Crisis in Syria

[zakisrage]

As you might have heard, it's getting really bad in Syria. Their dictator al-Assad is getting extremely repressive. There are a lot of violent clashes between the government supporters and the opponents. The United Nations is putting sanctions on Syria. A lot of people are being made refugees. In Lebanon, for example, there are thousands of Syrian refugees, many of whom really need good housing.

I feel sorry for the Syrian people. I think they deserve a better leader than the pretentious jerk who runs the country now. And it doesn't help that a lot of the people are poor. al-Assad lived a life of luxury while people were working their rear ends off for minimal wages.

The problem is that Syria and many other Muslim countries have bad leadership - too many of their politicians care more about hating America or wiping Israel off the face of the map than helping their own people have better lives. Sure the people aren't starving, but a lot of people work for very little. Many of the workers (especially the women) live on insufficient wages. It's problems like these that make it harder for democracy to establish itself.

To make things even worse, this chaos encourages Islamic extremists like al-Qaeda to start bombing people. And they have carried out attacks. It's just like what went on in Iraq and Afghanistan - terrorists take advantage of the disaster and kill innocent people.

What do you guys think of the whole thing about Syria? Do you hope the Syrians can get rid of their dictator?

For more on Syria: BBC News - Syria Conflict

 

[Robo-Floatzel]

Civil Wars can go on for very long periods of time, the American Civil war lasted from 5-6 years, the Syrian civil war has been going on for 17 months, and it was at it's absolute worst in August.

To be fair, the Muslim world has ALWAYS had some conflict in it for the past several centuries now, between the repressive and greedy leaders who are often obsessed with their religion and treat the people who practice religions other than Islam like absolute dirt, as well as the poor living conditions (most of them are in hot deserts), and the constant human-rights violations such as the way they treat women. And with each year, it's gotten worse, especially since Isreal's independence in 1948, the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the World Trade Center attacks in 2001, and most recently, the Benghazi Embassy attacks, something HAS to change in the Middle East, it's gotten to the point where you can't even live in the area.

We have no idea what is going to happen next, but I can tell you this, that the conflict in the Middle East is eventually going to end up causing a grand scale war (World War III or something on that level) across the Middle East at this rate...

 

[Kessel]

Evacuate as many troops and citizens as you can and nuke the god damn place. Less people will die like this than if you let it go for the next 5 years.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

Evacuate as many troops and citizens as you can and nuke the god damn place. Less people will die like this than if you let it go for the next 5 years.

Then you have the issue of, like, nuclear devastation and stuff.

 

[Eredar Warlock]

Turkey PM's office says Turkish artillery fired on Syria after shelling of Turkish town | Fox News

ISTANBUL – The office of Turkey's prime minister says Turkish artillery has fired on Syrian targets after deadly shelling from the Syrian side hit a Turkish border town.

The Turkish statement says the artillery fired "on points in Syria that were detected with radar, in line with the rules of engagement."

The artillery fire on Wednesday followed shelling, believed to be from Syrian government forces that hit the Turkish village of Akcakale. A Turkish ruling party official says five people died.

And now there's this.

Honestly, I've gotten the impression that Turkey has been licking its chops at this civil war and is looking to snatch up a piece of its old Ottoman Empire holdings. They may be playing a part in helping the rebels.

 

[Archaic]

Considering that Turkey is a stable democratic and secular republic....I'd actually have little problem with that. The country has its issues, many issues, but compared to the rest of the region they're head and shoulders above them.

 

[Caitlin]

From what I've been hearing, Turkey is only interested in its national security and keeping its borders protected. They're going to be mobilizing troops, but I don't think they're going to use them unless their own nation is threatened by the war.

Syria's officials are apologizing profusely as well. Both are trying to shrug it under the carpet it seems.

 

[Nero the Giant Whiscash]

Civil Wars can go on for very long periods of time, the American Civil war lasted from 5-6 years, the Syrian civil war has been going on for 17 months, and it was at it's absolute worst in August.

Its actually lasted from April 12, 1861 – May 9, 1865 (by declaration)
(4 years, 3 weeks and 6 days)
(last shot fired June 22, 1865)

I also read somewhere and heard on the news as well now that most of the syrian rebels are actually now Freedom fighters from radical Islamic fundamentalist organizations such as Hezbollah, al quada and few more with the goal that after assad is gone they' ll seize control of the country and turn it into Islamic state with safe haven for those organizations . And as strange as sounds and i know i probably going start a firestorm here but the us, NATO and the UN should either stay out of it or support ASSAD to crush the rebellion because its safer for the world to have him in power then the alternative. .

 

[Robo-Floatzel]

Civil Wars can go on for very long periods of time, the American Civil war lasted from 5-6 years, the Syrian civil war has been going on for 17 months, and it was at it's absolute worst in August.

Its actually lasted from April 12, 1861 – May 9, 1865 (by declaration)
(4 years, 3 weeks and 6 days)
(last shot fired June 22, 1865)

I also read somewhere and heard on the news as well now that most of the syrian rebels are actually now Freedom fighters from radical Islamic fundamentalist organizations such as Hezbollah, al quada and few more with the goal that after assad is gone they' ll seize control of the country and turn it into Islamic state with safe haven for those organizations . And as strange as sounds and i know i probably going start a firestorm here but the us, NATO and the UN should either stay out of it or support ASSAD to crush the rebellion because its safer for the world to have him in power then the alternative. .

Just when we give full support to the rebels, we learn they're also the bad guys, so now Syria has only two choices: Bad or Worse, we don't want Al Qaeda to have a country of its own to rule like Nazi Germany was, so it's better that America and NATO would have to support Assad's regime or stay out entirely.