# Syria In Line to Become Another Libya **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics and Social Issues\ **Created:** [December 10, 2024, 3:58am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253 "2024-12-10T03:58:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![thatoneguy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/thatoneguy/32/28536_2.png) [@thatoneguy](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/thatoneguy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 3:58am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/1 "2024-12-10T03:58:35Z")
[https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/syria-rebels-celebrate-captured-homs-set-sights-damascus-2024-12-07/](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/syria-rebels-celebrate-captured-homs-set-sights-damascus-2024-12-07/) Nobody expected this…The Assad regime that ruled Syria since the 70s is done. The winners are a Jihadist Sunni rebel group. Syria was one of the few relatively stable Middle Eastern countries only because of that regime, oddly enough. Now, all hell will break loose. ---
**Author:** ![coffee](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/coffee/32/28536_2.png) [@coffee](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/coffee)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 2:16pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/2 "2024-12-10T14:16:53Z")
Is today opposite day? “For Syrians, it brought a sudden unexpected end to a war in deep freeze for years, with hundreds of thousands dead, cities pounded to dust and an economy hollowed by global sanctions.” ---
**Author:** ![lausten](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/lausten/32/23705_2.png) [@lausten](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/lausten)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 2:22pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/3 "2024-12-10T14:22:03Z")
> [@coffee](#): > > Is today opposite day? Just like every day is, since “1984”. “Stable” means the people complaining about oppression are being tortured in prison. ---
**Author:** ![thatoneguy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/thatoneguy/32/28536_2.png) [@thatoneguy](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/thatoneguy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2024, 3:08am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/4 "2024-12-11T03:08:07Z")
Of course the civil war was terrible, but the Assad regime was in power since 1971. For the first 40 years of that regime Syria was quite stable. ---
**Author:** ![coffee](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/coffee/32/28536_2.png) [@coffee](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/coffee)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2024, 1:16pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/5 "2024-12-11T13:16:22Z")
> [@thatoneguy](#): > > Assad regime was in power since 1971. Oh, when Assad was a six year old? Makes sense. WTF Daddy dictator was not stable. ---
**Author:** ![lausten](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/lausten/32/23705_2.png) [@lausten](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/lausten)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2024, 2:32pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/6 "2024-12-11T14:32:36Z")
Some fake news > **[After decades of brutal rule, Bashar al-Assad’s regime has been toppled....](https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/09/middleeast/syria-assad-rebels-explainer-intl-hnk/index.html)** > > Long-suffering Syrians have been rejoicing in the streets after one of the world’s most brutal dictatorships suddenly crumbled in a few short weeks. ---
**Author:** ![coffee](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/coffee/32/28536_2.png) [@coffee](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/coffee)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2024, 2:49pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/7 "2024-12-11T14:49:34Z")
Right. There has been no stability. I know that Jolani is seen as a terrorist by the US, but he is saying that he is a moderate who wants everyone to be free. We’ll see if there is any truth behind his words. But even if he is sincere, others around him can disrupt matters at any time. That’s the nature of sects. ---
**Author:** ![thatoneguy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/thatoneguy/32/28536_2.png) [@thatoneguy](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/thatoneguy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 3:39am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/8 "2024-12-12T03:39:05Z")
I forgot that most here don’t know anything about the Middle East and don’t bother to know. > **[Hafez al-Assad | Biography, Facts, Religion, & Son | Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hafiz-al-Assad)** > > Hafez al-Assad, president of Syria (1971–2000) who brought stability to the country and established it as a powerful presence in the Middle East. After his death in 2000, Assad was succeeded by his son Bashar. Learn more about Hafez al-Assad’s life... I’ll break it down Barney style for you – Bashar Assad – the guy that ruled Syria until a few days ago – was the second leader of the Assad regime. His dad, Hafez, took over in the 70s and turned Syria from a medieval backwater into a fairly modern country. He died in 2000 and Bashar replaced him. The good times lasted until 2011 when the civil war began. ---
**Author:** ![lausten](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/lausten/32/23705_2.png) [@lausten](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/lausten)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 8:35am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/9 "2024-12-12T08:35:08Z")
> [@thatoneguy](#): > > into a fairly modern country. If you define modern as “Political dissenters were eliminated by arrest, torture, and execution”, which is kind of accurate, and put “stability” above human rights, then sure. ---
**Author:** ![write4u](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/write4u/32/23410_2.png) [@write4u](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/write4u)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 10:10am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/10 "2024-12-12T10:10:49Z")
> [@lausten](#): > > If you define modern as “Political dissenters were eliminated by arrest, torture, and execution”, which is kind of accurate, and put “stability” above human rights, then sure. But it does not make a “modern” country. ---
**Author:** ![lausten](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/lausten/32/23705_2.png) [@lausten](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/lausten)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 10:39am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/11 "2024-12-12T10:39:54Z")
I was being sarcastic. Obvs. ---
**Author:** ![thatoneguy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/thatoneguy/32/28536_2.png) [@thatoneguy](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/thatoneguy)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 3:42am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/12 "2024-12-13T03:42:52Z")
> [@lausten](#): > > > [@thatoneguy](#): > > > > into a fairly modern country. > > If you define modern as “Political dissenters were eliminated by arrest, torture, and execution”, which is kind of accurate, and put “stability” above human rights, then sure. The Middle East can’t be judged by Western standards. A strongman leader who kills his political enemies and puts his relatives into positions of power is Middle East 101. There’s never going to be a leader in the region who doesn’t do that. However, if that leader also builds infrastructure, clamps down on sectarian violence, educates the population and keeps his country open to the world, he can be somewhat forgiven for the other things he does. ---
