The Young Turks (TYT) - What's in a name? Genocide?

[Happy Hippy]

I've had my eye on this for awhile. I never understood why Cenk chose a name associated with the whole sale slaughter of Armenians. I've never been able to listen to the show or watch clips because I have always felt uncomfortable with the name of the show. I can't understand why so many progressives listen to the show, citing it's hate charged name. My only conclusion is that most people really aren't familiar with the Armenian genocide and its cast of characters.

Cenk sounds like a pretty intelligent young man. So, there is no doubt he would know about the historical connotation associated with "Young Turks". To make an analogy, this would be like a radio program hosted by liberal Germans named, "The S.S.". Has anyone else ever picked up on this?




http://www.armenian-genocide.org/young_turks.html


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide

[Happy Hippy]

1. wow

It surprises me that no one else has picked up on this:shrug:

[Bicoastal]

2. Then you'd have to get offended by the phrase's use OUTSIDE of Cenk's show...

...since, in the last 100 years, Young Turks has come to mean "an insurgent in a political party, esp. one belonging to a group or faction that supports liberal or progressive policies."

To quote the Random House Dictionary. I've heard it used many times in this context.

[malaise]

4. LOL

:evilgrin:

[slampoet]

3. Hippy is a term invented by beatniks to descibe people who joined the Anti-war and civil rights.....

...movements just to get laid or get high. Real protesters and counter-culture people were referred to as "Freaks" back then. Read any contemporary article or book written at the time by people who were there.

You didn't pick up on that when choosing your name and that happened only 40 years ago not 90 years ago like the Armenian Genocide.

[Happy Hippy]

5. Ugh huh...

Yes, there is no difference between peace loving "hippies" and those that orchestrated one of history's worst genocides. :sarcasm:

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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[riverdale]

7. s

Cenk talked about this on a postgame show a week or two ago. It was unintentional. At the time he was not aware of the whole history and implications of the name.

[Happy Hippy]

8. I don't buy it.

Someone of his intelligence and Turkish ancestry would know damn well what the "Young Turks" did. Now that he realizes it, maybe he should change the name. I'm baffled that no one here picked up on this.

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. It's more like a French program being called "Vive la Revolution!"

The Young Turks were a liberalising force in the period before WW1, who overcame an old monarchy that tried to suspend the Turkish constitution and rule autocratically. But in the war, the government they established carried out the Armenian genocide (though people weren't calling them 'the Young Turks' by that stage).

This is rather like the French Revolution, which started out by overthrowing a disreputable monarchy and aristocracy, but ended up executing tens of thousands of innocent people in 'The Terror'.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

9. Quick, arrest Rod Stewart and try him at the Hague!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgczlrYM4eI

[JI7]

11. i'm not sure he would know, where would he learn about it from ?

considering Turkey and probably many people around him don't recognize the genocide it's unlikely they would teach it to him. it's not like GErmany where they are taught about that history and have gone to huge lengths to deal with it.

and the Armenian genocide is not taught in America and everywhere else as much as the holocaust. many americans would know about the SS but not the "young turks".

one of his co hosts Ana is Armenian and they get along well and discuss their ethnicity and culture often.

so i can see him really not knowing.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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[Maru Kitteh]

14. +1T

[upi402]

13. It's a Rod Stewart song

...too.

"Young Turks" is a 1981 song by Rod Stewart that first appeared on his album Tonight I'm Yours. The song peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Turks_%28song%29