The distortions and lies of Orientalism

In my previous “Considering Orientalism to Understand Turkish-Greek Relations” article, I attempted to examine Orientalism in the context of colonization and shared my views on the invalidity of the“Thesis that Ancient Greece is the Origin of Civilization”.

While we are on the subject, let us ask and state it once  more: Is it possible to isolate the attack on TUSAŞ on October 23, 2024,   from Orientalism, which serves as the geo-economic foundation that imperialism attempts to “convey” through scientific, economic, sociological, historical, and philological texts?

In this context, "The Distortions and Lies of Orientalism" in my article,  "World Map Distortion", "Superiority of Western Genetic Resources", "The Lie of Discoveries instead of Invasion", "The Lie of Bringing Democracy instead of Imperialism", "The Lie of the Information Age Deception", "Acceptance of Western Culture's Dominance and Standards instead of a Measure of Civilization", "Guidance through Economic Hitmen"I will summarize such distortions, lies, and attempts at manipulation.

WORLD MAP DISTORTION 

Even the Mercator World Map has been used to reinforce the perception of European superiority by linking it to the physical size of the European continent.

On the Mercator map, the landmass of the North covers two-thirds of the map, while the landmass of the South covers only one-third. However, in reality, the actual landmass of the South is twice that of the Northern Hemisphere. Thus, for example, while Scandinavia is actually one-third the size of India, the perception is created that both are equal in size. Another example is the comparison between Greenland and China. Although China is actually four times larger than Greenland, on the Mercator map, Greenland is shown as almost twice as large as China.

The Mercator World Map remained in use until 1974. In 1974, Arno Peters developed a projection to correct the racist nature of the European view. Even today, there is still no objectively accurate world map. 

THE LIE OF WESTERN GENETIC RESOURCE SUPERIORITY

In the West, following the Industrial Revolution, new plant and animal breeds have been developed on a capitalist scale, with a focus solely on increasing quantity. In these efforts, also known as breeding programs, pure lines and hybrid breeds were obtained by utilizing the principles of Quantitative Genetics. These studies were conducted by the public sector, public-private partnerships, or monopolistic corporations. Some of these companies also produce pharmaceuticals. However, these efforts also brought the need to find new markets for the resulting plant and animal breeds to the forefront.

To find new markets, it was also necessary to steer the perceptions of scientists in developing countries—or more accurately, in the East—in the direction desired by the West. 

To this end, some of these scientists were trained in the West or provided with numerous research grants and/or support from the West. Through this altered perception, the view became dominant among Eastern scientists that it was impossible to meet the growing demand for food using indigenous plant varieties (seeds) and animal breeds (livestock). 

In this context, for example, in Turkey, an era of hybridization was initiated, primarily starting in the 1950s, between indigenous breeds and imported breeds known as 'cultural breeds.' In many places, they were not even satisfied with hybridization. Indigenous breeds were destroyed, and cultural breeds were popularized. This situation was most prominently displayed in crop production. Today, efforts are being made to add Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) to these as well.

Ultimately, efforts to improve the quantity and quality of indigenous genetic resources through pure breeding and selection have been largely disrupted.

THE LIE OF 'DISCOVERY' INSTEAD OF INVASION 

There is a term that is generally known, and perhaps adopted without even realizing it. That is the term used for America and other regions of the world Columbus, Cortes, Pizarro instead of the invasion by colonial pioneers such as 'Discovery'The preference for this term is intended to hide and cover up the invasion and occupation carried out by Europeans. The aforementioned colonial pioneers did not discover America; they invaded it, plundered it, and destroyed the indigenous nations. 

When Europeans set foot in America Aztec and  Inca civilizations existed.  Laws and judicial proceedings were recorded in writing. They were also ahead of ancient European peoples in mathematics and astronomy. Their calendars were also more advanced than those being used in Europe at the time.  Agricultural techniques were productive. They were also advanced in metalworking. They produced weapons from stone and copper. Their administration and economies were managed according to a prescriptive plan. A life without exploitation or war prevailed in these states. However, they were destroyed by Europeans who had no purpose other than gold.  

It is impossible to fathom how Turkey's intellectuals have been deceived by the 'Lie of Discoveries' instead of 'Invasion'.

