Culture-focused thinking

Yeni Birlik, 23th August '23

We call cultural degradation and cultural unconsciousness a state of disrespect. The reason is both the rude approach to foreigners and the alienation from your own culture. At its maximum promoting cultural awareness achieves harmony and peace, not xenophobia. Only the one appreciates the houses of Akçaabat Ortamahalle or Safranbolu can understand the meaning of Rothenburg, Zlatá Ulička etc.

I can understand the cultural consciousness, I appreciate it, I can see what is valuable here. Fortunately, not all buildings in the world have the same style, fortunately there are different folk dances, cuisines, music, fortunately Ford cars are not the only ones on the roads, etc...

There is a strong relationship, a correlation between violence, crime rates, xenophobia and cultural shallowness. It all depends on what you occupy your mind with... A person who becomes a monster in traffic may turn into something else in the national library. Sometimes I freeze, I feel cold, my soul turns gray if I work in a bureaucratic structure, I cannot think clearly in ugly neighborhoods... That's why I try to escape, I try to go to places like Kuzguncuk. I am inspired by the Simitçi Tahir Street, I can breathe Ottoman style here, I thaw here, I become childish and cheerful.

If the West has grown a magical oak forest from acorns, should I try to grow oaks too, imitate and try to resemble in everything, or should I try to see the pine forest in cones?

As you know, the French made cultural exception, they made reservations about free trade in order to protect their own culture.

The man who attacked a McDonald's in 1999 became a hero in France. What was the name? Jose Bove... It was also an opposition to McDonald's using hormone-treated beef. After the incident, the European Union restricted the import of hormone-treated beef. The World Trade Organization opposed this restriction. After the EU refused to lift the restrictions, the US imposed extra customs duties on the import of some European goods, such as Roquefort cheese.

So Bove was right, except for smashing the fast food restaurant. Today we should be able to say, we want all meanings to be preserved. The idea of evolving into one big, single culture is terrifying...