Alidad

Events of recent months in the Middle East perfectly illustrate the difference between bloody dictatorships and authoritarian regimes - for want of better words in English; Spanish speakers distinguish by calling them "dictadura" or "dictablanda," with an appropriate pun on the words "hard" and "soft." Asad's regime, and his allies, are "dictaduras" make no mistake.

It is difficult as an Iranian not to sympathise, wholeheartedly, with thousands of Syrians courting death and torture as they protest to rid themselves of the vile regime run by Bashar al-Asad and his goons. I have tried to avoid watching news on Syria recently as it leaves one tense and distraught. What can one do? Even if I lived in Syria I wonder if I would have the courage to run onto streets patrolled by Asad's Pol-Pot militias. Events of recent months in the Middle East perfectly illustrate the differences between bloody dictatorships and authoritarian regimes - for want of better words in English; Spanish speakers distinguish by calling them "dictadura" or "dictablanda," with an appropriate pun on the words "hard" and "soft." The differences are in such questions as whether these rulers are just thieving little shits or mass murderers, or how many of their subjects the heinous little rats are prepared to kill, to keep power etc... Asad's regime, and his allies, are "dictaduras" make no mistake.

I have partially relieved my rage by sending hate mail to Syrian embassies in London and Paris, calling their president a son-of-a-whore - the least I could do. Today I sent an e-mail to the UN human rights body - a body that exists and does good things apparently, in case you were not aware of it. My concerned words included:

I cannot see anything on your bland and ineffectual webpage about the wholesale murder of Syrians by their fascist regime. What are human rights abuses for you, UN employees? Are you at some stage going to denounce, condemn, or at least criticize the axis-of-evil regime of Syria - or would that not be expedient? Is there anyone among the mass of lazy, unprincipled, banana-republic pen pushers staffing your agency who gives a tuppence about human rights, I mean over and above their bloated wages and undeserved perks? You are a shameful, and shameless lot of parasites. Is anyone there going to denounce the murderer of Syria in vigorous terms and plain English?

I feel just a little better. The words ' f**ing scum' recur in my head every time I check Middle East news.