Which outcome would you prefer in Syria?

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

1. After a prolonged struggle without Western intervention and with Iranian/Hezbollah intervention, the Ba'ath regime in Syria brutally crushes the Free Syrian Army and continues the pre-2011 status quo (i.e. single-party dictatorship).

2. Thanks to Western intervention and tensions within the pro-Assad side, the Syrian Arab Republic collapses, but holds onto the two Alawite-majority provinces on the Mediterranean coast as an Iranian puppet state. The victorious FSA turns on itself, and after several more years of brutal civil war, a fundamentalist Sunni Arab regime takes power and establishes a totalitarian Islamic republic at the expense of ethnic and religious minorities.

No, you do not get a third option.

[DC Al Fine]

Option 1

[H. Ross Peron]

Well since this's a loaded question, if I had to choose Option 1. But I doubt Option 2 will come to pass if the rebels win.

[Donerail]

WI: The interventionist pipe dream.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Option 1

[Beet]

There is zero chance of Assad restoring the 2011 status quo.

[Goldwater]

Well since this's a loaded question, if I had to choose Option 1. But I doubt Option 2 will come to pass if the rebels win.

[LastVoter]

Option 2, it's more fun.

[Supersonic]

Well since this's a loaded question, if I had to choose Option 1. But I doubt Option 2 will come to pass if the rebels win.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Pointless question since neither option will happen (see Beet's post)

[Zioneer]

Neither option will happen, so Option 3.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Seriously this question is like asking "Would you rather deal with an alien invasion or a Godzilla-like monster rising?"

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Seriously this question is like asking "Would you rather deal with an alien invasion or a Godzilla-like monster rising?"

Godzilla would probably be easier to take down faster.

[Redalgo]

Option 2

Without the benefit of hindsight I am eager to see Syria's regime crushed and a new form of government created. Usually I would prefer to base my choice on the preferences of citizens of the country in question but (a.) those in Syria have limited access to information sources not under state influence, and (b.) I have yet to see any polling data that suggests most of Syrians are in support of the Assad regime and would still be even if the accusations against his government were hypothetically proven true.

With the benefit of hindsight I would favor a post-war effort to round up Syrian intellectuals and have them rather than the rebels decide on, and initially preside over, the new form of government while receiving substantial amounts of aid and military hardware from the West - the appearances of foreign imperialism to many in both the region and Syria itself shrugged off as unavoidable and therefore part of the acceptable cost of liberation.

[Hash]

Write-in: Snowstalker stops being a Sagetard.

[opebo]

#1 absolutely!  Good old Assad.

[morgieb]

#1.

But Beet, BRTD and the hawk brigade have a point.

[nolesfan2011]

option 2, Assad is still worst as anything and the Syrians are smarter than to let islamic thugs control them

[Person Man]

option 2, Assad is still worst as anything and the Syrians are smarter than to let islamic thugs control them

[ingemann]

Yes I know this post is old and started by a banned member, but I think it's interesting to see where we are today compared to two years ago and how the situation have evolved. Snowstalker seem to have been correct that those were the two opinion as then I prefer the regime to the Islamists.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Option 1

[DavidB.]

Yes I know this post is old and started by a banned member, but I think it's interesting to see where we are today compared to two years ago and how the situation have evolved. Snowstalker seem to have been correct that those were the two opinion as then I prefer the regime to the Islamists.

It would probably have been more fruitful to start a new thread on this interesting issue instead of discussing it through the framework of Snowbigot's bizarre poll. As for me, I'd rather have neither (and I think another option does exist) but given the geopolitical implications of both choices I'd say number 2.

[Miles]

Option 1 , easily.

[Green Line]

It's difficult to say.  If the new Sunni regime turned out to be an US ally, then option 2.  Otherwise option 1, with the added hope that Russia gets bogged down in a long war.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Option 1 (sane)

Of course Hillary chose option 2, batsh**t crazy. This is from this week.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/05/us-usa-election-clinton-syria-idUSKCN0RZ1C020151005