The guy with the thinnest skin in the world

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

This is what has caused Erdogan's wrath, and has made him file one of hundreds of lawsuits for defamation. It's also what has made Merkel bend over backwards and start persecuting journalists and satirists for the sake of appeasing the new Ottoman sultan, lest he unleash the hordes of refugees upon poor Europe, as has been pointed here the other day. Here's the whole deal:

Yep. That's right. In a typical Facebook-style childish manner, Erdogan has been compared to Gollum. As John Oliver said the other night on his show, this parallel isn't even worth contesting. Because it's a biological fact. Indeed, the resemblance is uncanny.

The one thing more eery than that, is the way presumably open societies like Germany could easily agree to "adapt" and "evolve" on fundamental matters of openness and freedom of speech under the pressure of the circumstances. If anyone believes that by giving some leeway to guys like Erdogan, we'd appease them to a point where they'd somehow decide to stop pushing more and more into the same direction, then we truly do deserve all what's coming for us. And I can tell you what's coming is not pretty.

Comments

[luzribeiro.livejournal.com]

Case in point.

German Mayor: To Avoid Being Molested, Schoolgirls Shouldn’t Walk Near Migrants (http://gatesofvienna.net/2016/02/german-mayor-to-avoid-being-molested-schoolgirls-shouldnt-walk-near-migrants/)

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

First I thought Trump had the thinnest skin, but then I realised he mostly threatens with lawsuit, while Erdogan actually does it.

[danieldemarko.livejournal.com]

Erdogan is a freak..He needs to be punished properly.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

And how is that going to happen?

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

Maybe we could shower him with tar and roll him in feathers. That'll teach him.

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

That would make him more like Chicken from Sesame Street, rather than Gollum.

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

In any case, Erdogan is perfect satirical material, what with his behavior in response to any satire about him.

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

Like a self-fulfilling prophecy of some sorts.

[airiefairie.livejournal.com]

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

If Europe was refusing Turkey EU entry on the grounds of not being civilized and democratic enough to European standards, but now Germany is stomping on press freedom thus practically becoming less democratic, does that mean the EU bar for civilizedness (sic?) and freedomness (sic!) has now been lowered enough for Turkey to finally enter?

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

An interesting (not to mention DQ-worthy) point, that.

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

Haha! Well played.

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

Uh! Interesting question. Dunno? Maybe. Might need some time to think about it. Maybe as long as the remainder of Merkel's term (if she survives it). :-D

[luvdovz.livejournal.com]

Food for thought, eh?

[luzribeiro.livejournal.com]

The thing is, no matter how low the bar has been set, Turkey would probably still prefer to crawl underneath it rather than trying to jump over it.

[nairiporter.livejournal.com]

Is it just me, or Gollum really has very beautiful eyes?

[airiefairie.livejournal.com]

That is when he is being Smeagol.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

In the books his eyes actually glowed with a kind of eerie magical green a lot. Movies changed it and arguably for the better.

[luvdovz.livejournal.com]

The upside of all this is that the likes of Merkel will no longer have any justification for pontificating on ethical subjects of any sort from now on.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Can they just kill Erdogan with a coup already and be done with it?

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

No, because that'd make you very sad.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

I'll just note here that I could say something rather cruel in response to this but I shall refrain because I've been on thin enough ice as it is.

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

No need, I can imagine what it is. Sorry for offending your sensibilities. I didn't realize your skin would be almost as thin as Erdogan's.

(Come on, joke, bro!)

[luzribeiro.livejournal.com]

Not worth it.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Oh, it wouldn't be a joke.

It would be something more to the point of wondering why the fuck I even bothered to extend an olive branch when you deliberately try to provoke me.

*shrugs*

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Oh, fuck it.

Let me be perfectly clear here: if you remotely expect me to be sad that some dipshit who's offended over a Gollum caricature would be done in by a coup in a state that's very familiar with them, you greatly overestimate my level of ability to give a flying fuck about some podunk Islamic state except where its belligerent foreign policy might get my country in motherfucking World War III because its leader has a hard-on for starting a nuclear war.

You want to bait someone? Don't use a cheap rhetorical one-liner. And especially don't try baiting someone sleep deprived for several days and whose mood has been anything but pleasant the last few days.

Turkey is you guys' problem because you have the misfortune of living next to it. I only give a good goddamn about it when it might get my country in WWIII because of the illogic of the alliance system.

When I've pointed out double standards in the past, it's far from defending the Turks, it's simply noting that double standards do and has existed. I'm only noting this to this length because I'm sleep deprived and wanting to write something that's less profane and likely to get my ass banned from too much irritation simmering near the surface.

Otherwise, amount of fucks given: zero.

So, TL;DR:

Try harder next time.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

You've responded great, for the record. Even despite the sleep deprivation. Btw, I'd really love to learn a way to tell people's moods even before I've exchanged a couple of words with them on the Internet. I've tried all sorts of magic, including tossing beans and coffee-reading, but so far no luck.

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

Turkey is you guys' problem because you have the misfortune of living next to it

That's so very American of you.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Uh, I am American so thanks for stating the obvious. :)

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Sorry about snapping like that. Finally did get legit rest.

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

But why even log on to the Internet when you're exhausted and/or irritated? I wouldn't do such a self-destructive thing. Have a beer and watch a movie, maybe - if I can't sleep. But arguing with some dumb troll like myself? That's the last thing in the list one should do in such circumstances...

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Because I have an online course to take.

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

Well, take the course then. Don't spend time on LJ when you're irritated.

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

And remove such a fruitful source of lulz, why?

Maybe just grant him asylum in brotherly Saudi Arabia instead.

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

Meanwhile, back in the real world...

Erdogan is not pressing charges for that cartoon. Here's what he's pressing charges for:

"Under paragraph 103 of the German Criminal Code, insulting a foreign head of state can result in a three-year jail term, while an intended slander can stretch to five years. Such "insult laws" still exist in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Sweden" (source (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/german-comedian-jan-b-hmermann-could-face-prison-for-insulting-smear-poem-against-turkish-president-a6972356.html))

Now, whether such a law is appropriate or not, is another question. The fact is, it does exist. And the guy obviously knew he was about to violate it, just before he violated it - which is evident from his words that "this is not allowed in Germany". If a charge is pressed, there'll be all grounds for prosecution.