Week 13 Journal

I watched Moana on Netflix on Monday night at 6:32 pm.

I completed the Session One assignment on Tuesday from 4:15 pm to 6:29 pm.

Session 1

2. While watching the film, I was surprised by the small importance held by gender in the story. Moana’s status as a girl is not like that of others; as she is the heir apparent to the chief. She already has a lot of power within her community, more than the average male has. She does get mentorship from her grandmother and perhaps she takes to her more as a female, however this is not a very strong point in the sense that Moana feels the call of the sea and already has that connection to her grandmother; a connection stronger than commonality of gender. Gender does come into play a little bit in the interactions with Maoi. He calls her princess and is not really pleased with having her lead, but this seems to have more to do with the fact that she is a child and a mortal. So in summation there is not very much that is gendered about her development.

3. I would have the program present obstacles to them that is not based in their gender. The obstacles for them to overcome would be based on their inherent weaknesses as opposed to their gender. The program would give them a sense of calling with their community; they would be led to assume leadership in the ways they can on problems facing their community.

I completed the session two assignment on Wednesday night, from 7:15 pm to 10:04 pm.

Session Two

The problem I would like to lead in solving is the presence of the secularist Kemalists in Turkish government, politics and social life. The world has gone through a transformation. Modernity, beginning with the French revolution, led to the great conflict of ideology that existed throughout the twentieth century. This conflict was defined as a struggle for ontological as well as physical and material supremacy between liberalism, communism, and fascism (although the lattermost was destroyed rather quickly.) With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the ideological war was ostensibly won by capitalism and liberalism. There were many interpretations of what would come next, in the century in which we live. Some proclaimed a total victory of liberalism, and the end of history after which there would only be something they considered progress without conflict. Others predicted the rise of the civilization as the replacement of ideology in a new international struggle. This view, despite the flaws and misunderstandings of those who expressed it, turned out to be true. Liberal capitalism, having won the ideological struggle, was also changed fundamentally by it. It became the banner of something called western civilization. Other civilizations present in the world include the Islamic, Confucian, and Orthodox civilizations (there are more). These lines, however, are not as apparent as they would seem. Western civilization includes Muslim states like Saudi Arabia and much of the Arab world, in the sense that these are in a geopolitical alliance with America and Europe. Confucian civilization is for the most part limited to China and those countries within its sphere. Orthodox civilization includes Russia and much of eastern Europe. What has happened in recent decades is the convergence of several elements. Orthodox and Confucian civilization, as well as Islamic countries like Iran, have melded together in a kind of eastern block. My analysis, based on the thinking of several other intellectuals, is that what is coming is a kind of merging of the ‘traditional east,’ composed of the aforementioned Russia, China, Iran, eastern Europe, and India, with the ‘traditional west,’ composed of the United States, Europe, and those in alliance with them such as Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Egypt under the Sisi government. What connects these disparate powers? What is behind this coming synthesis? It can be summed up by the rise of a new kind of politics and crude metaphysics — that of ‘populism’. Populism as I use the term here can refer to the global movement defined by tyrannical, nationalist leaders like Trump, Putin, Xi, Modi, Assad, bin Salman, Netanyahu, and others. One must read between the lines and ignore the TV polemics. There have been many signs pointing to this synthesis. These include the affinity of Trump for Putin and Russian neo-imperialism; the geopolitical alliance between Russia, China, Iran, and Syria; and the killing of Qasem Soleimani by the order of Donald Trump. Iran was facing massive protests, perhaps more significant than the failed Green Revolution some years ago. Trump, by killing a man who was a hero not just to regime supporters but to the masses due to his actions in defending the country against Iraq, effectively silenced the protests and rallied the people of Iran around the regime, as is widely known to happen in times when war is a possibility; particularly war against a traditional enemy. Of course, no war happened. Instead, the regime was strengthened and national unity enforced. Further, the potential for war continues in the minds of the masses, thus keeping the people perpetually rallied around the regime. Another example can be seen in Trump’s backing out of the nuclear deal; thus giving Iran free reign to develop its nuclear program. The enemies of this strange blending of state capitalism with romantic nationalism and imperialism is the Islamic world. All of these nations have committed mass crimes against Muslims. The United States with its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Israel with its terror-occupation of Palestine, China with its concentration camps for Uyghurs, Russia with its crimes in Chechnya, Dagestan, and Syria, Saudi Arabia with its insults to Muslim holy places and destruction of holy sites, Iran and Syria with their massacres of Sunni Muslims, Sisi’s Egypt with its mass imprisonment, torture, and killing of Muslim activists, and so on. What has been happening in response to this is a rallying of people in the Sunni Muslim world around Turkey and its leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, Turkey is a country with a powerful fifth column. The secularist Kemalists, represented by the Republican Peoples’ Party and the pro-Russian deep state, would crush Turkey’s ascendance to leadership of the Muslim world and its defense of the latter against the forces of this new, strange geopolitical Satanism. Therefore, I would like to lead in the effort to defeat this obstacle.

My plan is to continue on the trajectory I have started, to continue with the struggle I hope to have began at this point in my life with the opening of my magazine here on campus. Essentially, I wish to be a writer on the subjects of ideology, philosophy, politics and geopolitics, religion, and history in Turkey. With my writing, I will shed light on what is going on on the global stage and what it means for the world. I will, aside from fighting this struggle with the pen, help to start political and social movements devoted to this struggle. For this, I have my models in several thinkers who have preceded me. I will perfect my command of the Turkish language by studying it more. I will finish my studies at Howard and go on to get a master’s degree. With this, and with publishing various writings on the aforementioned subjects, including writings against Kemalism. I will make a name not for myself but for the ideals. In struggles like this, it is necessary to dissolve the ego entirely. Upon finishing my studies, I will go to Turkey and get a job either as an educator or in publishing, but more likely in both. I will teach as well as publish magazines and literature. I will spread the ideas among people as best I can, holding speeches and TV appearances (through connections made in the journalistic/intellectual spheres). I will endorse political parties and movements that support the ideas as well.

Weekly Check-in

This week, I succeeded at adapting behavior based on what the situation calls for. I was having trouble selecting classes, and I had to reach out to different people whom I did not know to get the restrictions lifted. I was able to do so. I failed in cultivating self-regulation. I did not get around to writing some things I needed to write. Next week, I intend to cultivate self-regulation by imposing stricter schedules and exercising more, as I find that it sharpens the mind and makes on more disciplined.

Rhyan gave someone what they needed by calling out bad behavior. Although elections are over, there are still campaigns trying to disqualify people trying to get elected. She wrote a letter in defense of one slate and helped another write their defense. She failed at self-regulation by oversleeping for classes. Next week, she intends to expand her networks by attending career webinars with different organizations.

Alysha did well in completing the task at hand and making sure to model good behavior. She did not do well managing her time, as she procrastinated a lot. Next week, she intends to better manage time and stress so her work will be better.

Geornisha gave someone what they needed by watching her neighbor’s kids while they dealt with an emergency. She failed in self regulation by turning in an assignment past the due date. Next week she plans to improve that by finishing her assignment ahead of time.

I remember on one of my journals you asked about the self-regulation, as I often have problems with it. Ultimately, there is no trick or special way to improve self-regulation. One must simply do it. Stop procrastinating, do the work. It is just a matter of forcing oneself until the discipline is built up.

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