Stepping in to help us understand what's happening in Syria is ...

... one of our favorite people here at NF. Ladies and gentlemen ... Mr. Hank Green!

http://www.thevine.com.au/life/news/10-things-a-users-guide-to-the-new-abbstralia-20130909-265097/?page=1

"Let's cheer ourselves up with a visit to Syria, where the question of how much support Obama feels he needs before unilaterally deciding to bomb shit is being hotly contested. Secretary of State John Kerry is insisting that the US act and act soon, teaming Bashar al-Assad up with Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussain as being the only three leaders to use chemical weapons since the 1925 Geneva Protocol. "This is not the time to be silent spectators to slaughter," he declared, ignoring Godwin's Law, "this is not the time to allow a dictator unfettered use of some of the most heinous weapons on earth."

Meanwhile, as-Assad is insisting there is "no evidence" that he used chemical weapons, which is a bit weaker than saying "I didn't use them", the Pope is calling for a diplomatic solution because if there's one voice that Sunni and Shia combatants are likely to respect it's that of the head of the Catholic Church; the UN is about to release its findings on the use of chemical weapons in Damascus; and the UK are not backing a US-led invasion, possibly because they're a bit embarrassed about having, y'know, sold Syria the chemicals.

And things have gotten more murky with reports from German press that al-Assad genuinely didn't back the attacks, which they allege were carried out by "Syrian brigade and division commanders" sick of being told they couldn't use all the cool illegal weapons they had just lying around. Which in turn suggests that al-Assad's command of his forces isn't quite as unshakeable as would be practically useful, especially in the event that he returns to negotiations…"

And cause I'm stealing his stuff (it's not my fault, it is too good to edit)
Shout out to Andrew Street, funny and insightful
http://www.thevine.com.au/Member/Profile/AndrewPStreet

And the crazy thing is that if you had to point to one international leader coming across as the voice of reason in all this, you may have to settle for Putin.

As a rule we could argue one way or another, but they have tied this mess up into such a huge bundle of firecrackers.  But guessing that was their intention anyway because the arms trade is booming. Please pardon the pun. Meanwhile families are being blown apart literally, kids are suffering a living hell, being killed.

How bad can this world get, so bad that Putin is starting to look sort of nice in comparison to all the rest of the vipers.    

I'm gonna have to support Putin here
because really of all the worlds leaders he is closest to a super hero (or at least Indiana Jones)
No other world leader that I can think of has

flown an ultra light aircraft to lead young storks on the migration
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/06/world/europe/putin-pulls-off-his-latest-feat-flying-with-migratory-birds.html?_r=0

taken Mini Submarines to visit Ancient underwater ruins (also does shipwrecks  )
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/8695956/Vladimir-Putin-goes-diving-in-the-Black-Sea.html

Judo blackbelt, has his own DVD
Driven F1
Ice Hockey
Crossbow from horseback Barechested    

Plus the women love him (maybe  )


maybe Putin wouldn't looks so good   if the others didn't suck so much  

Anyway back to Syria

I think the biggest part of the issues is that the Syrians don't agree, I can see atleast 3 groups;

as-Assad and his supports of the current regime

Muslim Brotherhood

Secularists


The Problem is the group the west can ethically support is the the Secularists because they want democracy which the west says it supports. But they are the least organised and the most unknown (what they will use the democracy to vote for  ) and even within themselves there is probably multipule opinions and variations, they just agree they want to be free of as-Assad and Don't want Sharia and theocratic rule. (which again is in line with western ideals)

Muslim brotherhood we know is anti-West so it is just stupid to support them.

as-Assad's moral claim to power is pretty weak. and he is still and anti-democracy dictator.

on the ground it seems the 2 rebel groups are working together or at least not against each other (yet?) and looks pretty set so that even if they defeat as-Assad they will be a new civil war between them.
From the Western Perspective as-Assad is the middle, one group of rebels is clearly worse for us and one is potentially better (probably will be, as as-Assad is pro-russian)
the problem as well is that more than a 3rd of Syrians support as-Assad, so if by some magic we could get them all to stop shooting and vote, he has a good chance of winning anyway once the rebel vote is split between their various factions.  

this wasn't 100% of the wests making we played our part but other groups are just as responsible, getting involved or not we are gonna get blame. Innocent people will die either way and there is as just much chance we will prolong the war as end it.     Not really any good options.

Nice to see you back CJ! I agree with you and Veya; Putin has at least been stand-up in this case. Now if he wasn't so horrible on human rights issues and he didn't appear to be involved in the deaths of multiple whistleblowers and journalists ...

yeah but... wikileaks, Manning, Assange...... pot, kettle

seems to be something world powers do.   not saying he's good just the others suck too