**spoiler alert** Great book on understanding the demographics, politics and geopolitics of the Horn of Africa , the migrant routes as well as the Red**spoiler alert** Great book on understanding the demographics, politics and geopolitics of the Horn of Africa , the migrant routes as well as the Red Sea.
Eritrea with its strategic location with ports at the Red Sea, was first under the Ottomans, then used by the Italians as springboard for attacking Ethiopia as well as under British.
Eritrea has muslims in the western lowlands bordering Sudan and Christians in the mountains at the east which is also a tension generating factor.
There has always been issues with the border demarcation between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Tigray population is living in both countries. While the Tigray living in Ethiopia historically wanted more autonomy from Addis Abeba, the ones in Eritrea wanted independence. The two actors worked together until they faced off into a bloody war.
Starting with the 70's Eritrea went through a 30 year long war against Ethiopia for independence.
The central figure that emerged was Isaias Afwerki , the soon to become dictator who is still in control to this day , known to many as leading the most repressive regime in the world, a regime so repressive that it exacts a 2% tax from its diaspora all over the world, in order to keep contact with their families or be provided consulate services !
Eritrea is a country locked in a no-war ,no -peace situation where youth are conscripted to the army for indefinite periods , some serving for 20 years. Women are raped and treated as slaves. Every month thousands of Eritreans flee the country , knowing all too well that the border guards have "shoot to kill" orders.
I didn't know that approximately 25% of migrants every year flooding Europe are from Eritrea ! From 157000 illegal migrants arriving in Europe in 2015 , 39000 were Eritreans.
The book does a great job detailing how Eritreans run to Sudan , then cross to Libya , then try to take dingies and get to Greece or Italy. Or they go to Sudan and from there try to get to Sinai and into Israel.
The regime in Eritrea is a destabilizing factor in the horn of Africa , running a covert economy , financing terror groups like Al Shabaab in Somalia in order to destabilize Ethiopia , mingling in interior affairs of Sudan , and even assisting the Emirates and Saudi Arabia against the Houthis.
Despite numerous attempts by USA , Europe and China to lead the country to a better future Isaias keeps a tight leash to this day on his subjects.
**spoiler alert** Dupa nenumarate dictaturi militare in anii 50', singura initiativa puternica de a transforma Guatemala intr-o democratie autentica, **spoiler alert** Dupa nenumarate dictaturi militare in anii 50', singura initiativa puternica de a transforma Guatemala intr-o democratie autentica, initiativa, care incearca, precum Taiwan-ul, sa imparta pamanturile in parcele si sa le distribuie cetatenilor de rand pentru a facilitata competitia si libera initiativa, este innabusita in sange de armate de mercenari internationali. Acesi mercenari sunt finantati de o America prost informata, o America care se lasa prostita de teama aparitiei comunismului la ea in ograda.
Basically coporatia United Fruit , cea care a adus banana in America de Nord si a facut-o "staple food in SUA" , corporatie ale carei activitati in Guatemala erau total neregularizate, de teama aparitiei legilor si a controalelor si evident a TAXELOR , provoaca zbonuri si stiri false cum ca noua conducere (care incearca sa aduca democratia in Guatemala) defapt este pro rusa si comunista. Guvernul de la Washington distruge orice sansa la democratie si stabilitate pentru Guatemala, inflacarand astfel spiritul revolutionar in tarile americii latine pentru deceniile urmatoare (inclusiv in Cuba) apropiindu-le astfel de Rusia. They basically fucked up big time.
O carte care imprumuta si se foloseste destul de mult de o opera precedenta a lui MV Llosa si anume Sarbatoarea Tapului ce descrie dictatura lui Trujillo din Republica Dominicana.
Desi personajele nu sunt atat de contrastante, si ritmul si desfasurarea actiunii nu sunt nici pe departe atat de alerte precum cel din celalata carte mentionata, volumul de fata aduce claritate in ceea ce priveste situatia politica din Guatemala si America Latina a mijlocului de secol XX....more
**spoiler alert** Great recollection of the events in the Sinai during Israel's Yom Kippur War (1973) seen through the lenses of Leonard Cohen an arti**spoiler alert** Great recollection of the events in the Sinai during Israel's Yom Kippur War (1973) seen through the lenses of Leonard Cohen an artist stuck in a rut at that time , which , decides to travel in the thick of the war and sing for those poor soldiers getting killed and shattered in so many different ways.
