Almost 24 years ago, a massive earthquake struck Turkey (the so-called Izmit Earthquake). Tens of thousands of people died. In the wake of that disaster, an ear

Almost 24 years ago, a massive earthquake struck Turkey (the so-called Izmit Earthquake). Tens of thousands of people died. In the wake of that disaster, an earthquake tax [1] was instituted. Billions of dollars were raised. Where did that money go? How was it spent? Well... nobody really knows [2]. The smart money is it disappeared in corruption. Contracts awarded and paid but never built, kickbacks to key political leaders, that sort of thing. Interestingly, this same type of corruption has crippled Russia's military [2]. Contracts awarded for the next generation of tanks. Those are never built. The money is returned to generals who steal it and then a contract is awarded for a replacement. The existing contract may be cancelled when the new one is developed and those funds just disappear too. Unfortunately you see this pattern play out a lot: a democratically elected leader corrupts the system they were elected in to ultimately become an autocrat. The scary part is a good chunk of the population in any of these countries cheer this on since they've been successfully manipulated and propagandized into this would-be dictator being the only solution to some imagined cultural moral failure. In Nazi Germany there was cultural bolshevism [3]. Interestingly, this particular one is resurgent today rebranded as cultural Marxism [4]. What we are witnessing in Turkey, Russia and even the United States (as well as many other placces) is the rise of fascism. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_tax_(Turkey) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_tax_(Turkey) [2]: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/09/1155647266/turkey-earthquake-erdogan-government-response-criticism https://www.npr.org/2023/02/09/1155647266/turkey-earthquake-... [3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degenerate_art#Cultural_Bolshevism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degenerate_art#Cultural_Bolshe... [4]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Marxism_conspiracy_theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Marxism_conspiracy_th...