My unresearched, no evidence opinion: Assad is not evil, not a madman, just in over his head.

[reformist2]

I figure, if the Obama people can make their case without presenting any evidence, just going on "gut" feelings, why can't the rest of us?

[cali]

1. I don't think this is a particularly useful "argument"

but we certainly found him useful when we wanted terrorist suspects tortured.

[blkmusclmachine]

2. Hope.

Change.

Huh?!?!

[factsarenotfair]

3. Well, he had to know how evil his father was and went along with it.

Perhaps he had the capacity to be normal at some point, but I would say that he went over to the dark side and was driven mad by power.

[pscot]

5. More likely driven mad because

the Saudis and Israelis decided to remove him from power. When someone's trying to kill you, there are no rules.

[Schema Thing]

6. So the Syrian people I saw taking to the streets (and being killed in the streets)

two years ago, had nothing to do with the situation we see today?

[Igel]

8. Sure.

Except that people tend to be biased about this sort of thing.

A few weeks ago we saw people taking to the streets (and being killed in the streets). Many here had no problem with this in Egypt because it was better than the alternative and because they empathized with those supporting the Army. Our repression is always benevolent. Theirs is always malignant.


The people taking to the streets in Damascus (etc.) a couple of years ago also have something to do with an-Nusra's presence in Syrian Kurdistan and the problems there. If they hadn't taken to the streets, no chemical weapons would have been used?

See? It's easy to find cause and effect all over the place in order to make selected facts say what you want. The facts are mute. They're a ventriloquist's dummy. Put one in its case and it says nothing. Use one for a performance and you have the audience howling.

[VanillaRhapsody]

4. I think the video of the children dying from a gas attack is a pretty good piece of evidence..

and it's not "gut feelings" Occam's razor points to Assad.

[bhikkhu]

7. Evil is as evil does...

I think the majority of dictators guilty of atrocities or mass murder think they are beneficient, and only acting in the best interests of the people. Social engineering often begins with high-minded humanitarian principles, and wind up filling mass graves based upon the necessities of the moment upholding those principles. And all good intentions are prone to turn to crap the longer a war goes on.