December 26, 2016

A very delicate ego

editor:	Gurmeet Singh

Don't say anything about Trump. Don't say what you think about Orban. Not a word about Duterte. This is the time of the soft-ego. Caress them with laudatory poems, praise them with likes and hearts and smiles, challenge their detractors online - but if you dare say anything negative. Watch out. Those guys, they need love and attention, nothing else.

This isn't an exaggeration - President Erdogan of Turkey has long-been known to threaten and challenge those who stand against him, even if they merely insult or satirise him, but over the course of the weekend, a cafeteria manager was arrested and his home raided, after he said he would refuse to serve tea to the President.

Saying he would refuse to serve tea. Şenol Buran, who runs the cafeteria at the opposition paper, Cumhuriyet. The Guardian Reported:

According to court documents obtained by Reuters, Buran has denied using an insulting term, while confirming that he had said he would refuse to serve Erdoğan tea. He also said he had a dispute with the police officer two years ago.

I almost can't believe I'm writing these words - we understood that we were already in a difficult and strange time when it became impossible to freely write something against the State - but to face imprisonment for saying something - that is a real, honest to God challenge to free speech. We often hear about political correctness or inclusive language has destroyed free speech - but these things are being done away with now, with the recent upheavals in the western political spectrum. No, Erdogan's sensitive ego is a vision of the future for all of us, if we don't protect our laws: The death of free speech to save the egos of our rulers.