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They would not survive being honest for a minute.

Reader comment on item: Conspiracy Theories Triumphant in Turkey
in response to reader comment: It's a requirement

Submitted by Ianus (Poland), Feb 7, 2013 at 08:19

VladTepes2 wrote :

> People need to finally think clearly, be honest, and realize that [is] the only solution ...<

Has honesty got a chance under the present system? Look at those people who rule us, make laws for us and keep telling us about "democracy","human rights", "fairness" etc. Isn't it symptomatic that although there are plenty of poor people around there are no poor politicians at all? Let's suppose for a moment they themselves are honest and tell us honestly how they got their wealth, how they financed their election campaigns, who exactly gave them what and what exactly they promised their sponsors from big corporations and banks in exchange for financial help and how these secret promises are related to their official promises. Let's suppose also they disclose the lists of all their informal connections to higher places, all their cronies and go-betweens and how they can influence and and have influenced the media, the academia and other institutions to make people think they are what they are not - honest and sincere. Let's suppose further that like a figure in a novel by F. Dostoyesvski they honestly disclose all their past dishonest acts, double-dealings,lies,broken promises and crimes which helped them get the high positions they hold now. And let's finally suppose we all learn about that. Do you believe they would survive their own honesty ? Under the present corrupt and kleptocratic system honesty is the most revolutionary and subversive virtue that poses a mortal threat to the system. Hence I guess that when we think clearly we must quickly realize why it is impossible under the present system to see honesty associated with power, even though it is clearly a staple argument used by dishonest contestants in the scramble for offices, wealth and electoral votes.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (14) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Plot habit in Turkey [155 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Jakub KJul 9, 2013 10:33208023
Putin as idea [81 words]Jakub KJul 11, 2013 14:59208023
3maybe; maybe not [244 words]john w mcginleyFeb 5, 2013 16:54203215
3Conspiracies exist but? [90 words]AlexandrosFeb 6, 2013 08:57203215
5Or maybe just "reasonable conjectures"? [392 words]IanusFeb 5, 2013 14:08203210
7Turkish/Ottoamn responsiblity for the Armenian Genocide [36 words]EdwardFeb 5, 2013 10:52203197
5Lack of credibility [69 words]IanusFeb 6, 2013 02:07203197
2education [160 words]havasDec 21, 2013 13:57203197
2Indeed [57 words]MFranklinFeb 5, 2013 10:30203196
2Who's Makin' Love To My Old Lady? [91 words]DaveFeb 5, 2013 10:28203195
6US responsibility [45 words]AlexandrosFeb 5, 2013 09:57203194
3It's a requirement [35 words]VladTepes2Feb 5, 2013 06:36203188
4They would not survive being honest for a minute. [299 words]IanusFeb 7, 2013 08:19203188
Nothing Changed [104 words]Gurkan GurkasFeb 5, 2013 04:48203187

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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