What was Syria like before the war • Hacker News Board

Re: What was Syria like before the war

#211

Post by dang » Sat, May 27, 2017, 4:57 AM UTC

RandVal30141 wrote: post #4

"I wish there were more definite sources detailing what the actual conflict is about. " The death of Hamza Khateeb[1] comes to mind. Political and civil unrest was already underway, but the open violence against civilians including children sent Syria down a path. The government butchered that child among others caught for demonstrations or showing dissent. "The attitude of the government against the people of Syria…

We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14408068 and marked it off-topic.

Re: What was Syria like before the war

#212

Post by varjag » Sat, May 27, 2017, 6:05 PM UTC

jansho wrote: post #103

varjag wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The less Arab revolutions were stomped on, the more favorable was the outcome. The progression from Tunisa through Egypt and Lybia to Syria is quite evident. What's really surreal is so many people in the (still relatively free) West denying basic agency to their fellow human beings in the Middle East.

> so many people in the (still relatively free) West denying basic agency to their fellow human beings Because there's a lot of cynicism with charities and foreign aid. There is an active campaign here in Britain to reduce the latter and anecdotally, I have friends and relatives who refuse to donate to aid agencies because they believe that the whole thing is a sham. Sure there's bureaucracy, but most of them are gen…

Agency as having their own interests and following their own agenda, it has nothing to do with charity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agency_(sociology)

For example the view professed here by you and the GP, that Arabs should have quietly suffered in their dictatorship without right to dissent, is denying the agency.

Re: What was Syria like before the war

#213

Post by adsfqwop » Sat, Jun 03, 2017, 11:52 PM UTC

mpfundstein wrote: post #161

adsfqwop wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It doesn't make any sense, unless you realize that the deep state wants to destabilize Syria and dethrone Assad by force. Then suddenly the narrative we're being offered starts making more sense. And I stress the word narrative, as in "story".

Sorry for my ignorance but what is the 'deep state' . Never heard of it.

Late reply. Not sure if you will see this, but think of it as the part of the government that doesn't change with the new administration. That is very much simplified, but gives you some idea.

You think some greenhorn administration comes in and says how things are done? No, the deep state makes the rules. They know the game, they have played it forever, they make the rules. What changes every four years is just a facade.