Syria and beyond
Many "leftists" in Britain, who keep marching for Palestinians, for example), viewed the Syrian regime as "progressive"with socialistic elements, anti-Western imperialism, and its main backer, Russia, as a balancer to American imperialism.
Many "liberals" viewed the Syrian regime as "secular", the lesser evil, the one whose leader and first lady were Western-educated and enlightened. After all, it was the Islamic State group that "threatened our way of life", not al-Assad.
Many now will consent to normalising relationship with the "victor": Some Arab states have already began such a process and Western ones will follow suit. Capital will thrive and old and new wealthy oligarchs will join hands. And, of course, the language of "human rights" and prosecuting the perpetrators are among those commodities which will accompany "reconstruction" and "normalisation".
Is protecfing Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and restoring "stability", has anything to do with counter-revolution?
"Normalisation" includes more Gulf states cooperation with the Israeli settler-colonial state. Designating Hizbullah, Hamas and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as terrorist organisations by the US is not about Sunni vs. Shi'a, but it is about protecting Israel's continuous expansion with minimum hindrance.
Restoring "stability" means no meaningful changes in the socio-economic setting of the region, but maintaining a decades-long leverage for certain powers against others. It is not about the flow of cheap oil and gas to the West, but the control of that flow in the world market by controlling clients, especially, its vital importance to rival powers (China is one). It is ensuring financial flow to Wesntern banks and a continous dependency on protection and provision of hardware (military bases and sale of arms).
Many "liberals" viewed the Syrian regime as "secular", the lesser evil, the one whose leader and first lady were Western-educated and enlightened. After all, it was the Islamic State group that "threatened our way of life", not al-Assad.
Many now will consent to normalising relationship with the "victor": Some Arab states have already began such a process and Western ones will follow suit. Capital will thrive and old and new wealthy oligarchs will join hands. And, of course, the language of "human rights" and prosecuting the perpetrators are among those commodities which will accompany "reconstruction" and "normalisation".
Is protecfing Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and restoring "stability", has anything to do with counter-revolution?
"Normalisation" includes more Gulf states cooperation with the Israeli settler-colonial state. Designating Hizbullah, Hamas and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as terrorist organisations by the US is not about Sunni vs. Shi'a, but it is about protecting Israel's continuous expansion with minimum hindrance.
Restoring "stability" means no meaningful changes in the socio-economic setting of the region, but maintaining a decades-long leverage for certain powers against others. It is not about the flow of cheap oil and gas to the West, but the control of that flow in the world market by controlling clients, especially, its vital importance to rival powers (China is one). It is ensuring financial flow to Wesntern banks and a continous dependency on protection and provision of hardware (military bases and sale of arms).
Uprising shouldn't go too far to threaten client regimes. "We" define what revolution is: reforms that guarantee "democractic" elections (we decide what is democractic and what is not), and the rule of law in harmony with the "free market". In other cases military dictatorships are the best alternative.
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Mariam Khleif, a 32-year-old mother of five from Hama, was repeatedly raped during her detention. Ms. Khleif said she had aided injured protesters and delivered medical supplies to rebels, acts that the government labeled terrorism.
For some conservative men, the conflict changed attitudes. Several survivors and male relatives say their families now honor sexual assault survivors as war wounded. Ms. Khleif hid nothing from her new husband, a former rebel.
“You are a medal on my chest, you are the crown on my head,” she recalled him telling her. “He cooked for me, massaged my face with oil. He made me my old self.”
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Mariam Khleif, a 32-year-old mother of five from Hama, was repeatedly raped during her detention. Ms. Khleif said she had aided injured protesters and delivered medical supplies to rebels, acts that the government labeled terrorism.
For some conservative men, the conflict changed attitudes. Several survivors and male relatives say their families now honor sexual assault survivors as war wounded. Ms. Khleif hid nothing from her new husband, a former rebel.
“You are a medal on my chest, you are the crown on my head,” she recalled him telling her. “He cooked for me, massaged my face with oil. He made me my old self.”
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