THE GREAT REPLACEMENT “Fox News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways.” 4/24/23 Good-bye, Tucker. We’ll miss your giggle. Who else makes faces on prime-time TV while spewing rhetorical questions? Who else waxes indignant about Bud Light’s sales pitch, Dr. Seuss’ fantasies, Mr. Potato Head’s parts, or “Green M&Ms go woke”? Here are some of Tucker’s greatest hits: #1 George Floyd died of a drug overdose. (Blasted after the autopsy ruled homicide.) #2 COVID-19 vaccine—Maybe it “doesn’t work, and they’re simply not telling us.” #3 During the 2020 election, there was “meaningful voter fraud in Georgia.” #4 Russian’s invasion of Ukraine is a “territorial dispute.” Why take Ukraine’s side? Has Russia “killed your dog?” Tucker pulls conspiracies out of hats, recasting news as “us” vs. “them.” From O’Reilly, Tucker inherited his populist schtick. Like O’Reilly, the populism is fake; stokes suspicion and fear in “common folks.” But Tucker’s racism is genuine. He feeds viewers raw chunks of white nationalism. Talks about the “Great Replacement” theory, a plot to replace Patriots with immigrants who will vote to make America second-rate. He’s a Fox News entertainer, not a reporter. But is Tucker the character he plays on TV? His e-mails cast doubt— in private, says he loathes Trump, but bows and scrapes in public, flame-throws hot topics in a squeaky voice, his face scrunched-up with disbelief. Tucker was Kevin McCarthy’s chosen one. Sole winner of the January 6 video footage, expected to document the party line. So he edited out door-bashing, cop-smashing, office-crashing-- what viewers of real news stations viewed with horror and dismay. Tucker spliced snippet that showed tourists milling about peacefully. Respectfully. See? They’re trying to frame Proud Boys and Q-Anon. It’s them against us again. But January 6 was ignited by Fox and friends. Weeks and week of trash-talk— Dominion voting machines skewed election results, stole the election from #45. Fox hosts knew these claims were baseless, dished out conspiracy anyway, night after night, to feed viewers’ outrage, and maintain ratings. So Dominion sued. Fox had to pay big bucks: $787 million. Someone’s head must roll! “We’ll be back Monday,” said Tucker-- unaware of the sword of Damocles over his head. Fox took a page from its own script-- adapted the “Great Replacement” theory. Replaced Tucker. Good-bye, Tucker. I’m trying not to giggle. Copyright 4/2023 Patricia Doyne
Poetry from Murodova Muslima Kadyrovna
Flag of the country The place of worship is golden soil, A hot spring is a healing herb. The motto he always used to say, The flag of the Motherland is sacred My flag flutters in the sky, Uzbek pride is the national flag. Reflecting four different meanings, The flag of the Motherland is sacred. Clear skies and blue waters, The reflected blue color is blue color. My grandfather's soul is happy enough, The flag of the Motherland is sacred. Red color is blood Green is characteristic of nature. White is a symbol of purity, peace, The flag of the Motherland is sacred. We are the future of this country. Our stars of tomorrow. Let us raise the flag of this country. The flag of the Motherland is sacred.
Murodova Muslima Kadyrovna is a student in the 6th “A” grade of the 30th general school of Jondor district, Bukhara region, Uzbekistan.
Poetry from Aminova Oghilay
Spring
You are the season of youth, this world will bright,
Fields live in a green world,
I sing for you, pen in hand,
Bring joy to hearts, spring!
Bring confidence to hearts, spring,
Bring peace and harmony, spring,
Come and pick the flowers of goodness, spring,
Bring happiness and joy, spring!
When the apricot blossoms, these gardens are white,
The mountains are full of crimson tulips,
This spring leads to sweet dreams,
Spring is the bride of the seasons.
Aminova O’g’iloy is the daughter of Holmurod, 8th grade student of general education school No. 45, Tortkol District, Republic of Karakalpakstan.
