The Tunisians and Egyptians have had some elections. That’s a start. In fact, I’d say Tunisia pretty much has democracy now. We can’t say the same for Egypt until the Army lets go of the state – but the people still seem to think they’re better off now than under Mubarak.
[QUOTE=Frank]
Why would we otherwise support an overthrow of Assad?
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I don’t think we are supporting the overthrow of Assad, so much, as opposed to the whole slaughtering of civilians thingy. Certainly that’s the basic Euro position, even if you don’t think the US and the current administration ever thinks of stuff like that.
Sure…sort of like what we did in Libya. Again, I don’t think we are wanting the overthrow of Assad so much as for him and his merry men to stop the slaughter and let us get back to Pawn Stars. If Syria was able to keep things under wraps I’d say we’d be perfectly happy with Assad keeping on keeping on…after all, we aren’t exactly pissed off at the Iranians once they managed to brutally put down their own population to the point that it was out of the news, right?
Certainly…but our public, and especially the European public is more sensitive to stuff like what’s happening in Syria atm than the general Russia public. Especially when you consider that the average Russian politician doesn’t care as much about public opinion on stuff like this (and that I doubt the average Russia is really following what’s going on in Syria with the same level of media detail that the average American and the average European is).
I disagree. Our stance and that of our European allies is basically to stop the slaughter…what comes after that comes. Syria is not ever going to be an ally of ours, regardless of what happens, and they don’t have enough oil or strategic real estate to really worry us. They aren’t, for instance, going to buy tanks and jet fighters from the US…or the UK either (perhaps the French, but not anyone else).
-XT
You mean that something like the slaughter in Libya of Qaddaffi supporters will be fine with us?
Have you noticed a lot in the news after the Kaddaffi duck took the long drop? My guess is that when Assad goes we and the Europeans will have our public attention shift with a sigh and a general warming of our collective hearts. Look at Egypt (though we had little to do with that, at least not directly)…it’s pretty bad there atm, but you don’t see much about it these days because the Bad Guys are out of power and The People are in charge. In theory.
-XT
A revolution is not a dinner party.
Sure, absolutely. Why then are your blog posts focused on the horribleness of a government putting down a revolution? Should not rebels expect opposition from the government?
Well, it ain’t exactly a moral equivalency, is it?
You supported, of course, the White Russians.
No, thanks, I’m driving.