So, What’s on My Zune?

In the second part to the interview with Assads (video, text) Diane Sawyer managed to redeem herself slightly at least by raising the issues of the Hariri investigation and human rights. But hers was still a light approach that allowed our very own spineless version of Mr. Bean, with all the awkwardness and none of the charm, to escape unchallenged with such ludicrous assertion as “We don't have such political prisoners” and “So it's going to be democracy, but according to our standards.” Yeah. But, I wonder what sort of standards would a man whose entire family is mired in blood, oppression and corruption have? Any ideas anyone? I guess they are the kind of standards that allow for a dimwitted eye-doctor-in-waiting to be brought in to replace his late artifacts-smuggling brothels-frequenting brother as the heir apparant (or more likely in this case the heir absolument) of the Presidential throne. Nothing to challenge here, ipparently.

On the other hand, with regard to one of those other unchallenged yet equally ludicrous assertions, namely that Syria is “the main player” in stabilizing Iraq, well, if Syria is indeed such a player in Iraq, and if the Top Lion of Syria indeed fears the domino effect of “the chaos” and “the instability,” as he put it, why aren’t the Assads already doing something about stabilizing the situation in Iraq? Why are they waiting to be approached by the US for talks over Iraq? Are they really afraid of “the chaos” or are they afraid of the American troops? Or they simply unable to do anything about the situation in Iraq, but would like very much for the US to believe that they could, so they could carve a deal for themselves? Tony Badran elaborates this point further in his recent post.

On a different, though definitely related note, Seth Wikas of the Washington Institute, points out in his recent article in the Daily Star, to an often forgotten reality with regard to the Golan: the ambivalent feelings of its indigenous Syrian Druze population with regard to the whole issue of the necessity of return to Syrian sovereignty one hapless day. Indeed, the corruption and authoritarianism of the Assads have created the sort of state that no one in his right mind would like to go back to, which is why I am a fool, and which is why the Assads must go. Before, that is, our best and brightest end p living in Purdue, Indiana, as Mrs. Sawyer so eloquently put it, or, more likely, end up being buried in desperate attempts at trying to eke out some meager yet dignified subsistence in increasingly undignified and undignifying conditions.

And with regard to the Golan, let me point out to some other neglected facts and soon-to-be facts, namely: that much of the land on the Syrian side of the Golan has either already been purchased, at the cheapest possible prices of course, by the sons of bitches of the Syrian regime, who also happen to be the sons of high-ranking government officials, with other choice real estate morsels and tidbits being declared public land, meaning that the state will eventually sell them to the selfsame SOBs and their lackeys when the right time comes. The Syrians of the Golan have the prospect of poverty and fleecing to look forward to when peace finally prevails, that is, if the Assads are the ones to be rewarded with it.

Biladi, biladi, biladi, laki hubbi wa fou'adi. Oh my country, you have my love and my heart.

And I will have nothing to show for it. Ever.

PS. This whole episode has given iPod a bad name, I think, if I were an iPod executive I’d sue. iPersonally, I am switching to Zune, and will stick to classical music, classic rock and New Age, with all due respect to Faith Hill and Shania Twain. Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World! Yeah.

Comments

[Anonymous]

What a great job Ammar.

[souri]

Alex said: (February 7th, 2007, 7:15 am / #
President Assad is going to Tehran in few days.
الأسد في طهران خلال أيام
كشف السفير الايراني في دمشق حسن اختري لـ”صدى البلد”، عن زيارة مرتقبة للرئيس بشار الاسد الى إيران خلال الايام القليلة المقبلة، وفيما لم يحدد بدقة موعد الزيارة الا انه اكد انها قائمة وستسبق زيارة رئيس الوزراء ناجي العطري المقررة في 15 الجاري.

Let me guess how Al-mustaqbal and al-syassah will analyze it:

His Iranian masters asked him to explain why he has American music on his iPod.
This guy Alex is enjoying freedom in United State
but he don't want any freedom to the Syrian or any iPod.
Alex.
Are you Syrian?

Do you have a job or your job to talk on behalf of Syrian Governement?
How do you have time to go from blog to blog and post comment?
I advice you to post a comment a day this way people respect you more.
I post my comment on Abedelhammid cause I can't stand Mr. Landis.

[Hammam]

As for “SOBs”, I don’t have real inside info about it… :)

As for “We don't have such political prisoners”… well, it is the same truth like: “Syria is a Democratic country ruled by elected educated bourgeois” or the truth: “Hafez Assad and his family are not war criminals” Or the truth: “Bashar’s words of wisdom don’t smell exactly like his farting, although they have the same sound”

You know, I was wondering how much Rami Makhouf paid for this interview, the thing which won’t hurt his self-made fortune which he inherited from his deeply rooted bourgeois family.