What an era , a world known artist, giving small concerts to troops on improvised scenes, hangars, tarmacs, tropillo boats, and of course in the middle of the desert right next to the place where tanks are exchanging shells.
What will remain with me: the fact that the most well known song of Leonard , Who By Fire, was inspired and sketched after a thousdands old prayer he attended in a synagogue next to the frontlines, a prayer describing the uncertainity of everyday life, and the different methods God can decide a man can die (by fire, water, avalanche, midst of love, something blown....etc).
I find the song great , but given its backstory , i find it deeply spiritual and have added it to my long term permanent track list.
**spoiler alert** Dezamagitor ! Am pornit inflacarat , crezand ca voi asista la un adevarat spectacol contrarian, ca toate cutumele si valorile traditi**spoiler alert** Dezamagitor ! Am pornit inflacarat , crezand ca voi asista la un adevarat spectacol contrarian, ca toate cutumele si valorile traditionale insuflate de-a lungul vietii imi vor fi spulberate.
Cartea a inceput binisor , desfiintand curentele filozofice anterioare cu precadere stoicismul , explicand ca omul ar trebui lasat condus de impulsuri de simturi , caci asta este tot ceea ce este autentic in el , sa nu incerce sa isi infraneze nimic si ca filozoful stoic indeamna catre solitudine , modestie si cumpatare , tocmai fiindca asta este viata la care a fost el obligat, faptul ca a fost privat de tocmai resursele catre care isi exprima inversunarea
Foarte interesant faptul ca in viziunea lui Nietsche un filosof stoic precum Epicur indeamna catre o viata solitara si modesta , cumpatata tocmai fiindca el nu a prins publicului , nu a stiut sa se vanda , astfel el s-a lasat prada vanitatii si singur s-a indepartatat de toti si toate , scriind inversunat din orgoliu fata de filozofii vremii lui care nu au dus astfel de lipsuri.
Dupa aceasta introducere relativ buna a urmat un calvar de cel putin 120-150 pagini in care a batut campii , a adus in discutie curente moderne si trecute , conditia filozofului, dar nu am sesizat nimic concret , nici o idee tangibila ... Nu am reusit sa inteleg care este filozofia sa , si ce anume profeseaza in aceasta carte.
Cartea a mai avut cateva idei interesante cu privire la conditia femeii. Faptul ca aceasta a cautat sa capete drepturi si sa ajunga sa se "bata" de la egal la egal cu barbatul, a ajuns in societatea moderna sa se degradeze , tocmai pentru ca daruri precum viclenia , cochetaria , feminitatea , imaginatia nu au fost niciodata vazute cu dispret de barbat , ba dimpotriva.
La final a s-a vorbit destul de mult despre spiritul german si cum se compara acesta cu cel francez sau englez.
Per total nu am simtit ca am reusit sa il asociez cu o idee , cu o viziune a lumii unificata. Am citit foarte multe vorbe aruncate in vant care nu au ajuns la o coerenta.
Marturisesc ca Herman Hesse a facut o treaba infinit mai buna schitand aceasta viziune a valorilor contrariana in romanul sau Lupul de stepa.
**spoiler alert** Nu stiu de ce dar nu ma asteptam sa fie atat de deprimanta cartea aceasta. Ma asteptam sa fie citesc ceva apropiat de stoicism , pre**spoiler alert** Nu stiu de ce dar nu ma asteptam sa fie atat de deprimanta cartea aceasta. Ma asteptam sa fie citesc ceva apropiat de stoicism , precum Seneca, Marcus Aurelius ; ceea ce am citit aproape ca m-a bagat intr-o depresie majora. Aviz anxiosilor !
Ideea principala este faptul ca medicina in ziua de azi nu se mai preocupa cu geriatria , cu a ajuta omul ,care e pe moarte, sa isi traisca particica de viata ce i-a mai ramas intr-o maniera indestulatoare , si in a ii compensa simptomele ce ii altereaza degenerativ claitatea.
