Brecht's reminder of 'misery and blindness': Still relevant!

Every day we are faced with a new scandal. In Turkey? Yes. But only in Turkey?

Is the situation in 'advanced democracies' any different?

Not really.

According to those who claim that an 'underdeveloped democracy' prevails in Turkey and see the only solution as escaping to Western democracy and exporting a Western-style democracy to Turkey, the situations are very different. Because the goal is to praise European democracy and seek the prescription within it. Whatever kind of democracy that is for the poor, anyway?..

Anyway, there is no qualitative difference at all. There is certainly a difference in ranking. But there is no qualitative break. There is a financing problem between advanced financial and industrial centers and relatively less developed economies and their states. A flow of value works from the bottom up, that is, from the poor to the rich. This must not be interrupted.

Let us look at Turkey, where an Islamist minority, which has become incredibly wealthy amidst imperial ambitions, has seized control, but whose people are very poor: Our country and its poor people, along with the overwhelming majority of the world, are financing the imperial centers with their blood and lives.

European democracy?

Is that the democracy of the Europe that does everything in its power to ensure the war in Ukraine continues?

Isn't there something strange about this?

Donald Trump and his "crew" came to power with promises like ending the war in Ukraine within 24 hours. Setting aside their thuggery elsewhere, if we take their rhetoric as a basis, they are still voicing a demand for an end to the war in Ukraine. In the meantime, they have significantly cut their financial support. For this reason, Kyiv has turned its face entirely toward the EU. It is not for nothing. "European democracy," with its current management cadres, does not seem to have any intention of leaving Russia alone. They keep pushing the narrative that the war must continue, using Russia as an excuse. Perhaps it is because the fate of Zelensky is intertwined with the fate of European democracy, its media, and, of course, its economy.  medyasının, elbette ekonomisinin kaderi birbirine bağlı, belki ondandır.

CAN WE SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE?

There are painful "manifestations" of the situation. We know those who have fled to Europe, under the hegemony of Germany—the foreign center with the most intense relations with Turkey—with demands for democracy. That is understandable. Among them are "media figures." There is no need to list their praises. Have you ever seen or heard them criticizing the EU administration? Or what about the "Hüseyin Doğru incident"? You know, the situation of the German journalist of Turkish origin who was officially condemned to starvation along with his family? Being a leftist is difficult here, too.

However, it is not difficult to understand these people. They are forced to. After all, they live in a "democracy" where those who voice criticisms that would jeopardize their positions can be dragged through the mud for those expressions. They know this, and therefore they remain silent. They keep praising a democracy that exists only in their dreams.

It might be useful to examine the highly critical media lions of Turkish origin (all of us, that is) who are enamored with democracy in Berlin, Paris, and London.

Let us put another, but related, issue on the table. It is this: We are facing the manufacturing of consent.

When everything is so blatantly and cruelly obvious, how is it possible to generate an attitude among the public, and even among the 'intellectuals,' that does not challenge the system—in short, a form of consent (without, of course, neglecting critical thinking)?

Writer and translator Özcan Buze published a section of his extensive work on Antonio Gramsci a few days ago. (https://substack.com/@ozcanbuze/p-196937676) This article, which reminds us that how the rich so easily and even permanently secure the consent of the governed poor was also a fundamental issue for that resilient Italian revolutionary, questions the foundations of this aforementioned ease. After reading this enlightening text, one cannot help but think of another answer: If there is no crisis and no socialist threat, one should not find this mass consent abnormal.

If there is no crisis, consent continues.

'THE THREEPENNY OPERA'

But there is a problem from the system's perspective. That bad habit of the free market economy and its democracy: they cannot exist without crises.

The decline in profit rates, the trap of capital devaluation, overproduction, underconsumption, stagnation in domestic and foreign markets, the transformation of impoverishment into social pressure, etc... These are now triggering new crises not only in countries like Turkey, where relatively moderately developed, adventurous administrations seek paths at the expense of the poor, but also in imperial centers. This erodes the consent of the governed poor, especially the youth and the retirees/elderly who are entering the final quarter of their lives with ruthless desperation.

This is the problem that Western democracy has not solved and will never solve: The crisis is at the door, and even inside. If there is a free market economy, there is also a crisis. And this puts the production of consent at risk. However...

However, it is worth remembering this: Bertolt Brecht wrote his famous 'The Threepenny Opera' about 100 years ago and staged it for the first time in 1928. There is a part in it that says, 'The masters of the earth may cause misery, but they cannot see it.' It is still valid.

Doesn't the rapidly increasing number of dollar billionaires in Turkey alongside tens of millions of poor people (the overwhelming majority of society) describe this scene perfectly? They cannot see the violence they are sowing, that is, the misery...

And what about the others?

Leaving aside France, Italy, England, etc., is there anyone interpreting the fact that Germany is engaged in a massive military offensive, mobilizing for major infrastructure investments, and what this signifies? We are talking about a democracy where the government could fall at any moment, yet there is no alternative other than the fascistic party. Yesterday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that they would cooperate with Ukraine to produce new weapons systems, particularly 'unmanned weapons.' If there is anyone who believes this social democrat is sowing peace, we don't know what to say...

The project titled 'Sparta 2.0,' worth half a trillion euros and equipped with the latest technology independent of the US, is another adventure. They are reportedly aiming to become independent from the US within 5-10 years.

Terrible things are being sown in Europe.

Everything except peace and economic prosperity...

Do those who seek solutions in this quagmire and remain silent with their 'critical stances' (?) in the face of the policies being pursued know that they play a role in manufacturing the consent needed by the property owners who are the causes of misery and war? Do we know?

This is a question with a bitter answer. We will return to it again...