69 million page views

Where is the line?

Reader comment on item: Turkey Is on the Path to Rogue Dictatorship
in response to reader comment: A bit more on Eastern 'concepts'

Submitted by Michael S. (United States), Nov 4, 2015 at 03:01

Hello, George

There are two types of people in the world: (1) Those who divide people into two types, and (2) those who don't. Beyond that, things get blurry.

Here's a real problem of classification:

I used to be a chemist, doing graduate work at a university. The professor in the office next to our lab had a cartoon in the window, of a glove box isolator. The researcher using the box then looked down along the wall, and saw another reseacher also using a glove box; only he was on the other side of the wall! Both had shocked looks on their faces.

The problem I've had of classification, is That Turkey and the US are clearly backing opposite horses in Syria, yet both are presumably on the same side. It's as though President Obama is on one side of the glove box, opposing Islamic State and protecting the Syrian Kurds; while Turkey's President Erdogan is on the other side, opposing the Syrian Kurds and protecting Islamic state. Obviously the two presidents have diametrically opposed ideas about which side is "toxic".

I wonder where the sides get flipped. Are the Americans the only ones supporting the Syrian Kurds? Are the Turks the only ones supporting Islamic State? Where do our other allies stand, in between? How about Germany? France? the UK? Canada? Where is the line?

Submitting....

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".

Submit a comment on this item

Reader comments (16) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
2Erdogan perfidy [71 words]Earl GreenOct 27, 2015 10:09226090
Erdogan has time on his side -- but only so much [659 words]Michael SNov 2, 2015 13:59226090
3Dictatorship has many faces [191 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
CharlesOct 27, 2015 05:52226083
1Erdogan and the mafias. [80 words]Giorgio BalestrieriOct 27, 2015 05:05226082
2Big Deal And So What [117 words]Uncle VladdiOct 26, 2015 22:05226077
1Ritual [109 words]DajjalOct 28, 2015 17:51226077
1Eastern 'concepts' [123 words]George KeselmanOct 26, 2015 21:13226076
1"Orientalist" racism is backwards! [391 words]Uncle VladdiOct 28, 2015 17:52226076
Stereotypical stereotypes stereotypically tend to fall short. [248 words]Michael SOct 29, 2015 17:43226076
A bit more on Eastern 'concepts' [516 words]George KeselmanNov 1, 2015 16:42226076
1no way supporting Eastern 'morality' [73 words]George KeselmanNov 1, 2015 16:47226076
Where is the line? [227 words]Michael S.Nov 4, 2015 03:01226076
showing the line [66 words]George KeselmanNov 4, 2015 20:11226076
Not much air between Obama and Erdogan... and the Saudis, for that matter. [673 words]Michael SNov 9, 2015 04:31226076
1Are Merkel and Co. ready for this? [363 words]Michael SOct 26, 2015 20:56226075
Rogue dictatorship [64 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Edmond BeniacarOct 26, 2015 18:46226073

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)