Essay from Boqiyev Sherkhan Ubaydullo
HISTORICAL ROOTS OF TURKISH-SOGHD RELATIONS IN CENTRAL ASIA
The system of trade routes of regional and international importance, formed in the territory of Central Asia, has become important in the life of the peoples of the East and West. Mil. cf. This road, which began its activity in the III-II millennium cf. In 138 AD, Zhang Jiang revealed to China that the Sughdians were not only skillful traders, but also suppliers of quality goods to the markets. Sogdian products went from Byzantium to Korea and Japan, from Tibet to Sri Lanka by land and sea, there was a great demand for agricultural and handicraft products of Sogd abroad.
Chinese sources told the Sughd region: “The climate is warm, suitable for growing high-quality wheat.” The inhabitants are inclined towards gardening and agriculture. The trees are beautiful,” he described. During this period, horticultural products (peach and cherry), viticulture (raisins), thoroughbred horses and sheep were exported to China. According to the 7th-century Chinese tourist and monk Xuan Tsang, who competed with the Sogd homeland of China in silk production, the customs of the Sutulisen (Ustrushona) people were similar to those of the Choch people, and their king was considered a vassal of the Turkic Khagan. This shows that Ustrushena is under the influence of Turkic khanates such as Sogd and Choch and its place in Turkish-Sogdian relations.
During the time of the Turkic Khanate, the Turks became the leading force in the oasis. But the Turkic rulers of the oasis used the Sogdian script in their legal proceedings. In particular, coins dating back to the 7th-8th centuries were minted in Sogdian script and language. In this science, they are called Turkic-Sogdian coins. In the early Middle Ages, under the influence of the Sogdian population, the Chochians used their language and writing. The language of communication of the Turkic layer here was the Sogdian language. The Ferghana Valley and the transit routes passing through it played an incomparable role in the trade relations of the Sogd with the East and Turkish-Sogdian relations. The trade routes passing through the Ferghana Valley formed a network in the regional and external relations of the Sogd, and in this direction the Sogdians followed the same route as the Choch. cf. Those who started the movement from the IV-III centuries.
From the 1st century, the Sogdians reached the Indian territories through Tokharistan. In particular, out of more than one and a half thousand written materials in 17 languages found by the German-Pakistani expedition in the Karakorum valley, 250 belong to the Sogdians. The Sughdians actively traded on the mountainous Shatial and Khilos roads of the Karakoram valley and extended their activities to the southern and Turkish-Sogdian relations continued in an easterly direction and went beyond the borders of Central Asia and found a peculiar development in the oases of East Turkestan of Central Asia and in the areas adjacent to China.
It is known that the Silk Road increased China’s interest not only in Davan (Fergana), but also in the whole of Central Asia. Therefore, the emperors sent their spy tourists (Song Yun, Xuan Jian, Hoi Chao, etc.) to Central Asia and tried to collect a lot of information. Sogdians million cf. From the 5th to the 4th centuries, it penetrated into the oases of East Turkestan through trade routes. Mil. cf. Trade relations with China have been established since the 3rd century. During these times, the first Sogdian colonies appeared in East Turkestan. The role of the Sogdians in the creation of the Turkic khanate in Central Asia was incomparable. As representatives of the Sogdian colonies in Gansu, they took over the trade to the south, east and north.
With the Turkish Khanate having defeated the Chinese Sui dynasty, the Sogdians took control of the province of Hami near the city of Kumul and introduced khaganate rule here.Kan Su-mi from Samarkand was appointed to the post of ruler (duhufusi) of the Beyan district in Ordos. During this period, immigrants from Sogd continued to arrive in these areas. It was not easy for the Sogdians to trade with China. Historian Hou Ren-chih writes that China, which pursued a policy of “no pay, no trade, there is pay – there is trade,” was primarily Turkic.
