Syria's protests have escalated.

[earth_as_one]

Syria now faces growing protests

Officers Fire on Crowd as Syrian Protests Grow
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
Published: March 20, 2011

DAMASCUS, Syria — Protesters set fire to the ruling Baath Party’s headquarters and other government buildings in the southern city of Dara’a on Sunday, as protesters rallied and clashed with the police for a third straight day, witnesses said.

Police officers fired live ammunition into the crowds, killing at least one and wounding scores of others, witnesses said. But the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, also made some conciliatory gestures in an apparent attempt to stop the cycle of public anger that has fueled uprisings in other Arab countries in the past three months.

Syria, a police state known for its brutal suppression of any public protests, seemed immune to the wave of uprisings sweeping the Arab world until the past week, when demonstrations took place in several cities. The southern town of Dara’a, where citizens were outraged by the arrest of more than a dozen schoolchildren, has seen the largest protests by far. Thousands took to the streets on Sunday, as they have for several days now....

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/world/middleeast/21syria.html

Schoolchildren????

They were writing anti-government graffiti on school walls and grain silos... I imagine the parents have joined the revolt too.

...The unrest began on Friday when a protest was apparently sparked by the arrest of schoolchildren. They were said to have been daubing slogans from the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions on walls.

Security forces were reported to have fired live bullets on Friday’s demonstration, killing four people.

Saturday’s funeral for the victims turned into another protest, with people reportedly calling for “revolution”. By one estimate, 20,000 people gathered for the occasion....

FT.com / Middle East & North Africa - Syrian protesters set alight Ba?ath party?HQ

 

[damngrumpy]

Syria is a country of tyrants but it is also a country that by middle eastern standards is
almost and I use the word (almost) moderate. These demonstrations across the
Middle East are either a general wish to be free, or they are being orchestrated by the
Islamic Radicals, across the region. Being that it is a youth movement in many cases
I think there is some idealism here and people do not understand what comes next on
the road to democracy, freedom does not come cheap and it is never really secure.
I think the world of Islam could find itself on the road to ruin if this is a youth originated
movement. I hope Syria is coming to a crossroads that will see democracy come to
the nation.

 

[earth_as_one]

For Colpy:

I condemn Harper's unshakable support for Syrian war criminals.

I condemn Harper's continued support of the Syrian dictator.

 

[mentalfloss]

For Colpy:

I condemn Harper's unshakable support for Syrian war criminals.

I condemn Harper's continued support of the Syrian dictator.

A man's gotta feed his family.

 

[earth_as_one]

Usually when I condemn a government (i.e. US, Israel...) for killing innocent civilians, Colpy enthusiastically jumps into the discussion, makes some belligerent comments about how ignorant and evil I am for condemning a government which slaughters innocent civilians and then proceeds to post his arguments in support of a government killing innocent civilians.

In another thread, I made this post:

...Canada should treat all war criminals similarly. We should not favor one group of war criminals over another.

Canada should support efforts by either side to resolve this conflict peacefully.

Colpy's response:

I've been waiting on you EAO.

SIX HUNDRED innocents dead in Syria, hundreds more arrested to be tortured and murdered.

Twice as many innocents killed in peaceful protest in support of democracy than Israel killed in Operation Cast Lead, a defensive war.

But not a word from that unbiased defender of human rights with an interest in the Middle East. Not a whisper.

Dozens, if not hundreds of pages of BS, accusation, idiotic innuendo and Palestinian propaganda posted to vilify the Israeli democracy..........

You have shown yourself to be nothing more than a shill for Islamist terrorists, and a Jew-hater.

It becomes clearer every time you post.

C, I started this thread two months ago and I've been waiting for you to take your usual position in support of killing innocent civilians. I'm ready to debate this when you are.

 

[CUBert]

Usually when I condemn a government (i.e. US, Israel...) for killing innocent civilians, Colpy enthusiastically jumps into the discussion, makes some belligerent comments about how ignorant and evil I am for condemning a government which slaughters innocent civilians and then proceeds to post his arguments in support of a government killing innocent civilians.

lol
:lol:

 

[Colpy]

Usually when I condemn a government (i.e. US, Israel...) for killing innocent civilians, Colpy enthusiastically jumps into the discussion, makes some belligerent comments about how ignorant and evil I am for condemning a government which slaughters innocent civilians and then proceeds to post his arguments in support of a government killing innocent civilians.

In another thread, I made this post:



Colpy's response:



C, I started this thread two months ago and I've been waiting for you to take your usual position in support of killing innocent civilians. I'm ready to debate this when you are.

Two months ago you posted a single short OP on Syria.

Not a word since, while Syria butchers and tortures innocent unarmed people by the hundreds, if not thousands...........

