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That's a good article about the Syrian Christians. I nearly sent it to Paul Craig Roberts. Try this one below.
Mr. Soft Heart or Brutal Tyrant? Anti-Assad Narrative Falls Apart at Seams
20:44 03.11.2015
The Western media narrative about brutal "dictator" Bashar al-Assad is falling apart at the seams, Australian academic Tim Anderson underscores, adding that the leader still enjoys high public support in Syria.
There is a huge gap between the Western ugly "caricature" of the Syrian President and the real political figure of Bashar al-Assad, Syria's popular secular leader, Tim Anderson, Senior Lecturer in Political Economy at the University of Sydney, notes.
That's why I like PCR so much, he completely wipes out his opponents. In the link below he completely silences the big mouth, Stefan Moleneux. Stefan pulls out all the old trusted worn out libertarian arguments, which PCR easily demolishes.
The Failure of Capitalism. PCR debates with Stefan Molyneux.
No one is frightened of the odd gunman. The 130 killed in Paris don't bother me, though obviously I sympathise with their relatives. The important point is that crazed white gunmen are not part of a plot to destroy Western civilisation and replace it with something else, like Islam. And Muslims make no secret that that's their ultimate aim. It's what the Koran tells them to do. For example Muslims have made strenuous efforts over the years at the UN to get all criticism of Islam banned. See:
Ralph: "And Muslims make no secret that that's their ultimate aim. It's what the Koran tells them to do."
Why then are Muslim Syrians, Muslim Lebanese, Muslim Iraqis, Muslim Kurds, Muslim Iranians trying to wipe this lunatic fringe out?
Johann Hari? The same Johann Hari who had to resign because he was found out to be a liar and a plagiariser? Given the low standards in journalism, having to resign for untrustworthiness is something.
Trump is a bigoted loudmouthed moron: Obama isn't an American Christian but a Kenyan-Indonesian Muslim, Mexicans are rapists, he publicly mocks a disabled man, Muslims shouldn't be allowed into the US (and how about those already in the US? Or those who serve in the military, or those who died fighting for their country?), and let's not forget that he wants "to bang his daughter". He is the full retard President that Dubya never quite was.
As I understand it -- and I am a Christian myself -- under the Assad régime, diverse Christian groups indluding Armenians, Allawites, Assyrians, Kurds, many Shias (including Imamis and Ismailis), and Druze essentially formed the core of Assad's (father and son) support, representing a large MINORITY of Syria's population. Assad's brutal régime, with its IMMENSE record of torture and oppression for decades of the Sunni majority, was in fact a reflection of groups that had, two/three generations earlier, suffered disproportionately under the genocidal actions of the Turkish state (and were terrified of the majority, possibly with some reason). Everybody knows about the Armenian genocide, but other groups, such as the Assyrians, were also the subject of genocidal actions, in 1914, 1919-1920, and 1933. Many of these groups found refuge in what is now Syria. I do not at all deny the mistreatment of Christians, but one also has to realize that this has been, to an extent, a two-way street: a lot of the abuse is "payback" for the Assad régime's extreme brutality. Nobody should be "punished" for their respective ethnic groups' putative "collective" sins, but I think one does the whole situation a disservice by giving a simplistic account of the oppression of Christians (however valid at this moment). If we want a solution and some stability, we have to look at the whole.
John, what you say is tempting, in a sense, but replacing repression with repression will only continue to fuel the anger of Sunni extremists.
I think that partition, or, perhaps, a highly decentralized federation like Switzerland's, may hold more promise. The Central state apparatus could be pluralistic (more than secular per se), with most government located at regional or canton level. A core of this would be a strong equalization system written into the Constitution and compulsary national service.
The Assad government was just as bad 20, 10, 5 years ago. I am no admirer of the Saudis, mind you. The question is the rapport de forces between different groups in Syria, and the pressure that NATO members and the Russians put on Turkey. Partition is possible on purely realist grounds. The question is what happens to Iraq, if a Sunni state or federal substate is legitimized in Eastern Syria. Looks pretty hopeless all round.
13 comments:
I can't resist posting this video. This is level stupidity running the government nowadays. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uErCCRaytU
If you showed on Donald's reality program prepared like that he's say you're fired in under 3 seconds.
More pictures:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2988670/Graphic-torture-photos-Syria-display-United-Nations.html
Look at this disgrace:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/us/san-bernardino-attacks-us-visa-process-tashfeen-maliks-remarks-on-social-media-about-jihad-were-missed.html
Should never have been allowed in....
If Trump becomes president, he will be told that there is a Great Game that must be played. Or else.
Fortress America would be easier if Canada were included. Border trade between US/CAN must not be hindered.
That's a good article about the Syrian Christians. I nearly sent it to Paul Craig Roberts. Try this one below.
