“The people are sick of the war and hate the jihadists more than Assad,” - Survey - Polidicks

[quote]A report to NATO said Syrians have undergone a change of heart over the last six months. The change was seen most in the majority [B]Sunni[/B] community, which was long thought to have supported the revolt. “The Sunnis have no love for Assad, but the great majority of the community is withdrawing from the revolt,” the source said. [B]“What is left is the foreign fighters who are sponsored by Qatar and Saudi Arabia. They are seen by the Sunnis as far worse than Assad.”[/B][/quote] Read more @ [url=http://www.worldtribune.com/2013/05/31/nato-data-assad-winning-the-war-for-syrians-hearts-and-minds/]The World Tribune[/url] this is just proving Assad is right

Assad isn't right, neither are the rebels, but let's not pretend Assad is not a terrible leader and human being. He deserved a revolution, just not this one.

Maybe not the second part (I think everyone hates them equally), but I think many (including people all over the world) are sick of the war. I met some guy from Syria while on holiday, he was so jaded with everything it was kinda sad. Everyone just kinda realised how fucked up the rebels were over the past few months, now the only ones supporting them are hardcore anarchists and extremists.

[QUOTE=ThePinkPanzer;40857618]Assad isn't right, neither are the rebels, but let's not pretend Assad is not a terrible leader and human being. He deserved a revolution, just not this one.[/QUOTE] he never asked to be leader. he was groomed to be one by his father. also Syria was a fairly stable country before the revolution, rich in not only wealth but in culture and history, which i don't suppose a "terrible leader and human being" could accomplish. but who cares, Assad blew all that to shit, right? oh yeah, terrorists.

[QUOTE=PassTheBong;40857715]he never asked to be leader. he was groomed to be one by his father. also Syria was a fairly stable country before the revolution, rich in not only wealth but in culture and history, which i don't suppose a "terrible leader and human being" could accomplish. but who cares, Assad blew all that to shit, right? oh yeah, terrorists.[/QUOTE] The revolution didn't just start because everyone else was doing it. The reason it was stable was due in most part from his oppression. At the end of the day he is and always will be a dictator. Unfortunately the rebels for the most part are no longer better.

[QUOTE=PassTheBong;40857715]he never asked to be leader. he was groomed to be one by his father. also Syria was a fairly stable country before the revolution, rich in not only wealth but in culture and history, which i don't suppose a "terrible leader and human being" could accomplish. but who cares, Assad blew all that to shit, right? oh yeah, terrorists.[/QUOTE] I don't see how any of that excuses killing his own people. Yeah, it was stable like pretty much every dictatorship ever.

[QUOTE=galenmarek;40857901]The revolution didn't just start because everyone else was doing it. The reason it was stable was due in most part from his oppression. At the end of the day he is and always will be a dictator. Unfortunately the rebels for the most part are no longer better.[/QUOTE] i guess i have never lived under a dictatorship, so I cannot speak wholeheartedly about the situations entirety. i understand the country had been in a state of emergency for quite some time and that the people wanted civil reforms etc etc. but these "day of rage" protests and riots that were started initially don't seem, at least in my eyes, like the best solution. couldn't there have been a more formal way to address the situation, such as appealing the UN? instead of saying "HES A BUTCHER LOOK GUISE HES KILLING US LOOK LETS START A REBELLION".

Reminds me of how a lot of people in Iraq wish Saddam was back

[QUOTE=Electrocuter;40857936]I don't see how any of that excuses killing his own people. Yeah, it was stable like pretty much every dictatorship ever.[/QUOTE] those people were protesting violently. i mightaswell say (although it probably wont matter, and will be met with criticism) that Syria was a functioning democracy. there were elections, there is a legislature. decisions weren't made solely by assad himself.

People act as if there are no good rebels left. At the beginning, the rebels were mostly secular, moderates at worst. The longer the international community did nothing, the more radical the opposition became, as fragmentation and the arrival of extremists took hold. If we implemented a no-fly zone as quickly as we did with Libya, Syria would be in a much better position.