Autorul este un medic chirurg si ne poarta in aceasta calatorie prin spitalele, ospiciile , si asociatiile ce se ocupa cu oamenii batrani sau care "trag sa moara" si ne arata cat de oribili sunt defapt acesti ultimi ani sau luni , zile , momente.
Din cauza medicinei care a evoluat , medicii sar sa recomande cele mai noi tratamente experimentale si interventii care de cele mai multe ori distrug si putinul ramas al suferindului. Accentul se pune pe prelungirea vietii in dauna calitatii acesteia.
Medicul nu incearca sa mai inteleaga care sunt defapt fricile si temerile pacientului si sa ia impreuna cu acesta deciziile grele. Medicul e ori tipul informativ "ai varianta A , B ,C , fiecare cu sansa si riscurile sale" degrevandu-se astfel de la orice responsabilitate morala , sau este tipul autoritar, paternal care ii decide suferindului soarta fara a empatiza cu acesta.
Ajungem in spital crezand si tragand de viata fara a mai analiza daca chiar merita sa trecem prin diversele chinuri ale procedurilor propuse, iar medicii sunt mai mult decat bucurosi sa actioneze.
Batranii sunt bagati in ospicii fara a fi intrebati daca nu ar prefera sa isi asume riscurile si a isi continua viata in locuintele lor solitare ; de multe ori aceste centre sug si ultimul dram de energie din acestia.
O carte care trateaza o tema tabu, perioada vietii la care nu ne gandim , de care credem ca scapam sau ca "mai e destul pana atunci" , perioada care incepe pentru cei mai multi printr-un soc, printr-o brusca alterare definitiva a identitatii si a calitatii vietii, printr-o oprire a activitatilor care ne plac si inceputul vietii de dependenta fata de prieteni , copii, medici si infirmiere.
Deprimant , tragic dar adevarat de la primul pana la ultimul cuvant....more
**spoiler alert** Mi-a pus neuronii serios la treaba aceasta carte. Cateva idei: - O democratie adevarata este cea in care vointa tuturor cetatenilor se**spoiler alert** Mi-a pus neuronii serios la treaba aceasta carte. Cateva idei: - O democratie adevarata este cea in care vointa tuturor cetatenilor se rasfrange direct in guvernare si legislatie , acest lucru fiind imposibil pentru orice formatiune statala mai mare decat un oras-stat antic din motive logistice. - Rousseau considera impartirea puterilor in stat este o prostie si provoaca numai probleme , caci cele trei puteri sunt parti ale intregului si nu pot lucra in izolare fara sa se incurce una pe alta. - Atunci cand vorbim despre un stat de drept, suveranul reprezinta insasi vointa poporului materializata; cele doua nu pot avea nici un altfel de relatie ; atunci cand suvernaul o ia pe alta cale sau asculta mai mult de interesul privat (formatiuni minoritare) si practic promulga legi sau guverneaza pentru interesul particular el nu mai reprezinta vointa generala , nu mai putem vorbi de exstenta unui stat ci de poporul devenind doar o gloata fara drepturi. - Aparatul de stat trebuie sa fie proportional cu marimea teritoriului ocupat si al populatiei si trebuie continuu calibrat pentru a reprezenta poporul. Rousseau sugereaza ca reprezentatii puterii legislative sa reprezinta radacina patrata a populatiei respectivului stat. (Aici ma intreb daca oare in cazul Romaniei se respecta √20mil =~4500) - Cu cat statul cucereste teritorii si isi mareste suprafata, parghiile puterii devin mai puternice iar locuitorii din ce in ce mai izolati de luarea deciziilor si deci implicit in timp se ajunge la acumularea puterii in mainile catorva. - Legile trebuie sa evolueze o data cu realitatile zilnice, sa fie reimprospatate , modificate de se cere sau chiar eliminate de nu mai corespund. - Odata ce functionarul public este platit , cetateanul isi pierde din putere. El cedeaza responsabilitatea si ofera bani pentru a isi folosi timpul sau pentru interesul personal si nu pentru interesul general. Pentru cel platit , aceasta devine doar o slujba, si deseori actioneaza in interesul particular.In timpul republicii romane cetatenii de vaza considerau o mandrie sa faca parte din senat .