The Sughdians sold their fabrics, garments and handicrafts to the Turks at a low price, based on economic and political interests. In the 7th-8th centuries, under the influence of the Turkish Khanate, Chinese-style coins were minted in Sogd. The trading activities of the Sogdians throughout Central Asia prepared the political, socio-economic and ethno-cultural ground for Turkic-Sogdian relations in the early Middle Ages and intensified the process of creating a single ethno-cultural space in a vast region. In addition, the network of the Great Silk Road from Marv to the Great Wall of China united the peoples and peoples who lived in this area. On the basis of economic cooperation, it brought them closer politically and ethno-culturally.
Competing with China in the East and Iran in the West, the Turks and Sogdians worked equally hard to preserve the independence of the region. Since the 6th century, the Turks have united and successfully used not only military, but also diplomatic methods to conquer other territories. Sogdian diplomacy helped them in this matter. The diplomatic abilities of the Sogdians in this regard were not lost sight of by the rulers of the newly formed Turkic state. Annapanto (Nakhband), a native of Bukhara and a Sogdian living in Gansu, who supported the independent policy of the Turks, went to the palace of the Chinese emperor in 544 as an ambassador of the Turks.
The conquest of Eastern Turkestan and Central Asia by the Hephthalites, and Khorasan and Balkh by the Sassanids led to a struggle between the allies for the possession of the Silk Road. The attitude of the leading Sogdians in trade to this issue was of great importance. The Sughdians served the interests of the kaganate, faithful to the tradition of brotherhood with the Turks. The Kaganate expected advice, economic participation and support from the Sogdians in this matter. Because it was possible to gain control over trade routes through the Sogdians. But the caravan routes to the West passed through Iran. The connection of the Turkish Khanate with Byzantium through the territory of Iran and Iran with China through Central Asia prompted the parties to compromise. The rapprochement of the Turks with Byzantium put Iran in a difficult position, as a result of which “political and economic conflicts between the allies intensified.”
The movement of Sogdian merchants through Iran was limited. They could solve this problem only with the help of the Turkish Khanate. No wonder the Turks and Sogdians were depicted side by side on the paintings in Afrosiab and Penjikent.
Essay from Farangiz Safarova
The father, who was the guardian of the Motherland in his youth, and who protected every inch of his country like the apple of his eye, is now retired. grandfather loved his profession more than his life and worked tirelessly until retirement. Now he is alone at home with his wife. At first, they were busy with their work and spent time visiting their relatives. A month passed, something called him to his old office. He went to his office, turned around and walked along the paths he used to walk. grandfather wanted his children to become soldiers, and raised them from a young age by playing sports. Unfortunately, they did not choose this profession. The eldest son is an ambassador abroad, and the youngest son works in a tourism company and travels around the world. The military father married them. She had grandchildren, but she could not hold them when she wanted, because her children and their families had gone to the country where they were working. When he misses his children, when he sleeps at night, he wakes up from the agony of seeing them in his dreams. But he did not let his women notice this, he was always laughing. Time flows like water, years seem to pass like the wind, sometimes it's summer, sometimes it's winter, but I still have the same thought, the same dream, and I want to return to my work. One day, he made a phone call and gave the happy news that we will go on a honeymoon in the next few days. Hearing this, the fathers were full of joy, and the fathers made soup and cooked various dishes with their wives and waited eagerly. And those moments came. He was happy to see his children, and he was happy to see that his grandchildren had grown up so much. His wife was crying. Seeing this situation, his sons decided not to go back. "I will be by your side," my father used to say. The father took his grandchildren to his workplace. It was obvious that they love their profession. The only thing that made him happy was that even though his grandchildren grew up abroad, he listened to his grandfather's words and followed them. But they did not fire the father's son. His immediate