How many pages have you posted on Operation Cast Lead, which was an act of defense????

How much Palestinian propaganda did you pass on???

Thanks for bringing this forward.....and proving my point.

 

[mentalfloss]

Usually when I condemn a government (i.e. US, Israel...) for killing innocent civilians, Colpy enthusiastically jumps into the discussion, makes some belligerent comments about how ignorant and evil I am for condemning a government which slaughters innocent civilians and then proceeds to post his arguments in support of a government killing innocent civilians.

 

[earth_as_one]

Two months ago you posted a single short OP on Syria.

Not a word since, while Syria butchers and tortures innocent unarmed people by the hundreds, if not thousands...........

How many pages have you posted on Operation Cast Lead, which was an act of defense????

How much Palestinian propaganda did you pass on???

Thanks for bringing this forward.....and proving my point.

I've been against Syria butchering civilians for months. I've been ready to debate this subject against anyone who disagrees with my viewpoint for months. You are the one who has been silent on this topic.

I'm assuming you support killing innocent civilians in general, because I've never once read a post by you condemning these crimes. Self defense is one of the justifications you often give. So if I understand the point you are trying to make about Syria in your post above, its that Syria's criminal leadership can justify killing hundreds of innocent civilians out of self defense, just like Israel's criminal leaders.

I would agree with you that the innocent civilians are a threat to the Syrian government, but I disagree that civilians fighting oppression and injustice should be crushed mercilessly by heavily armed soldiers.

In the past you have always defended soldiers slaughtering innocent civilians in defense of cruel oppression.

 

[Colpy]

I've been against Syria butchering civilians for months. I've been ready to debate this subject against anyone who disagrees with my viewpoint for months. You are the one who has been silent on this topic.

I'm assuming you support killing innocent civilians in general, because I've never once read a post by you condemning these crimes. Self defense is one of the justifications you often give. So if I understand the point you are trying to make about Syria in your post above, its that Syria's criminal leadership can justify killing hundreds of innocent civilians out of self defense, just like Israel's criminal leaders.

Bull****, and you know it.

The Syrian protesters are unarmed. Unlike Hamas.

You sympathize and defend Iran, you love China.

You save the vast majority of your outrage for Israel and the USA.

Iran and China are both in the top ten rights-abusers on earth.

The USA and China are WAYYYYYYY down the list.

Iran and China are not our friends.

Israel and the USA are our allies.

You love our enemies, and hate our friends.

That is a very weird psychology, to say the least.

 

[Corduroy]

I don't see any condemnation of the Syrian government in the OP or even any kind of effort to make a point in it.

 

[Durry]

Hooo hummm, just another Muslim country starting to wake up, thanks to the Internet.

We should stay away from their problems, this also means we should not be involved with Libya.

If they want to slaugher their own, well it's not my problem, it's a Muslim problem.
I'm sick and tired of always helping Muslims and getting nothing in return except criticism! fk m

 

[earth_as_one]

I noticed that nothing in your post condemns Syria's slaughter of innocent civilian. I disagree with your implied support of Syria's slaughter of innocent civilians.

I am against war crimes, crimes against humanity and people who commit these atrocities. Let the chips fall where they may.

I don't believe everything our government and news tell us about "our enemies" or "our friends" nor do I necessarily agree with who is and isn't an enemy. I respect Canadian laws (ie legal trade and transfer of knowledge/technology), but I determine who is my personal friend and who is my enemy, not the Canadian government nor the main stream media.

When I traveled to China, I made lots of Chinese "friends". I have criticism of China's government, but I know from visiting China in person, most of what we've been told by the Canadian government and the MSM about China is incorrect and/or selective information for the purpose of demonizing China. Sure China has human rights problems, but they haven't started any unprovoked wars lately. I am optimistic about China's future and their ability to solve their human rights problems in their own way in their own time.

Regarding Iran. Our government and MSM mostly misinform us about Iran with demonizing propaganda. What's going on regarding Iran is similar to the mountains of misinformation and demonizing propaganda regarding Iraq before the 2003 US led unprovoked war crime. The neo-cons and Israel would like to manipulate the masses into supporting yet another unprovoked war with Iran. We are being fed mostly lies and deceptions regarding Iran.... just like Iraq. Just like Iraq, some of the selective information about Iran is true, but we aren't getting the full story. When our leaders and MSM make claims about Iran, I research those claims to find the truth and/or the Iranian version. I believe in listening to all sides before making up my mind. For example, I have posted information in this regarding what Iran's leaders really said, which contradicts what our leaders and MSM say Iran said. I think people should see the raw information for themselves and make up their own minds, rather than basing an opinion on an opinion of an opinion about what someone says Iran's leaders said. Trying to find the truth about Iran and pointing out the manipulative lies and deceptions regarding Iran is hardly support. Again for the record, I condemn the slaughter of innocent Iranian civilians during the post election protests. I support separation of Church and State and the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people. I also support equal rights and am against discrimination.