Foarte buna , destul de grea , totusi cartea aceasta mi-a creat un intreg model mental al relatiei dintre stat, suveran , reprezentanti si cetateni si bineinteles legi....more
While this is a good intro for people starting off i felt the title was misleading. Its not about what i thought: vagabonding in the real sense of whaWhile this is a good intro for people starting off i felt the title was misleading. Its not about what i thought: vagabonding in the real sense of what Jack Kerouac was doing , hitting the no money and sleeping under bridges , hitchhiking and basically being a hobo from time to time. This bokk is about travel , but its about mild travelling , there are enough suggestions on how to spare money and keep yourself on the road i didn't actually find that raw-ness that i was expecting. Thia being said there are some good advices on how to keep yourself busy on the road , avoid homesickness and sickness in general , how to behave with locals etc ( anyone lacking common sense or significant travel experience into more exotic-read dangerous places- would find this highly constructive).
A decent book , but not what i was looking for....more
Great work explaining the networking OSI model.Probably best material i have read in all my technical years (including**spoiler alert** Stuff i liked:
Great work explaining the networking OSI model.Probably best material i have read in all my technical years (including the dedicated course in university). The physical, link layer , NAT, NIC , headers all explained so nice with a lot of examples and pictures.
Great at explaining state machines , the lower level of networking in a game , Berkeley sockets , streams, checksums, retry packet strategies bandwidth etc...
Great work on expalining how to reduce traffic by using entropy prediction for the state of the game !
Superb work at explaining strategies to mitigate latency, jitter using interpolation, extrapolation and many other techniques.
Really appreciated that the book included a section on what it means for a game to have intrgrated game services (for example Steam) , anticheat strategies and moving to cloud
The stuff i didn't grok:
Though the book was deep in many aspects it jumped ahead and raced exactly when having to explain how does one manage partitioned world state in a MMORPG like World of Warcraft, how do you provide fallbacks and how do you distribute players across geograhpyically distributed servers.
I get that game programming is done mostly in C++ but i found it many times cumbersome to read the code samples with the pointers and all that stuff. I think pseudocode or any other high level language would have worked, or even more diagrams. Its ok to read a class containing 1-3 mrthods , but when the sample is pages long C++ will be in your way (if you are not a cpp dev)
Some sections included too much code and a too deep dive where i think it wasn't necessary.
I would say this book is great for starters into Networked Games, but beyond that when you have some experience i would use carefully selected chapters of this book as refrences.
**spoiler alert** I found this book quite interesting up until the 35% mark due to the fact that the women having said fantasies were truly interestin**spoiler alert** I found this book quite interesting up until the 35% mark due to the fact that the women having said fantasies were truly interesting and they described what they were thinking in such a vivd manner. There was also an large input form the author on their experiences and alot of psichology and explaining on her part.
I liked that the book was structured into types of fantasies starting from weird places, personalities, voyeurism&exhibitionism to bondage,rape,incest,zoophilia,interracial etc...and each chapter had multiple females sharing their fantasy.
After 35% i found the structure to get both sloppy and uniinteresting , also many stories were quite boring and i had to skim through the pages, waiting for the next chapter and maybe some other interesting intro containing insights from the author. As the book progressed this wasn't the case and hence my 2 star out of five....more
**spoiler alert** For a long time i was damn convinced that i was missing the next big thing not jumping into the bitcoin programming job market. Readi**spoiler alert** For a long time i was damn convinced that i was missing the next big thing not jumping into the bitcoin programming job market. Reading this proved me i didn't actually miss anything and i was right to see all this as some hyper advertised meme
The book does a great job in the first 4 chapters laying the mathematical foundation for understanding cryptography more specifically Finite Fields , and Elliptic Curves. However that being said later on you realise you won't reimplement the wheel and you can be totally ignorant on how the specific algorhitms are performing hashing.
So having said that, you can see a smart contract as a assembler language , neaning that operations and variables come in as a stack which is consumed sequentially , or as a matrioska doll.
Ex: 22 33 Op_equal hash
Put 22 on the stack , put 33 on the stack Perform equal on these 2 values Then hash the result
You are at all times deoendant on the blockchain and for whatever you need to perform , you make exterrnal calls to some Blockchain node to verify coins , accounts, address to send coins etc...basically everything everyone has ever done has to be stored for perpetuity somewhere...which violates the Steady State principle , the transactions have no god damn lifecycle...imagine the energy and stroage cost of this never ending , continously expanding...totally unfeasible.