return to work had to take his children with him. Unable to tell his father, he finally decided. "I will take you too. "I will not leave you alone," he said. Grandfather remained in peace. He didn't want to leave, but he thought that he would be able to see his grandchildren again, so he agreed to leave. Father and mother did not like another country and wanted to return to their village. In the meantime, the father was not in the mood and ordered his son to take him to my village as soon as possible. He had no choice but to say that His child is going to be patient because he has a lot of work. In November, they bought tickets and set off. Grandfather was in a constant hurry, walking ahead as if he would die before he could catch up. A 6-hour drive and they arrived at the destination. Grandfather looked out of the window and whispered, "You are my country." The women waved, "Don't sleep, get up, we've landed, we're going down." Grandfather passed away at this time. Their faces were smiling happily. The reason is that they died in their country, in their land, in their homeland, which once protected every corner of their land. Yes, grandfather's dreams have come true. His grandsons became soldiers and received the title of Colonel General. Safarova Farangiz, 19 years old. 2nd year student of the Faculty of Korean Language of the International University of Kimyo. Teacher and founder of online Korean language courses "hangug-eo with Farangiz". Head of the Social Protection Department of the Youth Union of Uzbekistan, Samarkand region, 5 years of experience and volunteering. Official guest of Stars International University Conference. Graduate of "Future Scientific Girls Community Educational Exchange Program". About 30 participants of offline and online conferences. Published articles: India, Russia
Synchronized Chaos Mid-May 2023: Growth, Healing and Change
Welcome to Synchronized Chaos’ second May issue! This month many of the submissions focus on growth, healing, and change.
Beth Gulley’s poems draw us into nature’s continual motion and transformation.
Vernon Frazer’s pieces explode with color and sound, evoking the Big Bang, and Mark Young’s art presents ordered geographies of color and design.
In J.K. Durick’s poetry, we fly, fall, and lurch forward into the future. In Emina Delilovic-Krevic’s work, a young girl experiences the refreshing embrace of nature on a warm spring day, while Don Bormon evokes the rhythms of day and night and the renewal of sunshine in his cloud poetry.
Young writer Bahira Baxtiyorova urges us in an essay to go take action, achieve our dreams. Elmaya Jabbarova calls us to lives of hard work and integrity, along with celebrating her homeland of Azerbaijan and the exquisite emotions of romantic longing.
Christopher Bernard reviews Toshi and Bernice Johnson Reagon’s operatic dramatization of Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, a novel that explores how we can find and generate community and meaning in dystopian times. The young heroine creates a spiritual path that reveres change.
Death and the accompanying grief are also forms of and catalysts for transformation when we attempt to recover and heal.
Chris Butler’s nihilistic pieces offer humorous responses to death. Kendall Snipper reflects on how our bodies will ultimately decay, or transform, back into other aspects of nature.
Michael Lee Johnson’s poetic speakers are full of vibrant life and movement, yet acquiescence to their inevitable deaths.
Boronova Sevinch reflects on her grief over nearly losing her Mom.
Robiul Awal Esa presents a tale of death at the hands of human cruelty, which cannot be undone even with clever poetic (musical?) justice.
Stagnation, being unable to move beyond an unpleasant status quo, is another cause of grief.
Arikewusola Abdul Awal highlights the grief of a young man trapped by tradition.
Combat veteran and poet Steven Croft writes of memories stirred by Putin’s long war in Ukraine. His work shows how war ages people and can become more than we can handle psychologically. Bruce Roberts also speaks to the absurdity of armed conflict through rhyming pieces about the Russian invasion.
Pat Doyne comments on the tragedy of gun violence in the USA.
Ibn Yushau remembers a sister shunned by her family for her choice of husband.
Clive Gresswell conveys stuck-ness in the face of physical and political realities through surrealist stylized poems meant to evoke feelings.
Z.I. Mahmud explicates the social satire of Gulliver’s Travels, lampooning human foibles that have lasted centuries.
J.J. Campbell relates his discomfort at being faced with reality, whether from potential partners on dating sites or from silent medical office waiting rooms.