**Author:** ![morgankane01](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/morgankane01/32/28536_2.png) [@morgankane01](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/morgankane01)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 6:47am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/13 "2024-12-13T06:47:18Z")
> [@thatoneguy](#): > > A strongman leader who kills his political enemies and puts his relatives into positions of power is Middle East 101. There’s never going to be a leader in the region who doesn’t do that. However, if that leader also builds infrastructure, clamps down on sectarian violence, educates the population and keeps his country open to the world, he can be somewhat forgiven for the other things he does. A leader who acts so will get big trouble from his population. ---
**Author:** ![write4u](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/write4u/32/23410_2.png) [@write4u](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/write4u)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 10:15am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/14 "2024-12-13T10:15:45Z")
> [@thatoneguy](#): > > However, if that leader also builds infrastructure, clamps down on sectarian violence, educates the population and keeps his country open to the world, he can be somewhat forgiven for the other things he does. Yes, that’s what the Inquisition was all about. Let me quote you from their manual. > The 1578 edition of the Directorium Inquisitorum (a standard Inquisitorial manual) spelled out the purpose of inquisitorial penalties: … quoniam punitio non refertur primo & per se in correctionem & bonum eius qui punitur, sed in bonum publicum ut alij terreantur, & a malis committendis avocentur > _\> (translation: "… **for punishment does not take place primarily and per se for the correction and good of the person punished, but for the public good in order that others may become terrified and weaned away from the evils they would commit"** )_ ---
**Author:** ![lausten](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/lausten/32/23705_2.png) [@lausten](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/lausten)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 1:12pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/15 "2024-12-13T13:12:19Z")
AI overview An authoritarian personality is a personality type that is characterized by a tendency to respect and obey authority figures without question. People with an authoritarian personality may also: Have strong allegiance to authority figures \*Work to maintain the status quo \*Have low self-esteem \*Display authoritarian attitudes \*Desire power \*Resist input from others The term “authoritarian personality” originated from the writings of Erich Fromm. However, the concept was developed by psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley, who identified a cluster of traits associated with authoritarianism. These traits include: fascistic tendencies, anti-semitism, ethnocentrism, and political-economic conservatism. Scholars believe that authoritarianism has a significant influence on public opinion and political behavior. ---
**Author:** ![lausten](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/lausten/32/23705_2.png) [@lausten](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/lausten)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 1:49pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/16 "2024-12-13T13:49:59Z")
The fate that awaits the brutal/stable leader: Get dragged through the street like Ghaddafi or obscurity in Russia. > a leader who managed to commit the ultimate political sin: being both brutally authoritarian and unsuccessful Apparently stability pays well too. But, you don’t get to use the stable system for the average everyone, you have maintain a secret one, with all your stable friends and stablely transfer it to your your new stable dictatorship home. > To sustain his stay in Russia, Assad will likely be able to tap into some of his reported $2bn believed to be hidden around the world in offshore accounts and shell corporations. > **[Obscurity awaits Bashar al-Assad in Moscow after Putin offered personal...](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/13/obscurity-awaits-bashar-al-assad-in-moscow-after-putin-offered-personal-escape-route?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other)** > > Deposed Syrian president and his family are unlikely to live an extravagant lifestyle in Russia. Instead, they will probably be hidden away in a secluded estate, shielded from public view ---
**Author:** ![thatoneguy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/thatoneguy/32/28536_2.png) [@thatoneguy](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/thatoneguy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 3:07am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/17 "2024-12-16T03:07:46Z")
> [@morgankane01](#): > > > [@thatoneguy](#): > > > > A strongman leader who kills his political enemies and puts his relatives into positions of power is Middle East 101. There’s never going to be a leader in the region who doesn’t do that. However, if that leader also builds infrastructure, clamps down on sectarian violence, educates the population and keeps his country open to the world, he can be somewhat forgiven for the other things he does. > > A leader who acts so will get big trouble from his population. Sometimes. When that does happen it’s not for the reasons liberals would like. Keep in mind the group who defeated Assad are not going to make Syria better than it was. Tyrants are almost always replaced by other tyrants. ---
**Author:** ![lausten](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/lausten/32/23705_2.png) [@lausten](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/lausten)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 9:51am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/18 "2024-12-16T09:51:16Z")
> [@thatoneguy](#): > > Tyrants are almost always replaced by other tyrants. I believe that is an argument against tyrants. I have not defended the future actions of the rebels who overthrew Assad. ---
**Author:** ![thatoneguy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/thatoneguy/32/28536_2.png) [@thatoneguy](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/thatoneguy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 3:28am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/19 "2024-12-17T03:28:33Z")
True enough. It’s a shame for the people who can’t get away from tyrants. Then again, it’s also necessary for them. ---
**Author:** ![write4u](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.centerforinquiry.org/write4u/32/23410_2.png) [@write4u](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/write4u)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 6:26am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/syria-in-line-to-become-another-libya/11253/20 "2024-12-17T06:26:43Z")
> [@lausten](#): > > The term “authoritarian personality” originated from the writings of Erich Fromm. However, the concept was developed by psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley, who identified a cluster of traits associated with authoritarianism. These traits include: fascistic tendencies, anti-semitism, ethnocentrism, and political-economic conservatism. I really liked Fromm’s book “Operators and Things” . It made me see the psyche in a new light. [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/centerforinquiry/original/3X/f/1/f11e1773cb7907808e7ccd2d0c9d9b30a4f3544a.jpeg "Erich Fromm on Mental Health (1960)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhbSUeL-foU&t=1s)