A cause in name, rent-seeking in essence: Ideological con artists

The Turkish Language Association defines a con artist as someone who takes another person's property or money by deceiving them. In that case, the con artist must engage with their targets, deceive them with various promises, and subsequently achieve their goal.

Since there is a relationship established, it is possible for con artists to be in our circle, or even to be people we know. Ultimately, if there are people who constantly deceive their interlocutors or the masses they address, while never letting go of tools like rent, positions, or money—and furthermore, constantly expanding these—then that person is an overt con artist. The definition says so; we are simply stating the identity of the perpetrator who fits the description.

Having mentioned the masses above and then choosing words like rent and position, I think it is understood that I am referring to a specific type of fraud: ideological fraud.

Ideology can be defined in its most general form as a body of political and social ideas. Someone who belongs to an ideology also describes their ideas, attitudes, and understanding within this body of thought. However, belonging also requires responsibility. Ideological understanding also necessitates consistency and sincerity. You cannot talk about socialism and be a boss within an exploitation network; you cannot advocate for public equal education or healthcare while operating a private school or hospital, nor can you manage a political party you supposedly founded or are a part of like a corporation. Engaging in these and similar actions—managing a party like a corporation under an ideological guise, perpetuating a system of exploitation with flowery words, while supposedly opposing injustice and oppression in friendly circles or on social media, yet including even your closest circle in the gears of exploitation when the time comes, and of course, converting their thoughts and emotions into your own interests—is ideological fraud. Its fuel is dishonesty, and its direction is trickery.

Ideological con artists deceive through discourse.

They have a silver tongue; just as those who deceive with religion never let certain sacred words fall from their lips, ideological con artists use the same tactic in the secular world.

Depending on the group they belong to, words like country, homeland, nation, left, or socialism are always by their side. On the surface, they express their most fiery speeches with these words... But when their speeches end, they crumple those words like a piece of paper and throw them aside.

At that moment, the mask on their faces also falls.

At that moment, for their political or commercial interests, they can cast aside the most basic human principles, declare their comrades traitors, defraud their friends, and label those they saw as the soldiers of their party until yesterday as agents.

Some are quite good at their profession; they are skillful. They explain their inconsistencies and spinelessness with theoretical jargon and try to turn facts that are as clear as day upside down with provocative rhetoric.

Their skill is not limited to their intelligence. They are shameless, for instance; they feel no shame even in the face of blatant lies. They can call what they called black yesterday, white today.

They do not take responsibility; they view their parties as an inheritance left by their families and never consider resigning in the face of failures.

If you ask, they are against religious sects, but they manage their parties like a dervish lodge and never leave their seats like a sheikh. They do not withdraw from the chairs they occupy until they die.

This is not a situation unique to administrators. Similar characters can be encountered at every level. It is their characteristic trait; the religion they worship is self-interest.

They speak in high tones; their laughter is artificial, there is no depth in their eyes.

They are as the poet said: "Their tongues speak of Ali, but their eyes look to Muawiyah."

Ideologically, they can take on many guises, such as journalist, writer, poet, or musician. But their common profession is the same: ideological fraud.

They are so skillful that they sometimes continue their profession in a narrow circle, but sometimes in front of millions.

Their criminal records, the clown-like assistants they never leave their side, and the seats they can never seem to leave are witnesses to this.

And the language of history, which records what has happened from yesterday to today, is also a witness.

For those who want to hear, that language is just a step away.

But first, our minds must be ready for it. As the writer said, when the mind does not want to hear, the ear does not listen.