Ian Copestick gripes about sarcastic bus drivers who are unpleasant, and not open to the journey of life.
Others write about vague anxiety, alienation, or other psychological griefs. Change can be scary as well as a welcome relief.
Leslie Lisbona relates a new experience that wasn’t as good as she expected.
David Kopaska-Merkel tells a clever story about an alien who returns home to a parallel but very different family life, who is out of place in both worlds.
Jahnavi Gogoi’s poems probe grief and solace and various kinds of lostness and being found again.
Azemina Krehic contributes a poetic lament for an abandoned lover.
Mesfakus Salahin’s speakers pine away for lost love and search for spiritual communion in the desert.
Texas Fontanella’s surrealist word kaleidoscope echoes modern struggles.
Sarah Daly speaks to our grief and our human efforts to overcome life’s challenges and finds poetry in everyday matters, such as showers and punctuation.
Noah Berlatsky probes Generation X’s lostness, being caught between the past and the future, between nature and technology.
On the other hand, Steve Brisendine makes peace with memories, crafting dream sequences within Midwestern towns. Places become superimposed on each other, confused but not frightening, evoking the comfort of the past.
On another hopeful note, Peter Cherches’ poems tell stories about a man who tries to do good but gets everything wrong, yet it works out.
John Tustin asks us to consider what is important and what we should notice in our everyday lives (squirrels!), and speculates on what will become memorable.
Duane Vorhees brings a curiosity about our place in the universe to his poetry. Do we really know what we know, where do we belong in the world?
Channie Greenberg’s monthly set of photos shows towns situated within nature, belonging and growing together with the local flora and fauna in an ecosystem. Wazed Abdullah also celebrates country village life in his poem.
John Culp calls our attention to the emotionally and spiritually transformative journey of love, and how each step along the way is worth it.
Mahbub Alam’s paired poems explore intense moments in nature (a cyclone near the coast) and in a blissful connection between people.
Maja Milojkovic exhorts her readers to wait for true and unselfish love and to celebrate it when it occurs.
John Brantingham relates a tale of love rekindled among prehistory.
Ammanda Moore’s short story narrator remembers an experience that helped her realize how she was open to a different way of loving.
Garret Schuelke reflects on love and respect earned and bestowed after death.
Gulsevar Xojamova offers up a paean to a mother’s constant love while Feruza Abdullayeva affirms the heroism of caring parents.
Ergash Masharipov relates how her loving mother inspires her to care for her future child, while Nozima Ulo’g’uva claims there is hope for the future thanks to the young and the mothers who raised them.
Turakhanova Mumtozbegim Bunyodjon highlights the young people creating the future of Uzbekistan through increased educational opportunities.
Some of this future is shown by academic research including Guzal Sunnatova and Sohiba Rahmanova’s history of an Islamic shrine in Uzbekistan and Atajanova Ogultuwakh Makhsadowna’s exposition of Annimarie Schimmel’s scholarship on Islam that showed that women and girls were respected and important.
Other Uzbek writers advocate inclusion and justice. Makhsadowna also highlights women and girls’ active roles in modern Uzbekistan and Feruz Sheraliyeva calls out stridently for an end to corruption.
Elsewhere, in Bangladesh, Mahbub Alam describes his experience at a professional development retreat on learning how to teach foreign languages. Publishing this essay de-centralizes English, reminding readers that it’s by far not the world’s only language, and further highlights education for all ages as an avenue for personal growth and cultural interchange.