Or is it the usual stupidity we are used to from American mainstream media?

But in the end we can’t blame them for our president being who he is, or can we?

[Anonymous]

Granted, I don't know much about the Golan but, I found this to be rather intriguing:

the ambivalent feelings of its indigenous Syrian Druze population with regard to the whole issue of the necessity of return to Syrian sovereignty one hapless day.

If I understand, the Golan is currently under the protection of Israel, militarily and as far as government functions are concerned. If this is correct and if we can acknowledge that Israel is a democratic state, then why don't they hold a referendum and find out what the people of the Golan want to do? Would this be so difficult? I can't imagine that the population is so large and, they are being protected from reprisal by the Israeli army.
I would appreciate any comments on this pro or con.
Thanks

[Anonymous]

This comment is for Alex,
Sorry Ammar, but I would like to tell Alex, please tune it down sir. I have been reading your comments here and there and I admit most of your comments are legit since there are two main visions for the solution of Syrian problem. But this time, your friend the president, the thug, had let you down and lied in the middle of the day on international TV claiming that there are no prisoners in his prison. I wonder what you going to tell your friend Fares who you supported before in the message of Release Michael Kilo. It is shame on you if you do not respond to this.

[Amar]

To Bashar
I want Freedom for Michel, Anwar, Aref, Kamal, Habib and everyone else who is suffering because of you.
you claim that you don't have any political prisoners,what do you call those people prisoner of article.

[Anonymous]

FYI: The only reason Assad can project power is because naive idiots get suckered by him again and again and again.

[Ammar]

Anonymous 7:22 - The Syrian inhabitants of the Golan do think of them still as Syrians, let there be no doubt about that, and they do want to see themselves reunited with their families across the border: their ambivalence is based on their misgivings vis-à-vis the socioeconomic conditions, the corruption and authoritarian practices so prevalent under the Assads.

[Fares]

Ammar great wrok, you inspired me to write a new post...


Bashar Assad is a big Liar

[GulGamish]

هذا هو العهر السياسي


أنهت اللجنة المركزية لحزب البعث أمس الخميس أعمالها بعد أن ناقشت مقررات المؤتمر القطري العاشر وتقارير القيادة القطرية حول تنفيذ هذه المقررات التي كانت تتضمن جملة من الإصلاحات السياسية.



وقالت مصادر مطلعة لـ"سيريانيوز" إن اجتماعات اللجنة "تناولت تطوير آلية عمل الحزب ومكافحة الفساد إضافة إلى آلية العمل في انتخابات مجلس الشعب والإدارة المحلية المقبلتين".

وذكرت المصادر ,التي فضلت عدم الكشف عن اسمها, أن "الرئيس بشار الأسد أكد في كلمته أمام اللجنة على عدم التخلي عن قيادة الحزب للدولة والمجتمع, وبالتالي عدم تعديل المادة 8 من الدستور لأنها من الثوابت في حياة شعبنا ووحدتنا الوطنية".

وعلمت "سيريانيوز" أن مركزية الحزب الحاكم قررت "تشكيل لجنة لوضع قانون جديد للانتخابات في سورية قبل أن تقدمه إلى القيادة القطرية لمناقشة مشروع القانون بشكل واسع وتقرر بشأنه", دون أن يتم تحديد سقف زمني لعمل هذه اللجنة.

وفيما يتعلق بقانون الأحزاب أكدت المصادر لـ"سيريانيوز" أن "الاتجاه حاليا هو نحو التروي في هذا الموضوع وإيجاد الصيغ المناسبة للقانون" مشيرة إلى تجارب دول أخرى مع قوانين الأحزاب "حيث أصدرت القوانين ثم أعيد تعديلها مرات عديدة".

وتم التأكيد خلال اجتماعات اللجنة على حل مشكلة الأكراد المحرومين من الجنسية منذ إحصاء عام 1962.

وقالت مصادر ذات صلة إن "الرئيس الأسد طرح موضوع الأكراد, وقال إن البحث يتم حاليا لإيجاد صيغة من أجل تجنيس هؤلاء الأخوة في الحسكة".

وأشارت المصادر إلى أن الرئيس الأسد "كلف قيادة فرع الحزب في الحسكة والمحافظ وبعض أعضاء اللجنة المركزية من المحافظة بتقديم ملاحظات وآراء متطورة بشأن تجنيس هؤلاء الأخوة", ناقلة عن الأسد تأكيده على "إنصاف الأخوة الأكراد, لأن لهم ما لنا وعليهم ما علينا".

وفي ما يتعلق بتشكيل مجلس أعلى للإعلام وإصدار قانون الإعلام ذكرت المصادر أن هذه المواضيع "لم تناقش بشكل واسع خلال اجتماعات اللجنة المركزية".