Still this is in the area of Proof of Work , for your smart cotnract to do the stuff you program it to do, your Inputs>Outputs, so that there is some bitcoin fee left for the miners , the ones that lend their processing power.
Nowadays everyone jumped the Proof of Stake bandwagon when talking about crypto , meaning rhat we dont deal with blockchain anymore , with hashing and everything mathematically complex but with some dudes launching a virtual currency and hold the majority of the coins and sucking up most of the revenue generated , like the stakeholders in a typical corporation.
A filthy domain that i am glad i have not touched in my careet !
The first introductory chapters were interesting , mathematically-wise but after getting deeper you realise you could skip them and still be able to code smart contracts.
Then the mid book is a bonanza of code samples containing different methods of hashing and representing different operations when dealing with contracts (serialization, networking , parsing , etc)... The python code samples were quite cumbersome.
I for one felt the book needed more day to day examples on how to code the contracts , uniting both the business logic part with the interactions with the blockchain. However since every blockchain is different you would need to fiddle with each of them and learn their particularities... Similar to what frontend devs do whenever a [new_shit].js comes on the horizon....more
I pretty much got what i needed from this short book about the "Mighty Psoas muscle". This muscle is damn important since its the only one that connectI pretty much got what i needed from this short book about the "Mighty Psoas muscle". This muscle is damn important since its the only one that connects the upper to lower body , starting from the first lumbar vertebrae and attaching to the Trochanteric joint. Its a stabilizer muscle that can also assist in movement. However it gets involved in so many movements that if other muscles are weak like core , buttocks , quads , hamstrings and even lats , this dude takes on the load, and for a while it might manage , but in time it can have dire consequences including , bad posture , lordosis , hip arthritis and can go down the whole kinetic chain to knees and ankles. Besides explaining how it works thorroughly (i still not got it 100% though) , exercises and stretches , the author also goes into the energy , yoga and chakra realm which i found quite interesting.
Decent read , and definetly a good one if you are looking to improve posture , heal back or hip pain and -going futher- emotional trauma etc (not sure bout the last one)...more
**spoiler alert** Mult prea lunga pentru ce era esential de zis. Exista o carte Etiquette Made Easy la doar o 1/2 din lungimea prezentei carti pe care**spoiler alert** Mult prea lunga pentru ce era esential de zis. Exista o carte Etiquette Made Easy la doar o 1/2 din lungimea prezentei carti pe care o consider net superioara.
S-au "atacat" in primele 20% anumite aspecte importante, cel mai interesant fiind cel legat de introducerea unor persoane intr-o conversatie/grup , cine si de ce are prioritate la prezentare. Cum te comporti ca gazda atunci cand joci rol de punte intre musafiri ce nu se cunosc etc...
Partea de eticheta la masa a fost slabuta , cu mentiunea ca am apreciat desenele tacamurilor pe care nu le-am utilizat niciodata si al caror scop nu il cunosteam pana acum.
Verdictul: mult prea mare pentru comtinutul cu adevarat valoros , unele aprecieri personale care nu isi aveau locul si destul de multe incercari de a fi trendy care nu prea au iesit....more
**spoiler alert** What do you get when a Cambridge Educated researcher and historian lives in Pakistan for more than 15 years and decides to share his**spoiler alert** What do you get when a Cambridge Educated researcher and historian lives in Pakistan for more than 15 years and decides to share his educated insights ? You get a masterpiece.
Anatol Lieven's current book is basically a compendium , a synthesis, a very very intense one, of years upon years of travelling throughout Pakistan and interviewing people from all walks of life from tribal chieftains, policemen , peasantry, taliban fighters, political party members to senior officials , army generals , officers, mayors down to the mere private , ISI(Pakistan secret services) operatives , police intendents , constables to businessmen , shop keepers, blue collard workers, laywers, judges, mullahs, pirs...you get the idea.
So on one hand you have this dimension of such a wide and varied range of people telling their stories and how they see things and on the other you also have each province/region of Pakistan being firmly delimitated , explained by all accounts be it poltiical , military, exonomical , religious , social, and the cherry on the cake , how each province interacts and views the other and all internal tensions that appear whenever there is a ecological disaster or an insurgency both of which can displace millions of people.