Poetry from Garret Schuelke
The Graves of Heroes and Villains On my weekend vacation to Chicago, I revisited the graves of labor activists and leaders I've long admired, as well as the graves of two genuine, absolute monsters. On the hero side: the Haymarket Martyrs', Emma Goldman, Lucy Parsons, and all the other socialists, communists, anarchists, unionists, and other leftists buried in Forest Home Cemetery. On the villain side: Allan Pinkerton and George Pullman - the mercenary and the industrialist, whose actions and power decimated the poor and working class during their eras, buried in Graceland Cemetery. (Additionally, I also visited the grave of famous boxer Jack Johnson, and returned to the grave of Augustus Dickens, brother of Charles Dickens.) I remember part of a conversation I had with a Grand Rapids comedian on my podcast awhile back, where we basically agreed that leftists generally care more about their comrades - living and dead - than reactionaries do. Today, and yesterdays, grave visits reminded me of how right we were. The graves and monuments on Forest Home's "Radicals Row" are visited often, and are abound with tokens of respect, remembrance, and Love - flowers, coins, buttons, handwritten personal messages, and sometimes even discarded employee I.D.'s! There have been numerous gatherings, lectures, vigils, and even concerts in this area! People not only want to visit these comrades, they feel like they NEED to come here. They need to honor those who have passed, those that are struggling now, those who will join the fight in the future, and to honor themselves - to know that their lives are not futile. Pinkerton and Pullman's graves, on the other hand, show no such signs of visitations and affection. Parts of Pinkerton's grave, along with his family members, and agents who I guess were deemed worthy enough to be buried next to their boss, are so washed out now that you can barely make out some of the inscriptions. His grave had to be guarded 24/7 for some time after he passed because it was feared that the various peoples his organization oppressed, beaten, and murdered would dig him up and fuck with his corpse. You don't see the FBI, CIA, or other intelligence and "security" agencies coming by to pay respects to Allan's plot, even though they descend from his organization. Other than being known as historical, strike-breaking, union busting thugs, the only real time you hear of the Pinkerton's these days is when they're suing games companies like Rockstar for defaming their image by making them the bad guys in their games, or bands like Weezer for apparently infringing on their trademarks by titling one of their two great albums after a opera character who shares the same name. What a shitty legacy to have. (NOTE: this poem is largely made up of a Facebook post I made of this visit, and the best comment I got was "Pinkerton's went after Arthur Morgan too I’ll never forget") Pullman's grave is much better off, but then you remember that he had his lead casket encased in cement, steel rails, and even MORE cement, because he feared the workers he exploited and attacked would still be so pissed at him that, after he took a dirt nap, they would dig him up and fuck with his corpse. You won't ever see corporate maniacs like Musk or Bezos leaving flowers on Pullman's grave, despite their thought processes and business tactics descending from scumbags like him. You won't see your typical small business tyrant looking up to Pullman as a hero, even though they have the same desire to control their workers, as well as their communities if it'll help them fill their pockets. And you certainly won't see these sigma grindset, alpha male motivational influencers cite Pullman as someone to emulate - and you can be sure these huskers have NEVER even heard of him - even though they share the same fiery motivation to be looked upon as capitalist deities. What a REALLY shitty legacy to have. TLDR: if you gain money and power by fucking over people, you won't be honored nor remembered, even by those whose emulate your actions in the far future. If you try to help mankind, even if you die early, penniless, and in pain, you will be honored, remembered, and Loved by those who continue the fight. Keep that in mind. (FINAL NOTE: Jack Johnson's grave was adorned with flowers, coins, and cigarettes, and Augustus Dickens had nothing, because who's gonna remember Charles Dickens brother other than literary nerds like me?) Garret Schuelke is the author of the GODAN series (Bakunin Incorporated), WHUP JAMBOREE: STORIES (Elmblad Media Group), and ANAMAKEE (Riot Forge Studios). He hosts The Garret Schuelke Podcast, and makes music under the moniker Neobeatglory. He currently resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and can be found on Twitter: @garretschuelke
Garret Schuelke is the author of the GODAN series (Bakunin Incorporated), WHUP JAMBOREE: STORIES (Elmblad Media Group), and ANAMAKEE (Riot Forge Studios). He hosts The Garret Schuelke Podcast, and makes music under the moniker Neobeatglory. He currently resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and can be found on Twitter: @garretschuelke