From the early inception of the Baath party as a secular Pan-Arab nationalist political party until the time it came to power in 1963, the party ideology was based on monopolizing political power, which the party accomplished through engineering changes in the structure of Syrian society. After the Baath effectively seized power, the Syrian middle […]

Throughout the developing world, peace and security can be potent elixirs for authoritarian governments to acclimate to increased political reform. Whereas a sense of insecurity can often hamper progress, as fear often breeds stasis. When Bashar Assad assumed power in 2000, US/Syrian relations were well grounded and engaged, and there were no active external threats. […]

What is the most essential change that needs to be made in Syria? In my opinion, the most essential change that needs to be made right now is that Syria needs to stop making changes �?? in one area, at least: the arrival of Western fast-food chains. If you had told me two years ago […]

In formulating what I believe are the most essential changes needed in Syria, I cannot pretend to represent anyone but myself. It goes without saying that my opinions are colored by my own background and experiences as a Syrian living out of the country looking in. Unaccounted for in this discussion, because it is largely […]

Despite my origin, I cannot be properly considered a Syrian expatriate, as my ancestors left the city of Aleppo well before the modern entity called the Syrian Arab Republic even came to exist. Nevertheless, from my standpoint the most important step its government can take today is to maximize the opportunity for Syrian expatriates to […]

If is a very big word. Posed as part of a question where the limit is the human imagination and the difficulty is in distinguishing which of the flood of desires and wants bubbling within you should be the one you wish to satisfy. “If you could have just one thing, what would it be?” […]

Syria is a management problem not a regime problem. This statement seems wrong at first glance but it is a possible explanation of why Syria was so resistant to the rapid changes envisioned by its young president when he first came to power. If my hypothesis is correct (and it is only a hypothesis) then […]

There are so many lofty prescriptions one could present in answer to the question of what Syria needs for progress through change (I assume progress is what we all want). The temptation is to expound on the obvious desirable political, economic, and educational reforms that could lead to dramatic change in Syria, and I think […]

To define what kind of change is needed in a country like Syria is not an easy mission, and most definitely it is not one without controversy. I would say, among all the fundamental issues that our country (Syria, in the tightest geographical sense that is) is suffering from at the moment, whether it is […]

We Syrians are often exposed to the meaningless blaming rhetoric by the Syrian leadership that the Syrian society bears the main responsibility for the lack of reform or its slow pace forward. In other words, we are supposed to blame the victims. The Syrian government and political leadership neither govern nor lead effectively. They cover […]

I have been thinking and engaging in discussions with friends about this question for over three weeks now. The question seems simple enough, yet if one probes the immediate suggestions that come to mind, one quickly finds that they raise many more questions that need further discussion. But come to think of it, that is […]

�??Change!�?� It seems this word has become the ultimate fashion statement today �?? surpassing Prada, Moschino, and KFC. And of course the never-to-be-missed fashion statements of �??behavior change�?� and �??regime change.�?� Change, as we now hear it, is an actionable verb rather than a benign noun. This change cannot wait; it must be carried out […]