I used to be disgusted, and now I try to be amused.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

Better than a blog - BOOKS!

For some interesting reading by a (generally fairly conservative) historian, try some of Bernard Lewis' stuff on Turkey - try the essays in "From Babel to Dragomans", there are a couple on the role of the army following Kamal. They really became the guarantors of Kamalism after Attaturk established the Republic, and in that role periodically step in to guarantee a western-oriented Turkish nationalistic regime. They also have a broader role in society than our civilian controlled military, including control over some state owned enterprises.

Some great tweets coming on this stuff.

Someone from Lebanon just tweeted that they can't have a coup d'etat there, since they have no etat.

For some lighter (sorta) reading that touches on some of this, Eric Bogosian's Operation Nemesis is interesting.

More scholarly is The Fall of the Ottomans.