Reports | 25 05 2020
By: Tariq Azizeh
Years of successive disasters, and the increasing dependence of both the regime and the opposition on external support, have made Syria extremely vulnerable to multinational and multitype interventions and interactions. This in addition to a chronic stagnation and an armed conflict; a conflict which no amount of allegation on the part of all participants therein will hide its true nature as a naked struggle for power—to preserve it, or attain it—and at any price. Not to mention the flourishing of jihadi projects in Syria. All this, while a clique of writers, intellectuals, activists and political opponents tirelessly drone refrains such as the "Syrian Revolution," "the Syrian people's revolution," or similar phrases to denote what is happening in Syria.
Assuming the existence of a true belief among those cliques of something even remotely resembling the popular Syrian uprising or Revolution of a spring now long gone; merely following the writings and declarations of their "Star personalities," the most proper description given can be that of "revolutionary childishness," coming from a group of "revolutionary posers."
"Revolutionary childishness," was a term coined by Lenin of a disease striking those "revolutionaries" unable to analyze or understand marked and quick turns in events. They merely parrot revolutionary slogans, without taking into account the objective conditions arising from the specific turn of events; and thus develop this disease.
Hence the allegation of Syrian opposition "revolutionaries" being infected with "revolutionary childishness." This stems from their insistence on projecting an unrealistic flowery image and hyperbolic slogans, as well as a persisitent schizophrenic vision transcending the distressing reality and its dark banners. They endlessly regale the public with ideas and perceptions that continue to ignore the current Syrian predicament and events, which have rendered any talk about a "revolution" a delusion completely detached from reality.
Much as any other diseases, there also are degrees of severity here. In the case for some, the disease may escalate to reach "revolutionary infantilism," as per Lenin's expression, too. This describes those same people who constantly quote Lenin, while claiming continueed allegiance to Marxism!
What we mean by "revolutionism" is exactly the same the late Yassin al-Hafez had used in his many critiques. It is meant to denote any superficial, cartoonish, dogmatic, emotional or meta-revolutionary—as opposed to a deep, rational—affiliation to the cause of the revolution.
Whereas to Hafiz the description of "revolutionism" did not imply any value judgment, inasmuch as he was not questioning the "good intentions revolutionists," as he put it; the current reality of Syrian revolutionists preculdes any potential of "good intentions" being appended thereto. Their scurry to open up their talk-shops in the "revolution's" name, as well as their financial scandals, corruption, and theft stinking to the highest heavens; makes it a certanity that all the talk about a "revolution" that no longer exists, is nothing more than cheap careerism.
All forms of infighting to control the government, secede part of the state, or dominate it—whether assuming a religious, ideological, political, or ethnic form or otherwise—fall squarely under the title of civil war. So too do armed conflict between two or more factions, between the regular army and armed militias, or between sometime partner, sometime warring armed factions of political, religious, sectarian, or ethnic affiliations. The current Syrian scene comprises all the above elements; yet none of the poles of the Syrian civil war seems ready to acknowledge such glaring reality.
The country has, thus, become lost between traffickers of causes: A tyrannical regime hanging on to the tired refrain of resistance and a global conspiracy, on the one hand; and a careerist revolutionist opposition incessantly peddling the cause of the Syrian people and their right to freedom and dignity for its own interests, on the other.
Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Rozana