Syria, Democracy and the Civil War

The continuing conflict in Syria must surely lead to a re-evaluation by the West of whether and what assistance it should give. This has not suddenly become acute as a result of the death of a journalist but Marie Colvin's death has certainly re-focused the public's attention on the dictator Assad's regime and the brutal way in which it deals with dissent. The greatest advantage of democracy is the ability of a people to change its government at regular intervals. Assad is not of course going to call an election or not one that anyone would be satisfied was free and fair. It seems therefore that a change of regime can only happen at the point of a gun. Should the West get involved? Only if it's a reasonable certainty that the winner of the civil war will hold free and fair elections at regular intervals. How should the West help? By giving the rebels it backs the arms and supplies necessary to finish the job. Whether the West should commit its own forces though is another question since to do so may well result in running into the Russians and the Iranians (in the latter case possibly in the form of Hezbollah). For the moment it is perhaps best for the West not to commit forces although to be ready to do so if there is evidence of the Russians or Iranians doing so. As part of its pro democracy policy our government should condemn the nazi anti Israel campaign championed by the left and called the Israeli Apartheid Week and indeed anyone connected with it should be named and shamed. There is an interesting blog on the Israeli Apartheid Week here and why it should be condemned. Another nazi organisation, the Greens, are having a little trouble from their Conservative and Labour opponents on Brighton and Hove Council who have joined together to try and defeat the Green administration's proposed Council Tax hike. There is a blog on this issue here.