Syria has a National Socialist Party by the way, in additon to the ruling Ba’ath Party. The Ba’ath was founded by some Westernized Arab intellectuals in the 1930s. It’s ideology was put together by a man named Michel Aflaq, a nominally Christian Arab educated in French philosophy. He carefully and deliberately chose all the worst aspects from each of the contemporary totalitarianisms to form the ideology of “Arab Renewal,” antisemitism and the exaltation of nihilistic violence from Naziism, socialism, militant atheism and omnipresent secret police from Communism, and bombastic nationalist hysteria from Italian Fascism.

Let’s see, the Roman Empire ruled Syria fromabout 60 BC to about 640 AD, or 700 years roughly. So if geography forces us out like it did the Romans…well that might give us enough time to convert even Syria into a civilized country.

The sooner the Assad dynasty is overthrown the better. I don’t much care what sort of oppressor the Syrians put in after that, so long as he stops being a pain in the rear end to us and our friends. If they want to be ruled by a fascist tyrant, hey I’m copacetic with that. They’ve never been ruled by anything else. Just stop making trouble for us, or we will make more trouble for you, Syrian fascists.

A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day…so check back often.

But I thought the Syrians and Iranians admired the Fuehrer?

Jule’s last statement is a profound one. Bush undercuts himself and the war every time he deviates from his own stated premises. He finally managed to rid himself of incompetent generals (both on active duty and retired), but he has done great damage in allowing Condi Rice in the Middle East. She is a disaster, unfortunately. This country desperately needs a good Sec. of State.