Dashing Gets a Lashing!

My former chief interrogator, Assef Shawkat , to whom I have referred as General Dashing in my earlier blog posts, has gotten his assets in the US frozen, in a symbolic move meant to demonstrate that the "family" is indeed “not off limits,” as far as this administration is concerned.

What does this mean at a time when the Syrian President is attempting to rally people to his side by freeing some political prisoners (while his agents are busy making more), and preparing to announce some important internal reforms, more likely in his upcoming speech this Saturday?

It means that the President will be delivering too little too late as far as the US is concerned. It also means that many people in Syria are going to be suckered into rallying behind their jailer and executioner.

My call for civil disobedience in such a frenzied climate is going to look more and more pitiful, and less and less likely to be heeded by anyone. We are all too set on a course towards disaster.

Caught between the cruelty of our ruling regime, the inflating cynicism and wishfulness of our all too cowed populations, the corruption of so many segments of our society, and the conflicting interests of the powers-that-be in this world, what chance does rational action has? What chance do dreamers like me have to influence anything?

But we are going to get ourselves dismissed as traitors and opportunists, nonetheless. Oh for joy, for joy.