It doesn’t really matter if you agree or disagree with what I am saying about Syria. What matters is objective reality. You can support any rebel group you like, you can believe they are right in both their cause and their strategy; but you cannot ignore the facts the war has created. The devastation is real, the de-population of the country is real, the obliteration of the economy is real, and the existence of powerful external forces with their own agendas is real. So I am asking, how do you propose to deal with these realities?
Criticizing the rebels does not equate to support for Assad, nor does support for the rebels equate to support for the Syrian people; most of whom have nothing to do with the conflict, want nothing to do with the conflict, and just hope the conflict will end; and they are who I am primarily concerned about. They are victimized from every side.
As I have said, let the rebels be clear about their vision for Syria. If their hope is for Syria to be a wasteland, to never be rebuilt, to never recover economically, to be completely isolated, impoverished, and helpless; but with some version of Shari’ah being implemented; let them say so. If their hope is for Syria to be a thriving, fully functioning, Islamic state; please tell me how that is supposed to happen. How are they going to rebuild the country, and with what money?
Of course, the rebels themselves, and their internet supporters, cannot answer these basic questions. No one is thinking about that. The present situation is too dire and too urgent, and the groups have too many immediate issues to deal with. There are conflicts between groups and conflicts internal to each group. No one has a long term plan. Just “keep fighting, and everything will be ok”. But I want to know how it is supposed to be ok? I mean, I know it will be ok for the Khaleeji sponsors of the rebels, I know it will be ok for the US, for bankers, for multinationals, for Russia, for Iran…but how is it going to be ok for the people of Syria?