LIES ABOUT BRINGING DEMOCRACY INSTEAD OF IMPERIALISM

Today, it is being carried out under the "Lie of Bringing Democracy instead of Imperialism." The US, along with its partners in the European Union, first occupied Afghanistan and then Iraq. 

They caused the deaths and displacement of millions of people in Iraq. 

They destroyed Libya. 

They are carving up Syria. The country has been divided into at least three parts. 

In the name of civilization, Israel

is committing genocide in Gaza.  through which they remained silent about the death of over 40,000 people in Gaza. 

Later, they will target Iran. In the final stage, is it not expected that the U.S. will pursue an approach to establish a puppet Kurdistan covering the territories of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey?

Are they not doing all of this under the pretext of bringing democracy or human rights?

Let us try to understand the Westerners. They are hypocritical. With one face, they talk about civilization and human rights. This is called the'Smiling Face of the West' . However, they use this to 'hide their ugly face' .

However, did we not also at one point become complicit in the "Lies of Bringing Democracy"?THE INFORMATION AGE DECEPTION

Ideologues of globalization claim that our era is the information age and that everyone can easily access information, and they try to make us believe this. Some people do believe them.

In this sense, it is stated that the social stage reached through technology is the information society. The point that is forgotten, however, is that technological progress is under the control of central countries and the monopoly firms integrated with them. As a result, technological globalization functions for the benefit of those who produce and market information. Innovations and inventions remain under the monopoly of the producers or are disseminated only to the extent that it serves their interests. This situation also increases the dependency of third-world countries. For example, genetically modified seeds, new computer systems produced for weapons or various industrial sectors, and high-value-added devices can only be used to the extent permitted by monopoly firms. In this sense, it is also evident that the idea of being able to access all information via the internet is a deception. On the other hand, technological globalization can also cause information pollution and mislead the masses.

One of the most serious objections on this subject comes from J. Stiglitz, who previously worked at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. He puts forward the concept of

"Asymmetric Information" as a critique. with his theory, reports that monopoly firms create an information imbalance by concealing, directing, and distorting information.

INSTEAD OF A MEASURE OF CIVILIZATION, THE DOMINANCE OF WESTERN CULTURE AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF CONSUMPTION STANDARDS

The dominance of Western culture over Eastern societies accelerated with the Second World War. A process of Westernization in every branch of culture, from music to literature and art, has been imposed either directly or indirectly.

The dominance of Western culture is being attempted through socio-cultural globalization. Socio-cultural globalization has many facets. 

In this context, it is imposed that modernity must pass through resembling central countries in every subject, from food, drink, and entertainment culture to music, language, and behavior. This is briefly called the culture of McDonaldization. 

With socio-cultural globalization, on the one hand, the local characteristics and cultures of certain countries that are intended to be fragmented have also been fueled as much as possible. 

The fragmentation of Yugoslavia was carried out in this way. First, the Serbs were allowed or turned a blind eye to slaughtering other ethnic groups. Then, the role of the good cop was assumed. The process experienced in Yugoslavia is also being experienced in other countries.

In the years we are living in, all the separatist terror that has emerged in the Southeastern Anatolia Region is nothing but a reflection of this.

MANIPULATION THROUGH ECONOMIC HIT MEN 

Economic Hit Men can be defined, in short, as the process of manipulating leaders of third-world countries by buying them off or through persuasion, rigged elections, fraudulent financial reports, bribery, and even sex and murder, in order to open up investment areas for multinational corporations. Economic Hit Men (EHM) are used for this purpose. 

EHMs receive their salaries from large corporations, but they work in cooperation with organizations such as the CIA, the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 

Their task is to convince a country's leaders, through reports they prepare, of what they need for development. Once the leaders are convinced by the report, tenders are opened, loans are taken and granted, and the tender is awarded to a company connected to the Hit Man. If the EHMs are unsuccessful, the CIA and similar entities step in; bribes are paid, governments are toppled, and assassinations are organized.

EHMs are experts for multinational corporations such as Monsanto, General Electric, Nike, General Motors, and Walmart. This order, dominated by corporations, banks, and Western governments, is called a 'Corporatocracy,' meaning a global corporate dictatorship. Through this mentioned order, third-world countries are continuously trapped in a debt spiral, ultimately losing all of their economic and social independence.