How to fix Syria, ... should we give Syria a constitution enshrining basic human rights (one person one vote, equality of women etc), freedom of religion, separation of church & state, decent education & healthcare, a transparent & fair justice system (& yes wags, we'd like them ourselves first...).
It took us 400 years, two world wars, numerous local wars, a genocide locally and the enslavement of vast tracts of the developing world, which included a few more genocides, to get to where we are now.
By comparison the Middle East is doing rather well.
Agreed. When the Christian fundamentalists drove the moderate, educated and civilised Moors out of Spain it's Jewish population fled to moderate Muslim North Africa. How times change!Three hundred years ago the Middle East was more civilised than Europe, its cities were larger, its public administration far more sophisticated. It had a culture that brought its people peace and prosperity. It lacked many of the attributes that Europe has gained since then but it was well in advance of Europe of the time. It (specifically the Ottoman Empire) had a culture of toleration. It never developed a culture of individual civil rights.
In the intervening 300 years Europe has, with great pain, developed a society that brings previously unimaginable prosperity based on a world view that values the individual. The middle east despite, or perhaps because of, unrivalled natural resources has descended into religious barbarism.
I disagree. Invading Iraq was completely unjustified and destabilised the region. ISIS is a product of that action. It should be opposed without remorse. That doesn’t mean it should be opposed without justice though and it doesn’t mean the Christian fundamentalists in the USA should get their way and kills hundreds of thousands of innocent people.Reading back over this, I must add that bombing Iraq Syria Palestine is completely unjustified and I can well understand that they do not regards the West as civilised.
Yes, going into Iraq was wrong even though Saddam was a war criminal and a Tyrant.
Yes, supporting the overthrow of Ghaddafi was a mistake even though he was a murderous scumbag amongst many other grotesque names I could call him.
But to quote a previous leader of our fair isle, we are where we are. And Isis is part of that.
How do we stop them? And if we do, who comes in their place a few years later.
Surely it's time to look at the big players behind the scene rather than the foot soldiers. I'm no expert but all the commentators I hear/read are saying that rich and connected individuals in Quatar and Saudi Arabia are driving this. So should we go after them in 1 way or another or are they untouchables?
Surely it's time to look at the big players behind the scene rather than the foot soldiers. I'm no expert but all the commentators I hear/read are saying that rich and connected individuals in Quatar and Saudi Arabia are driving this. So should we go after them in 1 way or another or are they untouchables?
I understand that. They also tax businesses in their area, sell antiquities and other loot.They are not just getting their money from those sources. They have vast cash reserved and make about $1.5 million a day from oil.
I disagree. Invading Iraq was completely unjustified and destabilised the region. ISIS is a product of that action. It should be opposed without remorse. That doesn’t mean it should be opposed without justice though and it doesn’t mean the Christian fundamentalists in the USA should get their way and kills hundreds of thousands of innocent people.
Anyone fighting for ISIS is affair game, wherever they may be. Any Irish citizen or resident who goes to Syria or the region to fight for ISIS should not be allowed to come back. ISIS are a real and existential threat to everything post enlightenment civilisation is and we, our civilisation, is superior to their in every way. They are not Islam, they are a nihilist death cult.
How to fix Syria, or pretty much the entire continent of Africa. Religious fanaticism, tribalism etc., is it culturally arrogant to think these places are a few hundred years behind the rest of us and its time to let the light in?
I’d agree if we hadn’t squatted in our neighbours house, stolen their stuff, smashed the place up, built patricians within the house and told them what rooms to live in, put the bullies in charge and generally tried to run their lives for years. Now we’ve moved out but left the mess behind, including the bullies, and let them know that if we don’t like the changes they make we will smash their windows and might kick in their front door and slap them around again.Our neighbours are getting divorced, we would really like to help them live happily ever after, but in practice there is nothing we can do. Its not really our business, they have to make their own future, so do the people of Syria.
I'd nearly prefer a brief "boots on the ground approach" than arming one faction who turn around and bite you. Brief in terms of drive them out of their territory, weaken then as much as possible (difficult to 100% wipe out) and get out of there.
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