While US support rebels, Syrians study Russian at schools

[CherryPanda]

The US government sponsors the rebels in Syria in their fight against the rule of Bashar al-Assad. This sponsorship includes such measures as training the rebels, establishing the no-fly zone, creating a buffer zone on the border with Turkey and Jordan, etc. It costs around $12 billion a year.
Meanwhile the official Syrian government tightens the links with Russia which happen to be historically long. The Syrians welcome Russian FM Lavrov with cheers and the government introduces Russian language as one of the options at school.

 

[dilloduck]

The US government sponsors the rebels in Syria in their fight against the rule of Bashar al-Assad. This sponsorship includes such measures as training the rebels, establishing the no-fly zone, creating a buffer zone on the border with Turkey and Jordan, etc. It costs around $12 billion a year.
Meanwhile the official Syrian government tightens the links with Russia which happen to be historically long. The Syrians welcome Russian FM Lavrov with cheers and the government introduces Russian language as one of the options at school.

Yup---another of our little proxy wars that has backfired on us. Obama's "line in the sand" strategy failed miserably.

 

[CherryPanda]

The US government sponsors the rebels in Syria in their fight against the rule of Bashar al-Assad. This sponsorship includes such measures as training the rebels, establishing the no-fly zone, creating a buffer zone on the border with Turkey and Jordan, etc. It costs around $12 billion a year.
Meanwhile the official Syrian government tightens the links with Russia which happen to be historically long. The Syrians welcome Russian FM Lavrov with cheers and the government introduces Russian language as one of the options at school.

Yup---another of our little proxy wars that has backfired on us. Obama's "line in the sand" strategy failed miserably.

And that is extremely shameful... We as a nation could give a lot of good things to the world if we were more selective in the methods we use. Too bad we use force where others chose cultural influence...

 

[dilloduck]

Russia bought them and has supplied them with weapons for years.

 

[CherryPanda]

Russia bought them and has supplied them with weapons for years.

You sound like American government hasn't done the same in other countries or with other organizations.
What I see in this situation is the difference in the approaches. Instead of building certain relations with the existing government, creating 'friendships', our international policy includes different types of violence. And that is what I don't like - we don't change the world for better, we are a threat.

 

[shart_attack]

The US government sponsors the rebels in Syria in their fight against the rule of Bashar al-Assad. This sponsorship includes such measures as training the rebels, establishing the no-fly zone, creating a buffer zone on the border with Turkey and Jordan, etc. It costs around $12 billion a year.
Meanwhile the official Syrian government tightens the links with Russia which happen to be historically long. The Syrians welcome Russian FM Lavrov with cheers and the government introduces Russian language as one of the options at school.

Yup---another of our little proxy wars that has backfired on us. Obama's "line in the sand" strategy failed miserably.

And that is extremely shameful... We as a nation could give a lot of good things to the world if we were more selective in the methods we use. Too bad we use force where others chose cultural influence...

Yeah, 'cause it's totally not like Russia has opted to use force anywhere in the world lately as a means of imposing cultural influence, right?

 

[dilloduck]

Russia bought them and has supplied them with weapons for years.

You sound like American government hasn't done the same in other countries or with other organizations.
What I see in this situation is the difference in the approaches. Instead of building certain relations with the existing government, creating 'friendships', our international policy includes different types of violence. And that is what I don't like - we don't change the world for better, we are a threat.

no just a statement of fact. Russia AND America have been arming proxies for decades. Control over certain regions of the world to exploit resources, location and labor has been a fact of life for centuries.

 

[CherryPanda]

Russia bought them and has supplied them with weapons for years.

You sound like American government hasn't done the same in other countries or with other organizations.
What I see in this situation is the difference in the approaches. Instead of building certain relations with the existing government, creating 'friendships', our international policy includes different types of violence. And that is what I don't like - we don't change the world for better, we are a threat.

no just a statement of fact. Russia AND America have been arming proxies for decades. Control over certain regions of the world to exploit resources, location and labor has been a fact of life for centuries.

Can't deny that. No one is an angel.
But I personally would prefer that the 'Big Brothers' earned control over certain regions of the world by less violent means. Like cultural tights. Or like China that now works in Africa, providing African countries with 'soft' credits for social development in exchange for the access to their oil deposits.

 

[dilloduck]

Russia bought them and has supplied them with weapons for years.

You sound like American government hasn't done the same in other countries or with other organizations.
What I see in this situation is the difference in the approaches. Instead of building certain relations with the existing government, creating 'friendships', our international policy includes different types of violence. And that is what I don't like - we don't change the world for better, we are a threat.

no just a statement of fact. Russia AND America have been arming proxies for decades. Control over certain regions of the world to exploit resources, location and labor has been a fact of life for centuries.

