[–] darwin_prime ago
This is essentially cold war 2.0.
Syria is the proxy state through which Putin is trying to diminish U.S. power. The Middle East is a region where the U.S. has been losing its influence for a long time, and Syria is where a close ally and good customer (Al Assad) is. Putin doing this now is for him politically speaking, a very smart play.
The U.S. and Russia are not fighting each other directly, but fighting the other's interests directly. The U.S. has been called out recently for funding ISIS, but this is muddled a little bit by politicized intel as well as something that Russia has also been doing; funding/supporting independent groups as is beneficial to the situation at said given time.
[–] ShampocalypseWOW 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
If you want the problems in the Middle East dummed down for you so you can understand them, you're never going to understand them.
Watch this. Only then will you understand.
[–] cat_tail_moustache 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago (edited ago)
Watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJPOtPl-0NI
Then watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW0HP7Xd2rs
[–] didntsayeeeee 3 points -2 points 1 point (+1|-3) ago (edited ago)
Honestly, if you want to start understanding the Syrian Civil War, it's best to set aside half an hour to read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Civil_War -- it's a pretty reasonable introduction and far, far, far more detailed than anything you're going to get from news reports or internet comments.
Just reading the "Main Belligerents" bit you'll notice there's something like forty different groups in various different alliances fighting it out, many of whom you've never heard of. And some of those groups, like the Sham Legion (heh) are a union of nineteen earlier-existing groups. Trying to understand what the fuck is going on is way beyond the scope of a two-minute news piece which consists mostly of file footage of cruise missiles going "pschoo!"
Just think of it as Game of Thrones with guns and no boobs.
[–] jallab 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
I hate this new trend. "Such and such event is actually just like GOT" or "south park called it; the writers are so intelligent" or "Oh, I hate american politic; its like House of Cards but real and not as interesting!". Or the one I hate the most "well, to me, both parties are exactly the same!". No. Read and learn about these events and you will see how bullshit these statements are. Nothing is like anything else. History is made up of individuals acting upon their own whims and chasings. While many events are comparable, absolutely none are equal.
If you need to dumbify or glamorize a topic to be interested in it, it is evident that you do not have the patience or bother to care or even wish to care about it. It is lazy and weak.
Seriously, just pick up the source material, get in touch with a few experts (personally or otherwise) and TRY to understand it. You will come off far better informed.
[–] ShampocalypseWOW ago
It's far more complicated than that and there are not just two sides at work.
Chess is better, although checkers is more wild and fast and fun. And stupid.
[–] Waterburger ago
Jews making a monster for shit that isn't theirs, basically WW2. Except now the nazis are goat fuckers.