Unlike you, I don't trust the American or Israeli government. They have a long record of being deceptive and manipulative. People who accept what these sources say without question and as a result support oppression, injustice, torture, war crimes and crimes against humanity are part of the reason why events like 9/11 happened. People don't decide to hijack planes and fly them into skyscrapers without some sort of motivation. The west has been screwing over the people of the middle east for decades, if not centuries. Before 9/11, these people have endured hundreds of 9/11 like events perpetrated by the American and Israeli governments either directly or indirectly. I was as shocked and horrified by 9/11, but not surprised. I expected that sooner or later the US was going to get a little of what the US had been giving.

I support dialogue and diplomacy before resorting to violence and war. I am against exploitation, oppression and injustice. I support holding all nations and individuals to the same standards of behavior regarding human rights.

 

[Durry]

Well, good for you. Why don't you go to Syria then if you want to help them. You are free to go, you know!!
But leave me and my country out of it.

And just who are you that you think you should hold all nations to the same standards (your standards of course) ??

 

[earth_as_one]

I don't see any condemnation of the Syrian government in the OP or even any kind of effort to make a point in it.

I was ready to debate this issue. Where were you? Can you reference the thread you started on Syria two months ago so I can reply on it?

Well, good for you. Why don't you go to Syria then if you want to help them. You are free to go, you know!!
But leave me and my country out of it.

And just who are you that you think you should hold all nations to the same standards (your standards of course) ??

Canada has signed many international laws, treaties and conventions regarding human rights. These Canadian accepted standards do not allow for torture, oppression and injustice, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by many of what Colpy would describe as Canada's "friends".

I also noticed that I'm the only one here who actually voiced an opinion against the Syrian government. I think the silence of my critics on this issue speaks volumes about where they stand when it comes to human rights.

 

[Durry]

Canada has signed many international laws, treaties and conventions regarding human rights. These Canadian accepted standards do not allow for torture, oppression and injustice, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by many of what Colpy would describe as Canada's "friends".

I also noticed that I'm the only one here who actually voiced an opinion against the Syrian government. I think the silence of my critics on this issue speaks volumes about where they stand when it comes to human rights.

The signing of these treaties means we support the position, it does not mean we will spend Canadian taxpayer money enforcing it.
We don't see the Muslim countries enforcing treaties on HR that they have signed.

No one here is voiceing an opinion on the Syrian gov because no one cares, it's a Muslim problem. We have had our fill of helping Muslims.

 

[DurkaDurka]

I also noticed that I'm the only one here who actually voiced an opinion against the Syrian government. I think the silence of my critics on this issue speaks volumes about where they stand when it comes to human rights.

I highly doubt that any sane person would approve the recent actions by the Syrian government, they're thugs.

 

[mentalfloss]

No one here is voiceing an opinion on the Syrian gov because no one cares, it's a Muslim problem. We have had our fill of helping Muslims.

I wish we had our fill a long time ago.

 

[CUBert]

Two months ago you posted a single short OP on Syria.

Not a word since, while Syria butchers and tortures innocent unarmed people by the hundreds, if not thousands...........

How many pages have you posted on Operation Cast Lead, which was an act of defense????

How much Palestinian propaganda did you pass on???

Thanks for bringing this forward.....and proving my point.

Do you know what the **** a defensive attack is? Operation Cast Lead was certainly not defensive...... Israel clearly showed they didn't give a **** about Palestinian citizens, they bombed the **** out of Gaza, around the time children were returning from school..... Inevitably many children died as a result.....you call this an 'act of defense', ...

 

[Just the Facts]

I also noticed that I'm the only one here who actually voiced an opinion against the Syrian government. I think the silence of my critics on this issue speaks volumes about where they stand when it comes to human rights.

Don't we generally defer out sovereignty to the UN on matters such as these? Anything happening there?

Personally, I've been condemning the government of Syria for years for their alliance with Iran and support of Hezbollah.

Do you know what the **** a defensive attack is? Operation Cast Lead was certainly not defensive...... Israel clearly showed they didn't give a **** about Palestinian citizens, they bombed the **** out of Gaza, around the time children were returning from school..... Inevitably many children died as a result.....you call this an 'act of defense', ...

I think you got mixed up there. Cast Lead set a world record for minimizing civilian casualties in a military operation. It also lasted much longer than a trip home from school. It was Hamas that fired a guided missile at a school bus.