Can't deny that. No one is an angel.
But I personally would prefer that the 'Big Brothers' earned control over certain regions of the world by less violent means. Like cultural tights. Or like China that now works in Africa, providing African countries with 'soft' credits for social development in exchange for the access to their oil deposits.

Financial "influence" can be a powerful thing too. We currently using a large dose of it to influence Russia re: the Ukraine.

 

[CherryPanda]

Russia bought them and has supplied them with weapons for years.

You sound like American government hasn't done the same in other countries or with other organizations.
What I see in this situation is the difference in the approaches. Instead of building certain relations with the existing government, creating 'friendships', our international policy includes different types of violence. And that is what I don't like - we don't change the world for better, we are a threat.

no just a statement of fact. Russia AND America have been arming proxies for decades. Control over certain regions of the world to exploit resources, location and labor has been a fact of life for centuries.

Can't deny that. No one is an angel.
But I personally would prefer that the 'Big Brothers' earned control over certain regions of the world by less violent means. Like cultural tights. Or like China that now works in Africa, providing African countries with 'soft' credits for social development in exchange for the access to their oil deposits.

Financial "influence" can be a powerful thing too. We currently using a large dose of it to influence Russia re: the Ukraine.

Yeah, but I can't say the results are good. And what I don't, actually, understand, is why we even came with our influence to the region in the first place. What is there for us? Why suddenly Ukraine?

 

[dilloduck]

Russia bought them and has supplied them with weapons for years.

You sound like American government hasn't done the same in other countries or with other organizations.
What I see in this situation is the difference in the approaches. Instead of building certain relations with the existing government, creating 'friendships', our international policy includes different types of violence. And that is what I don't like - we don't change the world for better, we are a threat.

no just a statement of fact. Russia AND America have been arming proxies for decades. Control over certain regions of the world to exploit resources, location and labor has been a fact of life for centuries.

Can't deny that. No one is an angel.
But I personally would prefer that the 'Big Brothers' earned control over certain regions of the world by less violent means. Like cultural tights. Or like China that now works in Africa, providing African countries with 'soft' credits for social development in exchange for the access to their oil deposits.

Financial "influence" can be a powerful thing too. We currently using a large dose of it to influence Russia re: the Ukraine.

Yeah, but I can't say the results are good. And what I don't, actually, understand, is why we even came with our influence to the region in the first place. What is there for us? Why suddenly Ukraine?

Oil pipelines for one and we also would love to make the Ukraine a NATO member to intimidate Russia. Maybe even put missiles there. Money and power.

 

[AceRothstein]

I'm sure being able to speak Russian is going to help Syrian children get ahead in the world in the future.

 

[Penelope]

Russia bought them and has supplied them with weapons for years.

You sound like American government hasn't done the same in other countries or with other organizations.
What I see in this situation is the difference in the approaches. Instead of building certain relations with the existing government, creating 'friendships', our international policy includes different types of violence. And that is what I don't like - we don't change the world for better, we are a threat.

no just a statement of fact. Russia AND America have been arming proxies for decades. Control over certain regions of the world to exploit resources, location and labor has been a fact of life for centuries.

Can't deny that. No one is an angel.
But I personally would prefer that the 'Big Brothers' earned control over certain regions of the world by less violent means. Like cultural tights. Or like China that now works in Africa, providing African countries with 'soft' credits for social development in exchange for the access to their oil deposits.

Financial "influence" can be a powerful thing too. We currently using a large dose of it to influence Russia re: the Ukraine.

Yeah, but I can't say the results are good. And what I don't, actually, understand, is why we even came with our influence to the region in the first place. What is there for us? Why suddenly Ukraine?

Oil pipelines for one and we also would love to make the Ukraine a NATO member to intimidate Russia. Maybe even put missiles there. Money and power.

The Father of all Bombs going up against the Mother of all bombs. Who side will Israel stand with?

 

[CherryPanda]

Oil pipelines for one and we also would love to make the Ukraine a NATO member to intimidate Russia. Maybe even put missiles there. Money and power.

But then no one should be surprised about what Russia does. It's logical they don't like what's hapenning and try to resist it. From this perspective, it looks like US provoked Russia to enter the conflict, and that was the actual goal of coming to Ukraine...

I'm sure being able to speak Russian is going to help Syrian children get ahead in the world in the future.

As far as understand the current situation - yes, it will help them a lot. Not so sure about English, for Syrians, of course.