became states-within-state themselves, complete with their social, economic and recently political ecosystem.

This was greatly aided by neoliberal economic policies, which created massive, massive income and wealth inequality in between socioeconomic groups and also piecemeal dismantled social state and social services. As a result, poorer segments of the society had found solace in the social services and support islamist groups provided, ranging from direct charity/aid to schools, even to actual employment. This sped up islamicization of the society. While these happened, the modern/secular/educated segment of the population was practically enjoying themselves in indolent luxury...

So today, what secular/modern social element which was created in Turkey with M. Kemal's reforms and the following years is now reduced to an extremely marginalized segment of population, which doesnt have any power left now, unfortunately. They are now removed from every aspect of power: Military already purged, Police had been in the hands of islamist/nationalist elements since a loong time, bureaucracy was incrementally filled with islamist/nationalist segments, and recently judiciary was also purged and repopulated with the same social segment. Education etc were already gone in mid 1990s anyway. Lately, with the emergence of economic power of islamist groups, economic power also is gone too.

Its not the power concentrated within one man, but the increasing extremism in society which is taking Turkey down the hill. Islamist/nationalist groups have little tolerance for those who do not adhere to their lifestyle today, even less tolerance for secular/modern segment. Any kind of actual left ideology or people who adhere to any of them (even including social democracy) are practically seen as practical enemies. Its not so absurd, since there is a gigantic cultural gap today in between these segments.

Im not in Turkey since a long while, and there is a massive exodus of educated/secular segments of Turkey.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/...ows-no-end

The numbers in the article are bit off, but the general picture is correct.

[YinYang]

Everything I have ever fought, I have strengthened.

[rva_jeremy]

Any kind of actual left ideology or people who adhere to any of them (even including social democracy) are practically seen as practical enemies.

How big of a deal is the PKK in reality?  For a lot of leftists like me, their establishment of independently governed areas in northern Syria seems very promising.

[unity100]

How big of a deal is the PKK in reality?  For a lot of leftists like me, their establishment of independently governed areas in northern Syria seems very promising.

PKK was and is a big deal, but its very complicated. For ~30 years now, there is a civil war in SE Turkey in between consecutive Turkish authorities and PKK.

There are factions (or the appearance of factions) within it, with PYD being its Syrian arm. Recently they seem to have been aligned themselves with US due to pursue various of their aims, but they seem to be going to get betrayed in favor of Turkish government by US.

The main problem with the independently governed areas in N.Syria is that, despite the PKK is Marxist-Leninist, they have a very heavy handed culture. Not only for implementation of Marxist-Leninist ideals as interpreted by their leader, but also culturally so - entire Kurdish society still keep a clan based culture that is quite strict and exclusive. Even if PKK,PYD etc implement numerous left-wing democratic and pluralist ideals, they are always overshadowed by this backdrop in culture.

For all these reasons, the implementations found in N Syria would be quite far from what would satisfy the general left perspective, in my opinion. Surely it would be a massive upgrade from the local clan based politics of middle east and the region. However it wouldnt be up to a standard like USSR, for example - pre or post Stalin.

Leave aside from being an actual working example like Spanish communes, past or present.