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Gangs of Aleppo (Syria) The Arab Spring succumbs to post-state violence
The American Conservative ^ | 8-28-12 | William S. Lind

Posted on 08/31/2012 4:06:21 PM PDT by dynachrome

Gangs are one of the most basic, and most potent, building blocks of stateless Fourth Generation war. We commonly think of gangs in connection with crime. But through most of history, the line between crime and war was blurred, often to the point of vanishing. (See Barbara Tuchman’s A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous Fourteenth Century.)

It was the state that drew the line clearly, but today in much of the Middle East and elsewhere states and the state system are collapsing. What is succeeding the state looks much like the 14th century Europe Tuchman describes: people and regions are at the mercy of roving bands of armed men who hire themselves out as soldiers when they can and otherwise take what they want from anyone too weak to resist them. Their only loyalty is to each other—to their gang.

One of the characteristics shared by most disintegrating states is a vast surplus of young men who have no access to jobs, money, or women. Gangs are a magnet for them. We see this in American contexts as well: in public schools, in ethnic neighborhoods, and in our prisons, most of which are controlled not by wardens but by racially defined gangs.

(Excerpt) Read more at theamericanconservative.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Germany; Israel; News/Current Events; Russia; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: aleppo; gangs; germany; israel; russia; syria; unitedkingdom; waronterror
Like "Gangs of New York", only with AK-47s?
1 posted on 08/31/2012 4:06:31 PM PDT by dynachrome
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

Thanks dynachrome.


2 posted on 08/31/2012 5:26:03 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: dynachrome

I work with a Doctor who is from Syria. He has evacuated as many family members as possible to the US. I asked him yesterday what all the stink was in Syria since the Press here in the US is reporting Freedom Fighters and Dictatorship. He laughed and told me point blank that the war in Syria is all about RELIGION. Sunni/Shia. He told me not top believe the Press. I’m inclined to believe this man.


3 posted on 08/31/2012 5:59:13 PM PDT by timlilje
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To: dynachrome

Islam shows its true face as it shakes off western influence.


4 posted on 08/31/2012 6:11:33 PM PDT by American in Israel (A wise man's heart directs him to the right, but the foolish mans heart directs him toward the left.)
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To: dynachrome

Gee, who didn’t see this coming, other than Obama?


5 posted on 08/31/2012 6:13:26 PM PDT by dfwgator (I'm voting for Ryan and that other guy.)
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To: dynachrome
"When the economic crisis really begins, it may take all the resources of the American state to control gangs here at home."

I disagree. It's an anti-Second-Amendment piece. Big government won't help either. It's much of the cause of the problem.

Promote pro-American manufacturing and trade practices including abolishing both local and federal regulations against production. And abolish the anti-family social pathologies being enforced by favored constituents in both political parties.

Otherwise, have fun. Enjoy the slide. Violating more freedoms won't help at all. Neither will the efforts of the socialist, bipartisan political/regulator class to instigate racial violence through its sponsored media (sponsored from their incomes from debt).


6 posted on 08/31/2012 7:03:52 PM PDT by familyop ("Wanna cigarette? You're never too young to start." --Deacon, "Waterworld")
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