IMF, Turkey, and Doping

IMF

The remarkable people at the IMF have again excelled themselves with their latest piece of financial wisdom: Portugal's banking system is a threat to the world economy.

The country that represents little more than a rounding error in the world economy, the country whose greatest problem is a war waged against it by the so-called Eurozone, is a threat to the world economy.

Congrats, IMF. You've achieved a new level of BS.

Turkey

So, what about Turkey?

Well, the current drive against such terrible extremists as, say, teachers, clearly shows the direction Turkey is headed. And I can't say I dislike it.

How can I say this? Don't I realize this is terrible for the Turkish people? You mean, the same Turkish people that poured into the streets at Erdogan's call and risked their lives to confront the military?

The majority of the Turkish people has spoken. They apparently stand with Erdogan and his religious concept of state. So, while I agree this is not good for the Turkish people, the Turkish people respectfully disagree.

However, when I say I don't dislike it, it's for a more encompassing reason.

A deeper trend towards authoritarianism may isolate Turkey from Europe. Which may allow Turkey to seek other allies. If that is the case, this may create the threat to the EU I mentioned in previous posts. Which, as I already said, may be a good thing. Yes, too many maybes, I know. That's life.

So, as much as it pains me to say this - so far, so good, in Turkey.

Doping

I find it amusing that anyone still believes in a clean competition in sports.

Anyone with a brain cell count greater than 0 can see that the state of affairs in FIFA and UEFA is the rule, rather than the exception, in any sport. If you believe the IOC is any different, I may be able to interest you in the purchase of a few bridges in prime locations.

And yet, when these doping "scandals" break, everyone puts on their "outrage" hat. Suddenly, everyone is clean and innocent, except for those that were caught.

In this case, we have a sort of "Olympic Panama Papers": It's the bloody Russians, they're the ones to blame! Ban them, and everything will be all right!

Yeah, right!