This book has totally rocked me , and i will be forever grateful that such people still exist , people that do the hard meticulous work of writing first grade non-fiction literature, people that research and research and research more across multiple years, just to synthetise everything in a mere 600 pages. I was wrong believeing everything contemporary is trashy self development non-books and easy-to-sell-buzzword bonanzas. This one is one of those rare ones so treat it with care and don't rush through it !
A couple of ideas that stuck with me:
- Pakistan is a working chaos, a negotiated state, a state where you need to take into consideration each party of the transaction,a state where patronage, prestige and above all clan affiliation is everything. For example: on one hand you have a city like Karachi, a pearl of modernity at the Indian Ocean, a city founded by Mohajirs(muslim that fled India) on the other you have the NWFP (north western frontier province) where people are at peace only when they wage war on anybody that represents authority, be it US on their relatives in Afghanistan or the Police and Pakistani Army. In one city you have modern IT and Road infrastructure while in the other crime is negociated via a community assembly and does not result in punishment but in compensation, girls are killed for choosing suitors outside their clan and Taliban can always find a safe heaven and a regrouping ground while running from US forces.
-Everything appears to point that nothing is working , the state services are abysmal , there are insurgencies upon insurgencies , there are 3 juridical codes: state law, sharia law and local law (e.g Pashtunwali) , huge portions of the country are subjected to tribal feuds and mediated via Jirgas (community gatherings act as both the law givers and enforcers). Despite all this, despite a this chaos, Pakistan manages to negotiate and keep the state flowing, by using negotiation, bribery as well as brute force whenever it needs to.
-Sharia is basically a written law code , the code that Muhammad placed upon the tribes to unform and get rid of local barbaric customs. Sharia is not primitive compared to what local traditions can be , like in Pakistan. Sharia is actually a sign of modernity of uniformity.
- We do not realize the importance of having a single supreme judicial authority in the country, a single organ that can change and keep tabs of the law code. Pakistan has 3: sharia , state law (based on former british administrations) and local law. Everybody is exasperated that the state does nothing and solves nothing (including delivering justice to criminals) while the typical Pakistani follows whichever code benefits him in any given situation.
- Pakistan helps the Talibans from Afghanistan even if that means supplying weapons and intelligence , hsoting them , despite US warnings, because its main fear is a non-taliban India- friendly gonverment in Afghanistan , a gonverment that could (backed by India) attack Pakistan from the west , while India does it from the East in a two pronged assault.
There are too many things to add but i will stop here. The book is beyond terrific and i recommend it wholeheartedly ! -...more
**spoiler alert** I had a total blast reading Mehran Kamrava's book on Turkey-Iran rivalry and decided to share my review :
Reading this book i finally**spoiler alert** I had a total blast reading Mehran Kamrava's book on Turkey-Iran rivalry and decided to share my review :
Reading this book i finally understood what notions such as soft power , nationalism , ethnicism means in politics and state building and also the multiple dimensions on how they interplay.
I loved the chapter on West Azerbaijan(Iranian province) and The Republic of Azerbaijan (historical land named Aran) and how the latter fabricated history by taking the name of the former region and later claiming union with it(which is part of Iran), followed by the Iranian counterclaim.
Azerbaijan sharing the shiite religious sect and language, and history with Iran (and belonging to former Persia up until 1828) but the Turkic ethnicity with turkey and how the gonverment deals with this duality was also fun to read.
The geopolitics of Turkey , more specifically its ambitions of becoming an energy hub in the middle east, juggling multiple oil pipeline projects with Russia, Azerbaijan , Iran, Iraqi Kurdistan and even Israel was another blast. The dynamics that need to be considered , threats and opportunities faced on a regular basis by Turkey foreign policy makers are incredible.
I also enjoyed the chapter on how Armenia and Georgia's paths diverged right after independence. Georgia, getting in the early 2000 a gonverment led by Saakashvili and his cabinet, all young western educated men ardent in making the state institutions strong and cutting down corruption thus getting closer to EU values with each given year, while Armenia entered in the Karabach war which resulted in scarce commodities and a conflict economy , an economy getting dominated by a few powerful men (oligarchs) that would entrench themselves in the very fabric of the political and economical system, a phenomenon which would stall for decades the development of the country.
