They're Rioting in Africa

So... Anyone seen the news lately? It seems that violent protests have rocked the Old World. From Tunisia to Egypt to England to Syria, something is lighting both cars and people on fire.

The world is burning!

People are angry!

But why?


Well, it really depends on the particular situation. For example, in England, the unrest appears to be race-based. In Egypt, we can infer that the riots started out of a difference in governmental philosophical theories between the people and, well, the government.


But, which one of these is the best case-study? I would contend that Syria gets the prize for that. Here's why:

• A brutal government
• An angry populace
• Rising death tolls
• No physical international support
• Continuing violence over several months

You will probably notice that Syria is the only country that meets all of the above criteria. An uprising in these conditions is very hard to sustain, yet the Syrians are doing it. This requires extreme dedication to their cause, rivaled only by the IRA at the worst periods of The Troubles. They shouldn't be able to do this, but they are. Why?

Ain't no party like a Boston party!

Perhaps we can glean the answer to this mighty poser from a look at American history. It seems that in the American Revolution, the Founding Fathers found themselves in precisely the same position.

When people do things that defy reason or safety, when they take risks without hope of survival, they are either insane or they are idealists. Then again, a lot of idealists are insane. But the American revolutionaries were fighting for something bigger than themselves, and worth dying for. That is, they were fighting to destroy an illegitimate government that stood against everything they believed in.

Sound familiar? The riots in Syria are the cries of freedom from the those oppressed by an illegitimate government. This is why these people continue to fight, even when it makes no sense to continue. America should take a strong stand for the Syrian people, and for liberty everywhere. If we ignore the people here, where they are fighting for a uniquely American cause, what exactly are we willing to fight for?