JF Aus
Actually the religion of both sides demands a theological dictatorship
and the minorities are crunched in between.

Well our democracy is not perfect but is way ahead of any alternative.

I agree, Bazz.
But think how good genuine democracy could be.
Wishful thinking.

Just because The 100's of thousands of males coming into Europe
Are not armed doesn't mean they are not an invading force.

It means that any army can land on the shores of any country and say
We are not armed so you have to let us in.

The taking of countries without an armed fight.

Wow! All the wars in history need never have been fought.
They could have just thrown away their weapons and overrun any country they liked
The idea of it is ridiculous.

I always said you can't apply civilian law courts in a war situation.
As has just been witnessed in Europe it means you can't defend
your country from mass invasion because you are not allowed to use force. Ridiculous.

Cherful, you forgot to mention that when they arrive they are re settled including with fortnightly income.

https://candobetter.net/node/4592

Interview with President Bashar al-Assad: 'If you are worried about refugees, stop supporting terrorists'

Previously published (15/9/15) on RT. Watch the full version of the interview with President Bashar al-Assad on http://www.rt.com/on-air/ at 03:00 GMT today on 16 September (1:00PM in Australia's East or 11:00PM in WA).

Europe is "not dealing with the cause" of the current refugee crisis, Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview with Russian media, RT among them, adding that all Syrian people want is "security and safety."

"It's not about that Europe didn't accept them or embrace them as refugees, it's about not dealing with the cause. If you are worried about them, stop supporting terrorists. That’s what we think regarding the crisis. This is the core of the whole issue of refugees.

...

President al-Assad has also given lengthy interviews in English with interviewers less sympathetic than Lizzie Phelan of RT. This includes Charlie Rose of 60 Minutes and the BBC.

Hi Methylista,

A sympathetic interview with Assad on Putin's RT ? Of course.

Of course, the West must help Syria to destroy ISIS. But what comes afterwards, i.e. that they can and/or should do something about ? Supporting a broad democratic movement ? Sure, if one existed. Leaving Assad in place, after all of his brutality, indeed genocide of his own people ? Back to Square One ? Then why on earth should the West ever bother getting involved against ISIS in Syria ?

Clearly, the back-channels are probably working overtime to pressure Assad, once ISIS is defeated, to take part in a coalition government which totally excludes ISIS and any jihadists, but includes democratic forces, such as they are, and Sunni who are, after all, the majority of the population; obviously all of the persecuted minorities have to be represented as well. With such disparate elements, the whole circus would have to be overseen by international forces, a coalition of the West and Russia.

The failure of the Arab spring everywhere except the more cosmopolitan Tunisia, raises the possibility that, in their current religious and ideological states, democracy is simply not a full-on option. Of course, it should be supported wherever it arises, but we would be kidding ourselves if we think that people can lurch from a dogmatic/either-or ethic which has always favoured some form of dictatorship of the most powerful (the only complaint being that it is not 'our' dictatorship), to anything faintly resembling democracy.

From this perspective, the Assads have been simply more of the same, at the tail-end of 1350 years of absolute power. Spengler likened the civilizational ethic of the Middle East, Persia (as it was in his day) and Tsarist Russia - 'Petrinism', he called it: all were about as far removed from anything democratic as you could get. Those poor buggers have a very, very long row to hoe.

Joe