Singularity
Infinite Density
Another country brought to its knees by its tribal cultural heritage. The affluent few vs the divided majority.
Oh, and what about the women and children killed by the rebels? Even this report from the Arab League observation team points describes that:
So, tell us, is it to be a race for who can kill the most women and children? With outside interventions to make sure that race gets prolonged for as long as possible until Syria too is destroyed?
Oh, and how did the "liberation of Libya" turned out? I hear they were shooting about in the capital yet again, seizing and torturing political enemies, etc... I'm sure most Syrians are just eager to have that kind of "liberty". It's so much better that what they had before, isn't it?
And if you were faced with the prospect of half a decade of sectarian civil war you might be singing a different tune, while Assad's offer to hold elections might seem like a bargain.
Furthermore, I don't think it's wise to uncritically support every element of the Syrian opposition. Some of what's going on is genuinely democratic ( the part we should support ), but there are also sectarian elements that have crawled their way to positions of influence. There has been a lot of racist rhetoric directed against Alawites or calling for genocide against Alawites, alongside other polarizing sectarian rhetoric.
My fear is that a Western intervention leading to civil war will only strengthen militant groups at the cost of marginalizing the grass-roots democratic movement. As in Iraq and Libya, it's militant sectarian groups like Al-Qaeda that benefit the most from armed conflict.
Islamic extremism... in Syria? No way. Syria has a sizable Christian minority with all the Muslims being divided between Sunni's (80%) and Alawites (20%). Should Islamic extremists become the most powerful faction in a hypothetical Post-Assad Syria, there won't be any regime at all.
And before you go to accuse Western powers of hypocrisy, the US eventually did drop Mubarak.
Nope. Actually why are you talking about slavery at all? Most of sexual workers enter business out of their own will because for a lot of people it is only way to raise decent money if one have no other special decenly-paid skills.Wait, did you try and justify sexual slavery?
Islamic extremism... in Syria? No way.
Syria has a sizable Christian minority with all the Muslims being divided between Sunni's (80%) and Alawites (20%). Should Islamic extremists become the most powerful faction in a hypothetical Post-Assad Syria, there won't be any regime at all.
Y'know, if you keep talking like this, people aren't going to realisethat your avatar is supposed to be a joke.
Did you ever hear what Goebbels said about "abolishing 1789"? Seems like you too would have a lot to talk about.What does "inherently" "undemocratic" and "repressive" exactly means? Did God said a country should be "democratic"? And if we are talking about biological nature of human where does "inherent multipartying" resides in human brain?
I don't really follow; how is Arab nationalism "radically different" than any other nationalism? Just because the nation-state they wanted to construct didn't exist yet- hadn't been unified when they got there, as was the case in Germany and Italy- doesn't mean that they weren't ultranationalist. If anything, I'd say it's the underlying ideological structure which they most share with the fascists, and it's their policies, with the heavy Arab Socialist influence, that make Ba'athism distinct.I would hesitate to call Ba'athism 'fascist', at least if we are following the example of Italian Fascism. While many of their policies were outwardly similar to Fascism, the underlying ideology was radicaly different. Italian Fascism was focused on the greatness of the country. Ba'athism, on the other hand, was a political group made up of Arab Nationalists (at least initialy) who emphasized the greatness of the Arabs in general (the UAR for example).
Yeah, this is the sort of thing I mean- openly sympathising with fascists and then calling it "sense" is the sort of thing I mean. I'd cut back it on you. Makes you look a tad shady.You mean if I keep talking some sense, instead of that idealist nonsense other people cling to?
Yeah, this is the sort of thing I mean- openly sympathising with fascists and then calling it "sense" is the sort of thing I mean. I'd cut back it on you. Makes you look a tad shady.
Syria has relatively more Christians than Egypt has. And trying is something entirely else than succeeding. Hezbollah could never solely exercise power in Lebanon, for example, as they would face opposition from all non-Muslims and Muslims who do not agree with them (and yes, these exist).So? Egypt has a sizable Christian minority as well, so does Lebanon, the Palestinians and many other majority Muslim countries. That has never stopped the Islamists from trying to seize power.
The Alawites are an exception because the French colonial régime made sure the French Syrian military had an Alawite majority in the officer corps, making Syria easier to manage for the French. When the French left, the religious make-up of the officer corps remained. Eventually, the Alawites became the ruling minority when that same Alawite officer corps committed a military coup in Syria and installed a military régime with (surprise! surprise!) the Alawite Hafiz al-Assad as its leader.And what are you trying to say anyway, that because Sunni Muslims don't have 99% majority, there can't possibly be an islamist regime in Syria? You are really saying that knowing that the Alawites have managed to stay in power with their repressive regime for so long, despite them being a very small minority?
Syria has relatively more Christians than Egypt has.
So now that China and Russian have vetoed the UN resolution, apparently do to trade reasons, where exactly does this put us?
Does this give the Regime the opportunity to increase the killing, knowing Putin has their backs?
No. It gives the Saudi Arabia - US - Qatar alliance the opportunity to send more weapons and fighters into Syria so as try to escalate the thing into a full-blown civil war and then attack Syria regardless of the UN.
Loaded questions - aren't they nice?
Intentionally or not, you are misrepresenting my position. I observe the events and discuss the possibilities, but you don't see me crying out for foreign intervention or civil war, which is the worst thing that can happen. I hope we can have a sensible discussion on this since you sounds like a pretty smart guy, but it doesn't help when you're constantly framing me (and everyone else who takes a different position than you, for that matter) as an immoral colonialist warmonger who wants another Libya. Did I say the rebels were goodies? No, I didn't as you well know. Also, see below.
The country is divided, but a majority (55%) want Assad to stay in power.
I hate to nitpick, but 55% is not a majority, it is a plurality. A majority is generally considered to be 66% or higher.
Of course Assad still needs to step down even if he has popular support. His inept leadership is contributing to the further destabilization of the region, which is against global interests. In my opinion, global interests trump national interests every time.
I hate to nitpick, but 55% is not a majority, it is a plurality. A majority is generally considered to be 66% or higher.
majority
noun, plural -ties.
1.
the greater part or number; the number larger than half the total ( opposed to minority): the majority of the population.