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The Atlantic article serves as a great reminder of why alternative media picks up more and more steam, and why "fake news" is a problem that isn't just limited

The Atlantic article serves as a great reminder of why alternative media picks up more and more steam, and why "fake news" is a problem that isn't just limited to smaller groups. Let me present an alternative outcome: when the SyGov enters into joint-control of Northern Syria, nothing will change. And the bulk of the SDF will be incorporated into the Syrian military... exactly as the same as what has happened every single time this has happened in the last 8 years. There is not a single reason to suspect otherwise, and propagandists like Hassan Hassan and co. will just find a new talking point next week. It's actually ridiculous that the inner-circle of Twitter MENA propagandists, led by Henry Jackson Society notables like Michael Weiss, are still the go-to "experts" people depend on and still have a platform to spread their poison in 2019.

IfOnlyYouKnew 7y ago
Yes, Assad is well-known for his easygoing manners and quick forgiveness of those previously working against him. And while your simulacrum of expertise is impressive, you missed the basic point that the article isn't even about the SDF, but civilian aid workers.
- stevenjohns 7y ago
  Well... yeah. He kind of is. The Syrian government's history of reconciliation is spotless. They intentionally try to make the reconciliation process as clean as possible so they can encourage more of it. They provide full amnesty to non-combatants and in almost every situation so far they incorporate the rebel fighters into the localised defense forces. The YPG had a similar ideology of treating POWs well in order to encourage more people to surrender knowing that they won't die or be mistreated if they do. That's one of the things that encouraged so many people to ally with the YPG and eventually form what is now the SDF. Even the ones who do not want to reconcile are happy to jump into the green buses[0] and go to Idlib. They were happy because they knew they were safe. There were no extra-judicial murders, no retributions, no nothing. If Bilal Abdul Kareem from OGN TV was able to leave Aleppo unharmed, why would aid workers be targeted? This isn't some sort of conspiracy theory - it's just common-sense tactics for the Syrian government. It also doesn't mean that post-war there won't be retributions. I'm sure there will be. But there is no reason to suggest why aid workers would be high in that list when that same list contains some of the most deplorable extremist militia groups too. Talking about the SDF is important, because the article is about what happens when the PYD leaves and the SyGov enters. And the answer is that nothing much will change, because SDF forces will just be rebranded to being SyArmy forces; they're going to take off SDF patches and wear Syrian ones. As has happened a dozen times before. [0] https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2017/03/syria-green-buses-symbol-seismic-shift-170321120600909.html https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2017/03/syria-gree...

IfOnlyYouKnew 7y ago

Yes, Assad is well-known for his easygoing manners and quick forgiveness of those previously working against him. And while your simulacrum of expertise is impressive, you missed the basic point that the article isn't even about the SDF, but civilian aid workers.

stevenjohns 7y ago
Well... yeah. He kind of is. The Syrian government's history of reconciliation is spotless. They intentionally try to make the reconciliation process as clean as possible so they can encourage more of it. They provide full amnesty to non-combatants and in almost every situation so far they incorporate the rebel fighters into the localised defense forces. The YPG had a similar ideology of treating POWs well in order to encourage more people to surrender knowing that they won't die or be mistreated if they do. That's one of the things that encouraged so many people to ally with the YPG and eventually form what is now the SDF. Even the ones who do not want to reconcile are happy to jump into the green buses[0] and go to Idlib. They were happy because they knew they were safe. There were no extra-judicial murders, no retributions, no nothing. If Bilal Abdul Kareem from OGN TV was able to leave Aleppo unharmed, why would aid workers be targeted? This isn't some sort of conspiracy theory - it's just common-sense tactics for the Syrian government. It also doesn't mean that post-war there won't be retributions. I'm sure there will be. But there is no reason to suggest why aid workers would be high in that list when that same list contains some of the most deplorable extremist militia groups too. Talking about the SDF is important, because the article is about what happens when the PYD leaves and the SyGov enters. And the answer is that nothing much will change, because SDF forces will just be rebranded to being SyArmy forces; they're going to take off SDF patches and wear Syrian ones. As has happened a dozen times before. [0] https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2017/03/syria-green-buses-symbol-seismic-shift-170321120600909.html https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2017/03/syria-gree...