ولفتت إلى أن " القيادة كلفت وزيرة المغتربين بثينة شعبان بتقديم مذكرة تتضمن مصطلحات جديدة لبعض المفاهيم التي يستخدمها الإعلام الأمريكي والغربي, كالإرهاب مثلا, لنستخدم هذه المصطلحات الجديدة في إعلامنا. حتى لا يردد شعبنا هذه الكلمات كما يرددها الإعلام الغربي والصهيوني".

وأكدت المصادر أن موضوع إلغاء قانون الطوارئ المفروض منذ العام 1963 " لم يتم تناوله في اجتماعات اللجنة, كما لم يتطرق إليه الرئيس في كلمته".

وعلمت سيريانيوز أن عددا من أعضاء اللجنة "وجهوا انتقادات حادة لبعض المؤسسات والدوائر الحكومية والرسمية, وحتى لبعض مكاتب القيادة".

وحول مكافحة الفساد ذكرت المصادر أن " رئيسة لجنة المراقبة والتفتيش الحزبية سلافة ديب وعدد من أعضاء اللجنة انتقدوا أداء الهيئة المركزية للرقابة والتفتيش والجهاز المركزي للرقابة المالية".

وأشارت المصادر إلى "التأكيد على متابعة مكافحة الفساد واستئصال كل بؤرة من بؤر الفساد في الوقت المناسب".

وكان عضو مجلس الشعب محمد حبش توقع في تصريح سابق لـ"سيريانيوز" أن يتم تعديل المادة 8 من الدستور بعد الاستفتاء على رئاسة الجمهورية في شهر حزيران المقبل, علما أن المادة 8 تنص على أن حزب البعث هو قائد الدولة والمجتمع, وتعديلها يعني إمكانية تداول السلطة ووصول أحزاب أخرى إلى الحكم.

والجدير بالذكر ان رئيس مجلس الشعب السابق عبد القادر قدورة قال لـ"سيريانيوز" قبل أشهر إن "مناقشات طويلة تناولت تعديل أو إلغاء المادة 8 منذ ما قبل المؤتمر القطري العاشر (في عام 2005)" مؤكدا أنه "لم تكن هناك معارضة لهذه الفكرة لدى قيادات الحزب, بل كان هناك محاولة لتجاوز هذه النقطة بما يمكن أن يحقق التوسع في الشفافية, وهناك دراسة إيجابية" في هذا المجال.

[Anonymous]

I think there is great evidence now that there are 2 millions pussies as members in the Baath party. There was last week some talk about some change, and today, the big guy go inside and lecture them and tell them that decree 8 ( Baath is the party leader) is not for discussion, case closed. I still remember those big baathies mustaches as Mr. Masharka and other used to put on. Feel sorry for the country.

[Anonymous]

NO HOPE NO HOPE NO HOPE NO HOPE
http://www.syria-news.com/readnews.php?sy_seq=47897

And Bashar for ever.

[souri]

I really feel sorry for Habbash because he claim on Al-Arabia that
Law 8 will be canceled.

[Anonymous]

Some of funny-sad comment about albaath البعث on syria-news today
ما قلنالكم من قبل يا شباب ، ديماً اول مية سنة صعبات ... بعدين بتتعودوا وإلى اللقاء

لم نعد نطلب إلا أن تساعدونا في أملنا الأخير و هو الهجرة إلى وطن اخر و خذوا سورية كلها لكم

ايه و الله العظيم شي بيطقق .. أحسن دوا شم الهوا .. و شو بدي قول بخاف بعدين بات الليلة عند خالتي .. و رقصني يا كدع

[What is "Occupation"]

It's going to require a coop...

Someone has to get to a Syrian General and say...

Time for a change, Do you want to lead?

Talk and Compromise do not work with dictators.

[Basil]

Hello,

This is a suggestion from a friendly Greek.
Why we don't stop all these POLITICS talk to seek how we can live peacefully and having in mind that our planet is destroying every day from our deeds.
Lets put our minds in the direction of peacfull innovations for the good of humanity.And now you may continue your rumblings about politics like there are not any other problems to solve.
Concerning the water problem you facing in Syria (with our common "friends Turks"), there is a recent innovation of a Greek univercity.
Read about it in this link.

basil

[Fares]

Remembering Hariri

[Anonymous]

Amar, I heard lately from the media about the coming presidential voting in Syria “as usual” another 7 seven more years. And it is a tragedy to hear that after the regime had pledged for changed which means that the regime was only buying time. I would not be interested in this pathetic voting but I would like to see if someone can make a site for a parallel voting so at least for history we could have our imaginary saying. If someone can make a voting site without any email reference, like the Syrian congress previous voting, which was valuable, it would be kind reparation for people hurt feelings.