That is very interesting. I have not known what to think of Assad because I hear such contradictory reports.
“That is very interesting. I have not known what to think of Assad because I hear such contradictory reports.”
We are trained by our culture, literature and movies to see the world in simple terms of good versus evil. The bible is the architype of this good versus evil proposition. The Middle East is a different culture and Christianity is a tiny portion of that culture. In the Middle East there is very little we would see as good and much we would see as evil. The short end of this spectrum runs from good towards the middle, which is not as “good” towards the far end which is all evil. Close to good is the evil that simply tolerates and occasionally abuses Christians. This is where Assad is. Further along, not far along, mind you, the spectrum rapes Christians and forcibly converts them. You’d think that was evil, and it is, but then a short distance further along the spectrum people boil Christians alive, drown them, burn them to death and behead them. In comparison, the line further to the good side where they just rape and convert seems better.
We have to suspend our concepts of good and evil and accept that Assad is the better of the options. He is as close to good as the region can create. This begs the question, why didn’t Obama support, train and arm the Christians rather than “moderate” Muslims who later joined the far, far evil side of the spectrum? I think we all have our own answer to that question.
As to why people who live there don’t leave? With all its warts and dangers, it’s home.