The Sorely Lacking Messiah Touch!

As I returned from Doha, my immediate expectations were limited to things such as having to deal with a new travel ban or go through a new round of interrogations. But, it seems that our intricately disassociated-from-reality security apparatuses have finally found a more pressing issue to fret about than the writings and activities of this hapless marginalized liberal creature.

Goody. Now I can go back to practicing my mischief in relative peace, although it will prove virtually impossible to be quiet about it. Oh well. This will have to do.

Our President, so says a source that is close to both him and me, is planning to have parliamentary elections soon. But, first, he wants to push for the reform of the Baath Party. That has to come first, I am told, otherwise, the Party will not be able to compete considering its current state of decay and disorganization.

But, why is the President so attached to a party in whose ideology he himself is hardly a believer? The answer to this seems to be related more to the internal balance of power than to the President’s own convictions (which are reportedly more akin the ideology of the Syrian Social National Party).

Indeed, in my erstwhile conversation with General Dashing, a member of the President’s inner group to say the least, he came out as a clear advocate of Baath ideology, albeit he was quite willing to differentiate between what he called a “real Baathist” and a mere member of the Party, who was dismissed as an opportunist. We need to clean the Party out of these rogue elements, he told me, for which I could only wish him bon chance, before I bade him adieu.

The Baath might mean resurrection in Arabic, but I doubt that it could indeed prove resurrectable. Rogues, charlatans, opportunist, thieves, idiots, all in their late 60s and 70s armed with a medievalist mindset, no, you simply can’t teach these old dogs new tricks, no matter how attached to life they might still be. A nice retirement home for the insanely rich should suffice. What more do they want? The oil is gone, there is nothing left to rob. Couldn’t they just leave the few remaining droplets to posterity?

Of course not. If greed and avarice is now part and parcel of the nature of these people, how can they change? Once again we should wag that thing about old dogs and new tricks.

So, unless the Baath Party can play Jesus, or Bashar can play God, the Baath Party is dead, long live whatever. Indeed, the day when we are going to witness a series of short-lived “long live whatever” seems to be nearing. It’s going to be like the 50s hereabouts again, albeit mixed with a greater doze of blood and angst.

The downfall, ladies and gentlemen of the blogosphere, is nigh.