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Apr 24, 2022Liked by Claire Berlinski

This is a random question Claire, but why isn’t it Sürgünlük? Seems like it should be.

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It would be, if it were Turkish. But it's not. That's my best explanation, because I was confused, too. But I checked, and it is definitely Sürgünlik, which makes me think that perhaps Crimean Tatar harmonizes vowels differently. There are some exceptions to vowel harmony in Turkish, but this isn't one of them; in Turkish, it is indeed sürgünlük (lower case, because it's not referring to any particular exile).

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Give me vowel harmony, or give me…well I don’t want to be hasty here.

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This is a highly informative commentary. I was totally unaware of the Tatars or their plight until now. Any admiration I MIGHT have held for Russia, or at least its certain aspects, is entirely gone. Russians by their nature are barbaric butchers, satanic and sadistic at multiple levels. The brilliance of Tostoi, Tchaikovsky or Dostoevsky ended with the brutal thuggery of the likes of Lenin and Stalin.

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Apr 24, 2022Liked by Claire Berlinski

I haven't heard of a single Satanist group in Russia pushing for violence in Ukraine. Let's not besmirch them as Putinists.

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Unfortunately, it's hard to disagree. But remember always to judge people as individuals.

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I understand. I really and truly do try to keep a balance. However, knowing about Russian history has informed me and my opinion. Stalin murdered an estimated 4 million Ukrainians in the 1930s, when a forced famine starved them to death. Stalin went on to slaughter 20 million of his own; plus one million intellectuals and top military officers. Most of us are aware of the darkness that draped East Germany until the wall was taken down.

Stalin did not singlehandedly commit all those murders. There were allies and citizens who supported them by participating. They were complicit. We see that same barbaric butchery being meted out today in Ukraine by Putin. The butchers are the soldiers. They are complicit. I have all good reason to believe those soldiers' families are aware. They relish in the slaughter of others. There is every good reason to believe those soldiers return home to brag about their kills.

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