Everyone is Conscious in a Perfect World

Back in 2010, I wrote the following passage in my journal in response to the prompt “In a perfect world…” Came across it today, and it actually inspires me to re-double my own personal efforts at conscious evolution and energetic mastery as together we grapple with the challenges of the next four years. “In a … Read more

Human Rights Issues and the Kurds of Turkey

Note: This paper was originally submitted on 09 Jun 1998 in partial fulfillment of the requirements for IR 432 at the Middle East Technical University. The question of Kurdish identity in Turkey is one of the most vexing issues facing the young republic. The rise in radical Kurdish nationalism in recent decades is due in large part to … Read more

Mass Media and the “Crisis” of International Terrorism

Note: This paper was originally submitted on 13 Dec 1998 in partial fulfillment of the requirements for IR 301 (“International Politics”) at the Middle East Technical University. What is the real crisis of international terrorism? According to the speakers at the 1979 Jerusalem Conference on International Terrorism1 (and hundreds of politicians since then), the specter of … Read more

Carl Sagan on Science and Religion

“In science it often happens that scientists say, ‘You know that’s a really good argument; my position is mistaken,’ and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn’t happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.”

– Carl Sagan