Do you support a regime change in Syria?

[Freethinker]

Dictatorship is the natural governing system for Arab people at the current phase of their socio-cultural evolution, just as it was for western Europeans until the 19th century, for South Americans until the 1970's/1980's, and so on. It is not a coincidence that every single Arab country from Morocco to the Gulf is ruled by an authoritarian regime. Lebanon would have been a dictatorship if it were not multi-confessional. The best Arabs can hope for is a relatively benign dictatorship, like maybe Jordan's, Morocco's, or the UAE's.

And please, no one bore me with the old scapegoat of colonization or the conspiracy of western powers to control oil resources, blah, blah blah. The Arab people as nations are simply not ready for liberal democracy. This is not pathological, individual Arabs immigrants to western democracies acclimate very well in those systems, it's as peoples in their own nations where they still need to evolve. Maybe in 20 years or so.

[TripolySunni]

Of Course we would want every single regime on the face of the planet to change, Syria has enough Patriotic men in it who are able to do a much better job than the current regime. Either that or The current regime starts to change some of thier Policies regarding resistance ect.ect...

[Salome]

Originally Posted by Observer

The most fundamentalist religious so called Sunni regime already took over in KSA and KSA is the most subservient regime to US and the least dangerous to ISrael. If the khwan take over Syria it will be the most subservient regime after KSA. People do not know that the ikhwan are nothing but power seekers. They will do anything to get to power. Anything. Hamas is with Syrians while in lebanon they are with Hariri and US in Iraq not only they are with US but they became part of the ruling clan under US. In Afghanistan they fought agaist US. While in egypt they are against the regime in Sudan they are with the regime. etc.. etc.. etc...

I didnt quite get your post, so what would be a sunni regime in Syria like? They would side with USA?

Originally Posted by Danny Z

He didn't think about that, his issue with the Syrians is just a personal vendetta.

Who is that "he"?

Originally Posted by Freethinker

Dictatorship is the natural governing system for Arab people at the current phase of their socio-cultural evolution, just as it was for western Europeans until the 19th century, for South Americans until the 1970's/1980's, and so on. It is not a coincidence that every single Arab country from Morocco to the Gulf is ruled by an authoritarian regime. Lebanon would have been a dictatorship if it were not multi-confessional. The best Arabs can hope for is a relatively benign dictatorship, like maybe Jordan's, Morocco's, or the UAE's.

And please, no one bore me with the old scapegoat of colonization or the conspiracy of western powers to control oil resources, blah, blah blah. The Arab people as nations are simply not ready for liberal democracy. This is not pathological, individual Arabs immigrants to western democracies acclimate very well in those systems, it's as peoples in their own nations where they still need to evolve. Maybe in 20 years or so.

So is it about being modern and liberal when implementing democracy can be possible? Or is democracy reserved for the West only due to cultural differences?
In the West the idea of democracy appeared 500BC, do we have such precedence for democratic heritage in the East? Honestly I dont know about it, and maybe this lack of democratic heritage in the eastern cultures makes it a slow process till the seeds of democracy could be planted. If it ever happens anyway, and what kind of democracy anyway, due to different cultural background.

What makes Lebanon so different than the rest of the arab countries is exactly the modern and liberal element.

Although in Lebanon there is no dictatorship but no democracy either.

I am not aware in depth about the nature of the Syrian opposition, how organized they are, whether how accurate is it to say that they are quite fundamental sunni muslims. In case it is true and they would take over, indeed it affects the regional sectarian balance and could accelerate further the radicalisation of sunnis in the ME. I dont see how it is in the interest of USA.

[Observer]

Originally Posted by Salome

I didnt quite get your post, so what would be a sunni regime in Syria like? They would side with USA?


.

Absolutely if it is an Ikhwani regime. Look at the leadership of the Syrian ikhwan. where are they? and were they meeting with during the last few years when Bush was in power?

[Wandering Wonder]

The Baathists are the best for Syria and it's diverse population.Nothing would be worse than having the Baath regime toppled and the floodgates opened for all sorts of terrorists from all across the world like what happened with Iraq.

It seems the only people against the Baath are the Sunni Islamists who constantly attack Assad for being an Alawite.Imagine if these people were in power what would happen to the the religious minorities in Syria.

Oh yes we can not forget about the stupid right-wing Lebanese Christians who constantly make claims about Syria being an Islamist nation.Funny how the Islamists attack the Baath for being Alawite and non-Islamic and so many Lebanese idiots attack it for supposedly being "Islamist".

