The Death Toll of Authoritarianism

I talk with Claire Berlinski of The Cosmopolitan Globalist about the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, why the press should not cover this as a mere natural disaster, and the worst thing that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ever done.

Watch it here:

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The earthquakes are a lesson in the hollow promise of a strongman who will end the “deep state,” drain the swamp of corruption, and fight against the “fake news” of the press—and what he actually does once he gets all that power. We are used to hearing about the death tolls of totalitarian regimes. But does this earthquake show us the death toll of authoritarianism?

Claire also passed along some essential reading, especially her prescient warning about Turkish building practices and one about the correlation between earthquake deaths and corruption and the prospect of one million dead in 30 seconds.

Also, see here for a written version of a lot of the material we cover in our conversation. In chatting after the interview, Claire also made me aware of this story of an honest man who saved a lot of lives.

Lisel Hintz @LiselHintz

Mayor of Erzin, a district in Hatay that saw no building collapse or loss of life: we didn’t give permission for unlicensed construction. Other parts of the province were some of the most heavily affected. The difference is stark. Much of this catastrophe was man-made.

Gönül Tol @gonultol

Hatay'ın, tek yıkım ve can kaybının yaşanmadığı Erzin ilçesinin Belediye Başkanı Ökkeş Elmasoğlu, "Kaçak yapıya izin vermedik.” https://t.co/vZE8IhWbTB

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Finally, here is the link she mentioned for those who want to support relief efforts in Syria that will actually reach the people they’re intended to help.