Türkiye’de makarna tüketiminin son on yılda yaklaşık %65 artmış olması, yüzeysel bir okuma için yalnızca bir gıda istatistiğidir. Ancak bu veri, doğru yerden bakıldığında, bir toplumun ekonomik olarak nasıl daraltıldığını, bu daralmanın nasıl yönetildiğini ve daha kritik olanı nasıl normalleştirildiğini gösteren yoğunlaşmış bir göstergedir.
It's not about the pasta.
It's not a matter of choice.
The issue is the elimination of the preference field.
The Decline in Consumption: Not a Silent Collapse, but a Planned Redefinition
In modern societies, well-being is measured not only by income levels but also by the variety of goods available for consumption. Meat, milk, protein, vegetables, fruit… The availability of these items determines a society’s true standard of living.
In Turkey, however, what has happened over the past decade is not a contraction; it is a downward redefinition.
- Dietary diversity has decreased
- Protein intake has decreased
- A carbohydrate-rich diet has become widespread
This is not a technical “shift in consumption preferences.”.
This is a systematic erosion of the standard of living.
What is even more critical, however, is this:
People no longer notice this decline; in fact, they have come to accept it.
At this point, economic data becomes psychological data.
Presenting Necessity as a Choice: Ideology in Its Purest Form
Today in Turkey, poverty is not only being experienced; it is also being reimagined.
- “Practical Kitchen”
- “Economic Tariffs”
- “Meals That Fill You Up With Just a Few Ingredients”
On the surface, this statement seems innocent. But at its core, it does the following:
It presents necessity as a choice.
People eat pasta because:
- Meat is expensive
- Dairy products are unavailable
- A balanced diet is a luxury
But the narrative goes like this:
“A new lifestyle”
This is the most refined form of ideology.
Because people start to think they’re making a choice, not that they’re being forced.
Karl Marx and the Updated Form of Exploitation
Classical Marxist analysis is based on the exploitation of labor.
However, the process currently unfolding in Turkey represents a further stage of this.
It is no longer just labor that is being exploited.
The standard of living is also declining.
So here's what the system does:
“I’m paying you a low wage, but I’ve created a world where you can now make a living on that low wage.”
This is the optimized form of exploitation.
Pasta isn't a product here;
It is a material symbol of the new standard of living.
Antonio Gramsci and the Construction of Consent
No government can survive by force alone.
The real issue is that people accept their circumstances.
This is the ruling party’s greatest achievement in Turkey:
As people become poorer, they do not view this as a crisis,
“has come to view it as ”the norm of life.”.
This consent is derived from the following concepts:
- Patience
- Thank God
- Opinion
These concepts are not economic.
But it serves as the ideological safeguard of the economic system.
They won't solve the problem of poverty.
They make him invisible.
Michel Foucault and the Discipline of Everyday Life
Modern governments do not impose bans.
It sets boundaries.
Today in Turkey, this boundary has been established in the kitchen:
- Meat is a luxury
- Milk is hard to come by
- The Seasonal Benefits of Vegetables
This is not a ban.
But it is a de facto border.
People seem to think that the market no longer determines what they can eat.
In reality, however, it is political economy that determines the outcome.
This is an invisible form of governance.
The Tangibility of Power: Names and Responsibility
Making this process anonymous means making it appear natural.
There are key players driving this process in Turkey:
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
- Mehmet Şimşek
The language used is technical:
- “Rationalization”
- “Tightening”
- “Balance”
But the conclusion is clear:
Large segments of society have been forced to make do with less.
And this situation is not temporary; it is being made permanent.
The Opposition: A Policy of Silence and Compliance
This is where the real turning point begins.
This achievement is not solely due to the government.
It is also a failure of the opposition.
The opposition in Turkey:
- It has failed to identify poverty
- Even if he did identify it, he was unable to translate it into political language
- It has often accepted the economic framework set by the government
The biggest problem is this:
The opposition objects to the system's results
but it does not question the system itself.
In other words, it says:
“We’ll manage it better”
But it doesn't say this:
“This system is wrong”
This difference determines the fate of politics.
Cultural Production and the Aesthetics of Poverty
Today, the media and social media do more than just produce content.
It creates reality.
- “Ways to Make Ends Meet on the Minimum Wage”
- “Tips for Shopping on a Budget”
- “Budget-friendly kitchen”
These are not solutions.
It is an adjustment mechanism.
People are taught the following:
“The system won’t change. You’ll have to adapt.”
At this point, politics ceases to exist.
Instead, individual survival techniques come into play.
The Erasure of Class: The Most Dangerous Ideological Operation
This is where the most critical transformation takes place.
People don't ask this anymore:
“Why am I getting poorer?”
Instead, he asks this:
“How do I manage?”
This change is no small matter.
This is a narrowing of consciousness.
Because at this point:
- Poverty seems like an individual problem
- The system becomes invisible
This is the ultimate triumph of ideology.
Normalization: The Final Stage of the Crisis
The most dangerous thing for a society is not a crisis.
Crises are temporary.
The real danger is this:
The crisis is returning to normal.
Turkey has crossed that threshold today.
As people are now consuming less:
- He doesn't get angry
- Doesn't question
- Accepts
The crisis won't end at this point.
It settles.
The Opposition’s Second Biggest Mistake: Lack of Demands
The opposition’s biggest weakness is not just the economy.
It is a lack of demand.
He was unable to tell the public the following:
“You can ask for more”
On the contrary, he has often repeated the following:
“That’s the best we can do under these circumstances”
This is another version of the government's narrative.
And the most dangerous thing is this:
Society eventually forgets to demand.
Conclusion: Pasta Is Not a Food, It Is a Boundary
The increase in pasta consumption is not a fact.
It is a border.
This limit determines the following:
- What can you eat?
- How can you live?
- What can you ask for?
And more importantly:
What you cannot demand
SOLUTION: Not a Technical Breakthrough, but a Political and Conscious One
To correct this table:
- A pay raise isn't enough
- A decline in inflation is not enough
Because the problem isn't economic;
It is a way of understanding the economy.
1. The normalization must be broken
People should ask themselves again:
“Why should I settle for less?”
2. The class should be made visible again
Poverty is not an individual problem; it is structural.
3. Politics must return
What is needed is not individual adaptation, but collective demand.
4. Cultural hegemony must be broken
“Making do with little” is often not a virtue, but a strategy.
Karl Marx would have defined this as exploitation.
Antonio Gramsci called this the production of consent.
Michel Foucault would have said that this is a technique of power.
In today’s Turkey, all three are in effect at the same time.
And it's not about pasta.
The point is this:
People are learning not to want more.
Because when a society loses its sense of purpose,
The government does not control it—
sets limits for him.