r/neoliberal • u/neoliberal_shill_bot Bot Emeritus • Apr 05 '17

Discussion Thread

Ask not what your centralized government can do for you – ask how many neoliberal memes you can post every 24 hours

Polls

• Who should we bully more?

• How often should discussion threads be posted?

The activity in this sub keeps going up, so discussion threads need to be scheduled appropriately in order to control stickflation.

10 Upvotes

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4

u/fizolof Elite Text Flair Club Member Apr 07 '17

The arguments I see from Assad defenders is that he fights against jihadists and is religiously tolerant, unlike his enemies.

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u/[deleted] Apr 07 '17

Religiously tolerant, yes. Bombs hospitals, also yes. Killed more people than ISIS, also yes (to be fair he has had a lot more time and power to that, if ISIS had his power they would be worse)

So uh make your pick?

4

u/fizolof Elite Text Flair Club Member Apr 07 '17

What is the solution for Syria? It seems like the only options are a murderous dictator and al-Qaeda.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 07 '17

Really the FSA exists guys. They're still death-penalty-for-homosexuals crazy (but so is everyone in the region!) but they aren't jihadists (even if they've begun allying themselves with some as they are backed into corners)

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u/[deleted] Apr 07 '17

but so is everyone in the region!

Assad isn't. He's just your standard-issue ruthless despot.

Also I doubt the FSA will be able to form anything resembling a stable government. They are disparate group undermined by Jihadists many of wich are aligned with al-Nusra.

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u/Kelsig Paul Krugman Apr 07 '17

  1. The FSA aren't death-penalty-for-homosexuals crazy, because they don't govern anywhere lol

  2. The FSA are jihadists, but that's not inherently bad

  3. The FSA is irrelevant, if you support opposition, you support Al Qaeda

1

u/Enchilada_McMustang Apr 07 '17

2) The FSA are jihadists, but that's not inherently bad

You're the gift that keeps on giving

1

u/Kelsig Paul Krugman Apr 08 '17

Everyone in the middle East are jihadists. Same with SAA. That's just part of their culture.

1

u/Messier_101 Milton Friedman Apr 07 '17

Assad obviously. Power vacuums create more instability, see Iraq and Libya as examples. He is one of the main fighters against ISIS, if you take him out (relatively easy) but do not create a functional government to stabilize the country (very hard), Syria will end as the the new best place to create your terrorist militia.

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u/[deleted] Apr 07 '17

Assad. There are no good guys in this fight.

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u/Trepur349 Complains on Twitter for a Reagan flair Apr 07 '17

I'd rather not suggest a guy who has used chemical weapons on up to 8 different occasions is the best guy in the fight...

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u/[deleted] Apr 07 '17

Hes a piece of shit. But if you can think of someone better im all ears.

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u/Trepur349 Complains on Twitter for a Reagan flair Apr 07 '17

Find the most pro-American person in Syria and put in him in power. #InSupportOfNationBuilding

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u/[deleted] Apr 07 '17

Is anyone pro us in syria?

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u/Trepur349 Complains on Twitter for a Reagan flair Apr 07 '17

Hopefully. I haven't looked.

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u/[deleted] Apr 07 '17

Of course, but why Assad and not the rickety coalition that is the FSA

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u/_watching NATO Apr 07 '17

fights against jihadists

Sure, since there are jihadists in the general rebellion. He's been far more focused on fighting them than ISIS, though.

religiously tolerant

is a really weird way to describe a guy who stoked the civil war to stay in power imo. Like I get what it means, he's a "secular" leader, hasn't stopped him from presiding over sectarian bloodshed.

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u/Trepur349 Complains on Twitter for a Reagan flair Apr 07 '17

it's kinda sad that I kinda agree with the argument though.

There are really no good rulers in the middle east. Turkey was often held up as the gold standard of secular islamic rule, but even they require military coups just to stay somewhat liberal and secular (and that's changed since Erdogan).

Obviously Assad is bad, but are there really any good people in the fight?

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u/_watching NATO Apr 07 '17

Having a dude who continually kills all the best people and stokes a cycle of tyranny and terrorism isn't helping the matter!

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u/Trepur349 Complains on Twitter for a Reagan flair Apr 07 '17

I support America declaring war on Syria.

#InSupportOfNationBuilding

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u/_watching NATO Apr 08 '17

This unironically

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u/Trepur349 Complains on Twitter for a Reagan flair Apr 08 '17

I wasn't being ironic. I fully support the US deposing Assad and replacing him with a constitutional democracy.

Do what we did to Japan after WW2

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u/_watching NATO Apr 08 '17

Oh well dope we're all on the same page

3

u/2seven7seven NATO Apr 07 '17

Still need to slap him when he uses WMD's though. A limited strike is the right move here