Another good chapter was the one on the Fetullah Gulen movement. Starting with the 90s it improved turkey's image by building educational facilities in the Caucasus, Middle East and Maghreb spreading Turkish culture and values. Gulen and his movement were backed up by the state of Turkey and together, the two entities created an image of Turkey as model country merging moderate Islam with secular values such as a strong educational system, army and economy worth following for other countries , esentially developing soft power. Later on this partnership continued with AKP and Erdogan. Eventually and unfortunately the two personalities when having no other rivals (after getting rid of the army generals and Kemalist elites) they became rivals and fought each other politically thus tarnishing all previous efforts of Turkey as a credible model state.
The book was great and the chapters were written by different authors each being a master in his field of research. You are basically reading a collection of research documents put together by a very crafty author which makes them as a cohesive unit.
I was always curious on what the relations of these two powerhouses - Turkey and Iran - are with each other and this book provided that and alot more. Basically they are rivals competing for influence in the Caucasus and Middle East , they are not large enough to deploy and start long wars due to limited revenue streams but are strong enough to exert influence and hold their own. They understood that after USSR fall and later US retreat there remained a power vaccuum that needed to be filled in the region so both states stepped up. They are rivals and compete but they also are interdependent. Turkey needs Iran oil for domestic use as well as the revenue generated by being a oil transit state to Europe. Iran needs turkey to sell its oil and act as a gateway for its products to Europe. Though rivals ,they respect each other and also share some powerful common goals like : stability in the middle east and ....not letting Kurds craft their own state.
I gave the book 4 stars because i felt that the conclusion was a bit rushed and not that meaty , but this was a great great book !...more
1. When a country is in the initial phases of development it must focus on gardening agriculture. That means land has So a few ideas out of this book:
1. When a country is in the initial phases of development it must focus on gardening agriculture. That means land has to be redistributed equally so that all people have a right to compete. Garden agriculture is by a factor of 3 to 6 more efficient than industrialized agriculture output wise. It is not efficient in human hours , but guess what , when you have a poor country manpower is all you have in excess so gonverment must make use of it. Gonverment must start incentivizing people with fertilizers and freebies so that people produce more , food grts cheaper and somewhere along the way you start exporting.
2. Once you have a powerful agriculture then you start building industry. Gonverment must invest in the learning phase of manufacturing , must steal know how. It must be very careful not to join joint ventures with other international brands without stealing their know how. The key thing here is to learn as much as possible and to start having an EXPORT DISCIPLINE. This is the theme of this book. There is no other way a gonverment can know how good a company is then by checking its exports , my seeing how that company behaves in the world market and by setting export expectations for future freebies , if its conpetitive enough. It is a critical part since the entrrepreneur will always go on the easy path of real estate without creating value in the country. it is the duty of the state to incentivize and keep a tight leash on its high performing entrepreneurs. Gov must also start weeding losers and incentivizing winners.Along the years this turns to consolidation of great big firms that have huge leverage of said gonverment , but tat that point the country is already past development stage and does not make the discussion of this book.
3 Financial mechanisms: gov must hold banks so that it can continue funding industry while it is still developing. It knows the learning phase costs and the companies which are helped wont produce dividents for many years injtiailly but it is imperative to continue financing them. If state liberalizes banks , and invites private held funds and stock market , these will run away at first sign of trouble when financing a company in development , or will stop funding due to low yield.
These 3 points are more or less what this book is all about and it describes how countries from North East Asia (South Korea , Taiwan , China and Japan) have implemented these ideas by the book while countries of South East Asia. (Thailand, Malaysia. indonesia , Philippines) have fucked up one way or other despite starting alot better after WW2 both economically and politically wise.
A must read , an eye opening experience.
Now comparing this to my own country Romania to Ceausescu era, it looks like he didnt fuck up because he took loans and built stuff like industry and mangufacturing plants. He fucked up because he didnt focus on EXPORT DISCIPLINE, he didnt try to make the products he was developing better , he didnt focus on perfectioning them and making them sellable on the world market. He produced the same shit all over again along the years....more
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