Sayonara All Empires!

Friends, comrades, enemies!

Two years ago today, I sent my first post to All Empires. The topic was about Turkey and the EU. I had a lot of free time on my hands back then, and I wanted to learn about history, and discuss with intelligent people about politics. In this respect, my time here has been a success. I learned a lot, and engaged in many interesting conversations with many intelligent people from all over the world. Now I am leaving, and this post is my last. I decided not name names (or nicknames) here, because I may forget some people whom I should not have forgotten, be they friends or enemies.

Two years ago, AE was also a lively community like it is now, but with different people. Fewer members, not as many bans, no moderator room, and less nationalist flame wars. More hardcore history fans, but less fun in some other ways. I was quite active in the beginning. Once, it was suggested that a 'post of the month' should be chosen by a poll. This idea was cancelled after one month. But not before I won the one and only 'AE best post of the month' award, with my post on the causes of nationalistic flame wars. I consider that earning my rather pompous-sounding username, in true Dede Korkut (an ancient Turkish book) fashion. Today some of those old timers who were there when these events took place remain, but most have moved on, or been banned.

Then, suddenly, AE was no longer. It was deleted by the owners of the Proboards. With remarkable speed, active members of AE got into contact with each other, and started the current AE forum. In the beginning, there was a great atmosphere of solidarity, which arose from being the victims of injustice. I remember posting the first topic in the Archeology section here, it was about Mesopotamian mythology. For me that time was the high point of the AE experience. I learned that crisis and suffering can sometimes bring out the best in people.

After that time, there were stretches up to months long, when I was not active, so I don't know the early history of the new board that well. But as the new site grew in membership, problems with nationalists and their flame wars returned, in a larger scale. This was dealt with a new order of stricter rules and moderatorship, which continues to this day. I was also offered moderatorship, but I refused because I wasn't very active at the time, and because I did not want to be neutral, as mods are expected to be. I don't like neutrality, as you know.

I argued against the idea of a moderator forum closed to the membership, and moderator power free from some sort of democratic control, from the very beginning. So when these things came about, I challenged the moderator authority and refused to comply unless they discussed their problems with me directly. This became an increasingly dangerous game, as moderator power grew, and I received many inofficial warnings. Nevertheless, I consider my little adventure in brinkmanship a success, given a few cases when I successfully faced down moderators, and when I became the cause of warnings to and banning of fascists, without getting an official warning myself.

But as many of you suspect, this was not just for high ideals and for the good of the community. I will not deny my dark side, and confess that I enjoyed this game of brinkmanship, agit-prop and fascist bashing a whole lot. I hope I've been a big headache for the moderators, and brought smiles to some people's faces in the process. Having written this, I should add that, although I am against the current system and the principles behind it, most mods, and indeed, most members here are decent people well worthy of respect, and many I consider better people than I am, in many ways. I leave here now, but I am confident that the admins will keep the place running fine, and a few of the mods will keep the forum free from fascists and safe for us. Viel Glueck, Genosse!

This is getting too long, so I'll start winding it up now.

You may wonder why I am leaving. It is because I am not Beylerbeyi, a virtual reality persona, but a flesh and blood person, and a busy one as well. It is great fun here, but it takes too much time.

And even deja-vu becomes old hat at the nth iteration. Take my very first post to this forum, I could very well copy and paste it to a thread here now, nobody would notice. And I am not kidding you, I read the post, I have it in my archives... I keep remembering more and more often, when I first joined an internet discussion forum, almost 10 years ago. It was a forum about Nietzsche, and someone asked 'what is 'eternal return'? And one of the forum old-timers replied 'It is some new member asking 'what is eternal return?' every month, again and again'. I am sure you know what I mean.

So it happens, after today, I won't post to the AE Forum directly. I will hang around for a while and read what you write. Note that I am not ruling out writing for AE projects. It is hard to silence Beylerbeyi as you know, and I may have to let him write some articles. I will write PM's, so feel free to contact even if you think I despise you. I may surprise you.

I already put on my white helm, and my 999 riders are getting anxious, so just two more things and I go;

Two; remember my first signature: 'In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.'

One; thank you All Empires, and take care!

ILERLEEE!!!

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end

Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
I'll never look into your eyes...again

Can you picture what will be
So limitless and free
Desperately in need...of some...stranger's hand
In a...desperate land

Lost in a roman...wilderness of pain
And all the children are insane
All the children are insane
Waiting for the summer rain, yeah

There's danger on the edge of town
Ride the king's highway, baby
Weird scenes inside the gold mine
Ride the highway west, baby

Ride the snake, ride the snake
To the lake, the ancient lake, baby
The snake is long, seven miles
Ride the snake...he's old, and his skin is cold

The west is the best
The west is the best
Get here, and we'll do the rest

The blue bus is callin' us
The blue bus is callin' us
Driver, where you taken' us

The killer awoke before dawn, he put his boots on
He took a face from the ancient gallery
And he walked on down the hall
He went into the room where his sister lived, and...then he
Paid a visit to his brother, and then he
He walked on down the hall, and
And he came to a door...and he looked inside
Father, yes son, I want to kill you
Mother...i want to...f**k you

C'mon baby, take a chance with us
C'mon baby, take a chance with us
C'mon baby, take a chance with us
And meet me at the back of the blue bus
Doin' a blue rock
On a blue bus
Doin' a blue rock
C'mon, yeah

Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end

It hurts to set you free
But you'll never follow me
The end of laughter and soft lies
The end of nights we tried to die

This is the end

bye,bye, comrade

This is a blow. Im sad seeing not only another old member leaving but also a political opponent and old ideologic archenemy. I was often angry reading your posts and somtimes was dreaming about executing you in some bolshevik way but never wanted you to leave this forum.

In many points I agree with you. Old AE with fewer members and no real need to moderate discussions was in many ways more attractive forum. But on the other hand many new interesting people came here and AE can be still considered as success. So i hope that maybe even if not as often as before, you will be still here with us.

Comrade, the workers and paesants of  AE will remember you, as well as  class enemies. You are the hero of the party!

The party appreciates your work for the humanity and awards you with the highest honours, the order of Lenin and the medal of Hero!

Congratulations Comrade!