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In reply to the discussion: Obama signs order supporting Syria's rebels, reports say [View all]WCGreen
(45,558 posts)6. Look, for the last 50 years or so, we have supported the strongmen in the middle east...
We were behind Saddam, The Shah and anyone else who would keep their people quiet so we could get their oil.
Now that we are helping "liberate", loosely speaking, the people just might start recognizing that the US truly has their best interests in mind.
It's going to take a long time but the only way we can get the people in these countries into the 21st century is to get the idea of the strongman out of the way.
It won't take as long as we expect, once the control from the top is loosened and the people feel empowered and part of the country, have a legitimate stake in their country, they will look toward stability. The only way to get there is to get rid of the strongman mentality.
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I still can't see how the far left thinks that the people of the Middle East
UnrepentantLiberal
Aug 2012
#4
no and that is the point. It is naive to imagine that Syrians are all of one mind. They are deeply
Douglas Carpenter
Aug 2012
#12
no reliable poll that is for sure and that is the point. It is no more true that the Syrian "people"
Douglas Carpenter
Aug 2012
#13
It appears that minority groups will be executed first by the "freedom fighters"
indie9197
Aug 2012
#14
Liberals arguing that the U.S. should give weapons to Syrian rebels underestimate Assad's power
Douglas Carpenter
Aug 2012
#5
Look, for the last 50 years or so, we have supported the strongmen in the middle east...
WCGreen
Aug 2012
#6
you can't be serious. first, who are the fucking 'rebels'? have you looked into it?
HiPointDem
Aug 2012
#22
do nothing about *what*? there are people dying all over the world -- 6 million died in the wars
HiPointDem
Aug 2012
#28
One thing you forget about Africa is we have no staging ground to deploy troops from....
WCGreen
Aug 2012
#30
do you think the Saudis who are by far the biggest supporters of the opposition have the best
Douglas Carpenter
Aug 2012
#10
Tell me that getting Assad and his cronies out of Damascus wouldn't be better for Israel
WCGreen
Aug 2012
#19
There is no reason to believe that Sunni dominated militias running the country would be better for
Douglas Carpenter
Aug 2012
#24
Of course the CIA is being authorized to seek to depose Assad... and the explanation is simple
LooseWilly
Aug 2012
#15
+1. the best i can figure, all our official enemies are those who try to maintain some semblance
HiPointDem
Aug 2012
#16