I hope the Baath party stays in power and I hope Baathists in Lebanon eventually take power as well.

[TripolySunni]

Originally Posted by Wandering Wonder

The Baathists are the best for Syria and it's diverse population.Nothing would be worse than having the Baath regime toppled and the floodgates opened for all sorts of terrorists from all across the world like what happened with Iraq.

It seems the only people against the Baath are the Sunni Islamists who constantly attack Assad for being an Alawite.Imagine if these people were in power what would happen to the the religious minorities in Syria.

Oh yes we can not forget about the stupid right-wing Lebanese Christians who constantly make claims about Syria being an Islamist nation.Funny how the Islamists attack the Baath for being Alawite and non-Islamic and so many Lebanese idiots attack it for supposedly being "Islamist".

I hope the Baath party stays in power and I hope Baathists in Lebanon eventually take power as well.

Baathist In Lebanon take Power!? 2awiyeh ya Akh Wonder ;)

Yes I believe after the way the Iraqi regime got toppeled No one wants the regime of his country to change anymore, It sure did create a regime change-Phobia hehe... Anyway I believe it is about reform more than anything else because any regime would be **** regardless of it being communist or Baathist or Islamist As long as it is corrupt. What is needed is Patriotic Men who Lean towards reform and fighting corruption and then you figure out what regime best suits the interests of ur country.

[Boris]

i personally don't care about what regime is established in Syria my only hope and wish are that we can change our regime and all the political class in Lebanon,after that whatever's the regime in Syria or Israel we wouldn't be affected by them if we have a strong and united country...let's dream on!

[elias-aj]

Originally Posted by Salome

We could have seen how Bashar is eager to build good relations with the big powers of the west, recently he seeked to promote some positive image of Syria during his European visit.

Now that the pressure is loosened a bit by USA, and neocon aspirations like this: US 'must break Iran and Syria regimes' - Telegraph remain in the background, would there be any soon a regime change in Syria?

If so, what kind of new regime or power elite could emerge?

Is Assad only "exploiting the fundamentalist threat to divert pressure for democratic change"?

And in the end how would a regime change in Syria affect the regional power structure and particularly Lebanon?

A regime change in Syria would bring nothing but turmoil. There are for sure many decent people who could perform better than the current baathist regime in many fields, but :

1°/ Would they be chosen by the people in case of a regime change ? No, the Brotherhood will take the power and we know who those people are. Playing with religious feelings, spilling blood just to get the power.
2°/ And even if they're chosen by the people, would those decent people be able to keep some kind of stability in order to reform the country ? I don't think so.

The best option for Syria is to keep its relative stability while reforming slowly but surely the whole economic infrastructure, to modernize it so that within a decade or two, a real middle-class emerges. Once a country has its middle class, then it can turn into a democracy. Take Spain as an example.

[erzallubnan]

Do you support a regime change in Syria?

ps: The Second most popular secular non dictatorship party in Sham is SSNP.

This is what I support:

1- A secular nation (Lebanon, Sham, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine). Were the qualified and intellect has the best opportunity to govern not based on sect or religion nor minority but based on a party programs which serves the best interest of the people and through democratic voting means.

2- A Nation (Lebanon, sham, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine) were we don't need passports to travel, no tariff's no barriers. Free trade and economical relationship between these rich in oil and natural resources states. Just like GCC and EU
ps: I call it LCC (Levant cooperation council)

3- A Nation, strong enough to block any enemy or forbid any ambassador from interfering in our internal affairs.

4- A Nation were all minorities are equal citizens of the nation, no preference over the other and no difference in their rights.

5- A Nation were religious clergies are banned from talking politics with a clear seperation btw state and religion. Keeping our beliefs for one's self.

These are the goal and aim of Antoun Saadahs party, 100 years ago and persisting.

[Saladin]

Originally Posted by TripolySunni

Baathist In Lebanon take Power!? 2awiyeh ya Akh Wonder ;)

Yes I believe after the way the Iraqi regime got toppeled No one wants the regime of his country to change anymore, It sure did create a regime change-Phobia hehe... Anyway I believe it is about reform more than anything else because any regime would be **** regardless of it being communist or Baathist or Islamist As long as it is corrupt. What is needed is Patriotic Men who Lean towards reform and fighting corruption and then you figure out what regime best suits the interests of ur country.

No I dont think Syria could be compared to Iraq, it doesnt have acute sectarian divisions for the crushing majority there are sunna.