Wish I Were Here

10/22/2025

Almost ready for the artwalk , October 25-26, Saturday & Sunday @ 602 Moulton Ave . Los Angeles

06/24/2025

So proud of my nephew, Barlas Özgen, for graduating from his high school as the valedictorian and cant wait to what he accomplishes next ❤️ 🧿

04/12/2025

Metin Dayım ❤️

03/30/2025

01/20/2025

According to the theory of anacyclosis, civilizations are like living organisms: they are born, grow, mature, stagnate, and eventually collapse—only for the cycle to start anew. The theory outlines seven stages of political evolution:

Anarchy: A period of chaos in the absence of institutions and systems.
Kingship: A strong, competent leader emerges to bring order, earning the people’s respect and consolidating power.
Tyranny: Corruption arises as subsequent rulers misuse power or lack competence.
Aristocracy: A group of elites overthrows the tyrant and collectively governs the state.
Oligarchy: Over time, aristocrats become selfish and corrupt.
Democracy: The people revolt against oligarchy, establishing a government based on rights and freedoms.
Mob Rule (Ochlocracy): Democracy degenerates as corrupt demagogues manipulate the system, leading back to chaos.
The cycle then restarts with a new leader emerging to restore order.
The Greek historian Polybius argued that the Roman Republic might be immune to anacyclosis, safeguarding itself from collapse through a system of checks and balances. Rome’s strength lay in its institutions and laws that divided power effectively.

However, Polybius lived during the golden age of the Roman Republic in 2nd century BC and couldn’t foresee its transformation into an empire. Over time, unchecked power increasingly fell into the hands of tyrants or even deranged emperors like Commodus. With the balance of power broken, even a thousand-year-old world power like Rome ultimately fell.

One could argue that the last century marked the golden age of the United States in terms of power. But as it approaches its 250th year, how will it test or succumb to the theory of anacyclosis?

01/08/2025

2 0 2 5

01/08/2025

Irony burns brighter than the flames. Yesterday, reading Amber Passage (Kehribar Geçidi) by —a tale of a world in flux—felt hauntingly timely with an upcoming Trump presidency poised to transform the U.S. and perhaps the world. In the novel, the Roman Empire collapses at its most invincible moment, the Vatican rises from its ashes, yet power dynamics remain unchanged.
Tonight, as LA burns—possibly the too, with its irreplaceable Roman antiquities—we’re reminded once again that what feels eternal isn’t. Like Rome on fire, we seems to be on the brink of our own transformation. Mourning what we stand to lose. “We invent history to ease our fear.”