Syrian unrest

Its easy for us to look at his kind of thing in disgust etc... but I wonder how our governments would handle a sustained uprising coupled with mass anti government demonstrations, as well as vandalism of government property and rioting of shops, in a sustained campaign of civil resistance, supported by armed extremist groups who use the chaos to launch attacks on police and soldiers.

 

Here in the U.S when this happens the media is used to paint the protestors as racist, ignorant, and possible terrorists. They also will make fun of their name as a means to try to marginalize them.

 

As much as all people who hate totalitarianism are loathe to admit it, Shoshino has a very valid point. Peaceful demonstrations and pacifistic civil disobedience notwithstanding, once demonstrators get violent, it's a different story. If people tried that crap in any Western Democracy, the government's response might be a little more restrained, but they would still use lethal force at some point if order wasn't forthcoming.

Trouble is, IIRC Syria isn't a democracy, and is a pretty brutal place if you don't conform to a narrow set of parameters. I find it hard to muster too much sympathy for the government. Maybe if they tried not being totalitarian douches their citizenry mught be happier and less likely to kick up a fuss.

 

@ Shoshino - I'd say the most important part is who started it. I'd say there will always be a few hotheads during massive demonstrations, but if the government uses force en masse to stop the protests, it leaves the protesters only two options - either back down and give up, or respond in kind. I'd say in Syria they didn't want to back down.

 

Most protests turn nasty, the recent few in the UK are a perfect example, the job of the security forces is to control a crowd through intimidation and force.

 

In Egypt, Mubarak is facing trial, it seems. If I were the President of Syria, I'd say: "The writing is on the wall here -- either I smash this and regain power, or I will end up dangling from a noose, regardless of if I surrender or go down fighting. I'd rather go down fighting!"

Some foreign power should offer him and his cronies sanctuary -- not out of concern for his life or the lives of his cronies, but in the interests of saving the lives of those protestors and revolutionaries who will most assuredly be killed in the next days and weeks.

 

Or he can leave while the going is still good, and hide with the money in some third world (or even first-world) country that doesn't have much of an extradition policy. Quite a few ex-dictators have gone that way.

If he can be bought off for a decent enough sum, I won't cry a river for the missed justice, but I think he can take more himself.

 

The events in london have given a bit of insight here... to what I said earler. There is massive riots and violence here, and the public opinion of these is quite low. Ive actively heared from alot of people even people on the radio saying "these people should be shot".... interesting... these people only a few short weeks ago were denouncing the shooting of violent demonstrators in syria. So, now that weve got this kind of thing closer to home... its ok to shoot people?