Mr. Soft Heart or Brutal Tyrant? Anti-Assad Narrative Falls Apart at Seams
20:44 03.11.2015
The Western media narrative about brutal "dictator" Bashar al-Assad is falling apart at the seams, Australian academic Tim Anderson underscores, adding that the leader still enjoys high public support in Syria.
There is a huge gap between the Western ugly "caricature" of the Syrian President and the real political figure of Bashar al-Assad, Syria's popular secular leader, Tim Anderson, Senior Lecturer in Political Economy at the University of Sydney, notes.
Read more: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20151103/1029549034/assad-high-public-support-syria-elections.html#ixzz3uHpEH5b6
PC logic is great. It’s very easily mastered. It goes like this.
“Anyone who disagrees with me is motivated by “hate”, plus they’re a Nazi / xenophobe / bigot / racist etc etc.
I’m officially adopting PC logic from now on. So anyone who disagrees with me is a Nazi / bigot etc. Ergo I’m always right.
So my message to anyone who dares to disagree with me on this site from now on is: “shut up”.
That's why I like PCR so much, he completely wipes out his opponents. In the link below he completely silences the big mouth, Stefan Moleneux. Stefan pulls out all the old trusted worn out libertarian arguments, which PCR easily demolishes.
The Failure of Capitalism. PCR debates with Stefan Molyneux.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6_6tQCUanM4&ebc=ANyPxKr0xtcZTevMi5jOdWWIqWM7iT8XzkCc60o1PT4gvsHBrEqI1vrgYYdgnwHrsKt7NqTGA67UE8FF4pS6fcqNyKpoDmUuCQ
Auburn,
No one is frightened of the odd gunman. The 130 killed in Paris don't bother me, though obviously I sympathise with their relatives. The important point is that crazed white gunmen are not part of a plot to destroy Western civilisation and replace it with something else, like Islam. And Muslims make no secret that that's their ultimate aim. It's what the Koran tells them to do. For example Muslims have made strenuous efforts over the years at the UN to get all criticism of Islam banned. See:
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-why-should-i-respect-these-oppressive-religions-1517789.html
Ralph: "And Muslims make no secret that that's their ultimate aim. It's what the Koran tells them to do."
Why then are Muslim Syrians, Muslim Lebanese, Muslim Iraqis, Muslim Kurds, Muslim Iranians trying to wipe this lunatic fringe out?
Johann Hari? The same Johann Hari who had to resign because he was found out to be a liar and a plagiariser? Given the low standards in journalism, having to resign for untrustworthiness is something.
Trump is a bigoted loudmouthed moron: Obama isn't an American Christian but a Kenyan-Indonesian Muslim, Mexicans are rapists, he publicly mocks a disabled man, Muslims shouldn't be allowed into the US (and how about those already in the US? Or those who serve in the military, or those who died fighting for their country?), and let's not forget that he wants "to bang his daughter". He is the full retard President that Dubya never quite was.
As I understand it -- and I am a Christian myself -- under the Assad régime, diverse Christian groups indluding Armenians, Allawites, Assyrians, Kurds, many Shias (including Imamis and Ismailis), and Druze essentially formed the core of Assad's (father and son) support, representing a large MINORITY of Syria's population. Assad's brutal régime, with its IMMENSE record of torture and oppression for decades of the Sunni majority, was in fact a reflection of groups that had, two/three generations earlier, suffered disproportionately under the genocidal actions of the Turkish state (and were terrified of the majority, possibly with some reason). Everybody knows about the Armenian genocide, but other groups, such as the Assyrians, were also the subject of genocidal actions, in 1914, 1919-1920, and 1933. Many of these groups found refuge in what is now Syria. I do not at all deny the mistreatment of Christians, but one also has to realize that this has been, to an extent, a two-way street: a lot of the abuse is "payback" for the Assad régime's extreme brutality. Nobody should be "punished" for their respective ethnic groups' putative "collective" sins, but I think one does the whole situation a disservice by giving a simplistic account of the oppression of Christians (however valid at this moment). If we want a solution and some stability, we have to look at the whole.
Precisely.
John, what you say is tempting, in a sense, but replacing repression with repression will only continue to fuel the anger of Sunni extremists.
I think that partition, or, perhaps, a highly decentralized federation like Switzerland's, may hold more promise. The Central state apparatus could be pluralistic (more than secular per se), with most government located at regional or canton level. A core of this would be a strong equalization system written into the Constitution and compulsary national service.
The Assad government was just as bad 20, 10, 5 years ago. I am no admirer of the Saudis, mind you. The question is the rapport de forces between different groups in Syria, and the pressure that NATO members and the Russians put on Turkey. Partition is possible on purely realist grounds. The question is what happens to Iraq, if a Sunni state or federal substate is legitimized in Eastern Syria. Looks pretty hopeless all round.
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