[QUOTE=PassTheBong;40858068]i guess i have never lived under a dictatorship, so I cannot speak wholeheartedly about the situations entirety. i understand the country had been in a state of emergency for quite some time and that the people wanted civil reforms etc etc. but these "day of rage" protests and riots that were started initially don't seem, at least in my eyes, like the best solution. couldn't there have been a more formal way to address the situation, such as appealing the UN? instead of saying "HES A BUTCHER LOOK GUISE HES KILLING US LOOK LETS START A REBELLION".[/QUOTE] It started as unarmed protests. But then Assad ordered his tanks to fire on the rallies. Hundreds and hundreds died, and some units from the military defected taking their weapons with them. Then it became a shooting revolution. [editline]31st May 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=PassTheBong;40858146]those people were protesting violently.[/QUOTE] Lol. These people with their violent voices wishing for greater democracy and representation.

That's pretty depressing, not that this might mean the war would end sooner but that Syrians have given up in overthrowing this dictator.

[QUOTE=PassTheBong;40858146]those people were protesting violently.[/QUOTE] Still fail to see how that excuses what Assad did.

[QUOTE=PassTheBong;40858068]"HES A BUTCHER LOOK GUISE HES KILLING US LOOK LETS START A REBELLION".[/QUOTE] How fucking dense have you got to be to say such crap. Humans have a right to rebellion when their lives / rights are threatened. Even if they didn't, they'd do it anyway. Just look at how the USA and France worked things out.

Because nothing was done when this first started when Rebels had either good or not to crazy views but now all the good rebels are gone or dead

Because Assad is fighting assholes, doesn't make him an angel. Both sides are full of absolute cuntnuggets that want power through carnage. Assad is probably going to win because the Jihadists are going to lose all western support. Once dictatorial order is restored, chances are another revolution will happen one or two generations later. [editline]1st June 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=PassTheBong;40858146]those people were protesting violently. i mightaswell say (although it probably wont matter, and will be met with criticism) that Syria was a functioning democracy. there were elections, there is a legislature. decisions weren't made solely by assad himself.[/QUOTE] Russia is a democracy too Oh wait no political assassinations

I'm pretty sure that in general our perspective on Assad, the regime and the conflict as a whole is quite skewed. All the massacres and killings that were initally blamed on Assad were most likely made by foreign groups. So that media could paint him as a bad guy and to create a foundation that could be used to trick foreign jihadist into joining the rebellion. Empathy is suprisingly easy to exploit.

[QUOTE=Tengil;40860271]I'm pretty sure that in general our perspective on Assad, the regime and the conflict as a whole is quite skewed. All the massacres and killings that were initally blamed on Assad were most likely made by foreign groups. So that media could paint him as a bad guy and to create a foundation that could be used to trick foreign jihadist into joining the rebellion. Empathy is suprisingly easy to exploit.[/QUOTE] Assad ordered his troops to shoot protesters directly in the hope that it would dissuade the rest. It was his helicopters who shot the rockets at random people and it was his generals who ordered the pilots to shoot, and the snipers weren't random guys that came here to fuck shit up for kicks.

[QUOTE=Ganerumo;40860284]Assad ordered his troops to shoot protesters directly in the hope that it would dissuade the rest. It was his helicopters who shot the rockets at random people and it was his generals who ordered the pilots to shoot, and the snipers weren't random guys that came here to fuck shit up for kicks.[/QUOTE] who the hell thinks shooting protestors is a good idea? it's pretty well established that shooting protestors tends to enrage more people and cause stuff like rebellions.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;40860508]who the hell thinks shooting protestors is a good idea? it's pretty well established that shooting protestors tends to enrage more people and cause stuff like rebellions.[/QUOTE] Yeah I don't see why people forget it was Assad who shot the protesters, or at least ordered it. Or was it one of those grey areas where the troops were actually acting on their own command separate from their military leaders/government or were the protesters armed and it was self defense?

[QUOTE=tr00per7;40860553]Yeah I don't see why people forget it was Assad who shot the protesters, or at least ordered it. Or was it one of those grey areas where the troops were actually acting on their own command separate from their military leaders/government or were the protesters armed and it was self defense?[/QUOTE] No it was a direct order, under threat that all defectors would be shot too.

the only reason i think assad remaining in power is better, is due to the fact that the alawites will be UTTERLY hosed if he losts, we're talking about possible rwanda scale genocide here. this is also the reason why assad is fighting so hard and why despite losing badly at the start, he still manages to get volunteers from the alawite minority for the army.

you cannot judge an entire population off what is said to be a few organizations and activists in the report [quote]They said the data came from a range of activists and independent organizations that were working in Syria, particularly in relief efforts.[/quote]