Signs from Russia seem to indicate a vote for trump would be just that... I know most here are so shallowly embedded in their beliefs that something like this will definitely have an effect on how you vote... but should it?

I'll add this fuel too... anyone who has watched an interview with Syrian President Assad knows he is an incredibly intelligent man - far more than any prominent American politician...

personally I find it disgusting that both republicans and democrats support a terrorist attempt to destabilize a country... and then they turn around and chastize Russia for attempting to support a legitimate country leader...

if it weren't for US involvement, Syria might actually be a nicer place to live than here...

You should move there and send us updates.

Either that or they are propping up assad much like we did the shaw of Iran among others. I wasn't for toppling Sadaam Hussain etc. and am not for toppling assad. I think they need to decide their own fate. But Russia has been involved all along (as long as I can remember), that doesn't make assad legitimate nor does it make them deciding their own fate. The rebels or freedom fighters would argue Russia is preventing them from doing just that. Syria being a nicer place than here is laughable. Good luck with that. I'd be more inclined to believe that statement about Iran.

Not a vote for deep US involvement but don't kid yourself about Putin, Assad and crew.

Parts of Syria are absolutely gorgeous... before the recent fighting, there were peaceful beaches safe for vacation by people of any color... and the government was generally friendly towards westerners...

What were you saying about iran?

Given, i didn't snopes any of that... just going off of pictures and stories from friends who fled Syria...

I have no doubt of the physical beauty of the land.

The government has never been particularly western friendly, or at least US friendly. I've always viewed them as on of the more entrenched anti us, anti Israel countries. Yes the affluent there had a nice life. Admittedly that could be my bias based on their reaction to the 67 and 73 events as well as desert storm.

As for Iran they are more western than most countries in the region and the people highly educated. It's funny how we vilify them as someone we must always hate but in reality they were our friends and can be again.

I'm biased on Iran as well though. In college my goal keeper and right wing escaped Iran through turkey and then France following the revolution. I spent many drunkin nights asking them questions.

My team had guys from Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Malaysia, Pakistan, Vietnam, and china among others. For a guy who's graduating class in high school was roughly 400 and if those I can remember one black guy and maybe 4-5 brown ones it was fascinating.

My take on Syria may have been tainted by them too. The Jordanian seemed to like Syria though.

All that aside I know very little but don't think the Russians are doing anyone but themselves any favors. We likely are not either but as messed up as we are I trust our intentions over theirs.

I don't trust the intentions of either... I also know how I'd feel about a foreign country coming to America to help a terrorist organization promote instability... which is exactly what the US has done in Syria... we haven't helped the rebels at all, we've just hurt Assad...

interesting insights by the way... funny how personal interactions trump news reports... if we'd all meet each other instead of seeing and believing stories about each other, we'd probably like each other a lot more... except victor...

... That's OK. I'd prolly end up teabagging your cat anyway.... 😞

Poor Mr. Whiskerheimer...

Assad was already on his way out; the reality is that a few years ago water usage hit an all time high and the bottom fell out of the water table causing Syrian farmers to lose their crops. This created dustbowl like conditions in an already arid country. The farmers and their families had no choice but to live on the outskirts of the major cities which were already combating a water shortage. It for a while it was staved off by drilling deeper wells but the reality was it was a race for time and no one knew when the water would run out. The people began to revolt against Assad, first it was the farmers who were living in shanty towns, then when the water supply went belly up it was the rest of the people. The extreme religious wing used this as an opportunity to proclaim a new State; the United States eager to uproot Assad in order to put a stranglehold on the Russians initially backed some of the rebels. With Assad out of the way, troops are now being deployed by China, Russia, Europe, and The United States.

This isn't some pissing contest; the outcome of Syria and the US's future diplomatic relations are deeply connected. If Russia gains an advantage it can likely mean war regardless of either candidate.

maybe they shoulda asked Israel how they irrigated the desert?

They have the Ark... DUH

Tell them not to open it. It melted the nazis faces off.

TW, think man!
Tell them to open it!

Right?

Right!

Seriously though, Ark or not, you gotta give props to Israel for being the only country in the Middle East to actually have a water surplus.

I've seen some beautiful pics of Iran... had no idea what I was looking at at the beginning of the slideshow..


I thought Syria was just another Arab Spring thing at first... Seemed it all went to hell when Obama drew his Imaginary Red Line... Thanks Obama.. 😠

The terrible thing is that pretty much all the arab states other than Israels and Maybe Saudi will be in the same predicament as Syria within the next 20 years if they don't get their acts together.