Great article. It's very hard for Americans to figure out what is happening in Syria. Much needed article. I liked "...hyper-local belonging is a hallmark of deeply traditional societies... I see this all over the Middle East, but not only there. In fact, that is how we all started out. We forget how long it took for countries in Europe to become real nations. And at the end you say, "It [Syria] must adopt a new structural paradigm rooted in inclusivity, decentralization (do you mean federalism?) and general power-sharing." Do you mean a nation-state works better than tribalism? Even if you have to pull diverse groups together? I'm coming to this conclusion.
Thank you for your input Kathy. Federalism is not the only form of decentralization, and we may need to consider these other forms to avoid further conflict. One way or another, we need to agree on a way to manage our diversity and allow all communities to feel empowered within the context of the existing and internationally recognized state.
I used AI to look up other methods of decentralization and how they apply to Syria. Well, you've got your hands full. And who is going to make this work and get it into practice? Is it seen as a transitional stage for this point in time? Is there no one with a larger vision (instead of competing goals) to unite the country? I know a little German history and this was kind of the situation there before nationhood and a lot of complex factors came into play leading to a united country. Poetry and music also played a role promoting the vision. The original first verse of the German national anthem was "Deutschland, Deutschland ueber Alles...", meaning NOT Germany supremacy over other countries but loyalty to the idea of a German nation over competing local interests and powers. I'm not sure but this situation (complex divisions and competing loyalties seems prevalent in many places in the Middle East, but Syria seems particularly complex. Thanks for at least explaining it. I am praying for the path(s) forward to be found.
Great article. It's very hard for Americans to figure out what is happening in Syria. Much needed article. I liked "...hyper-local belonging is a hallmark of deeply traditional societies... I see this all over the Middle East, but not only there. In fact, that is how we all started out. We forget how long it took for countries in Europe to become real nations. And at the end you say, "It [Syria] must adopt a new structural paradigm rooted in inclusivity, decentralization (do you mean federalism?) and general power-sharing." Do you mean a nation-state works better than tribalism? Even if you have to pull diverse groups together? I'm coming to this conclusion.
Thank you for your input Kathy. Federalism is not the only form of decentralization, and we may need to consider these other forms to avoid further conflict. One way or another, we need to agree on a way to manage our diversity and allow all communities to feel empowered within the context of the existing and internationally recognized state.
I used AI to look up other methods of decentralization and how they apply to Syria. Well, you've got your hands full. And who is going to make this work and get it into practice? Is it seen as a transitional stage for this point in time? Is there no one with a larger vision (instead of competing goals) to unite the country? I know a little German history and this was kind of the situation there before nationhood and a lot of complex factors came into play leading to a united country. Poetry and music also played a role promoting the vision. The original first verse of the German national anthem was "Deutschland, Deutschland ueber Alles...", meaning NOT Germany supremacy over other countries but loyalty to the idea of a German nation over competing local interests and powers. I'm not sure but this situation (complex divisions and competing loyalties seems prevalent in many places in the Middle East, but Syria seems particularly complex. Thanks for at least explaining it. I am praying for the path(s) forward to be found.