Reader’s thoughts on “Reader’s thoughts on Syria article“
Excellent response. It is also important to keep in mind the left-nationalist orientation of the Assad government. Syria has a “social market” economy with a significant degree of centralized planning. The new constitution stipulates that a certain number of seats in the Parliament are reserved for workers and farmers.
This regime also protects the rights of women and religious minorities in Syria. Syria’s Vice President is a woman, and women’s rights are enshrined in the new constitution. Even Western media concedes that Christians, Alawites, and other religious minorities are united behind President Assad.
Meanwhile, the reactionary elements lined up against the Syrian government—Gulf monarchies like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as well as the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood—are ultra-capitalist and seek to roll back gains made by women and religious minorities in Syria.
How can socialist internationalists knowingly support U.S. imperialist projects, as Justin suggests? It is the role of socialists first and foremost to defend the weak from the strong – and that includes weak, neocolonial countries being targeted by imperialism. The biggest threat to the world is not a Libyan colonel, the Presidents of Syria or Iraq, or even the CIA’s anti-Soviet al Qaeda project. That title will always belong to the imperialist powers, who don’t flinch at the thought of destroying the world to maintain their rule.
Nina Westbury
