Last Reflection :(

Paul Ropp           

                Over the course of the year we have learned a lot about civil society, social uprisings, the ability for people to challenge authority, and how that all relates to the MENA region; and Serbia. What I really have gotten out of this class is the ability to look at any MENA event in a different context, through a different lens. I can now see how MENA region civil society is just a modified version of Western civil society nothing more and nothing less. I also think even knowing what civil society is in this sort of depth gives you an edge in a lot of the other classes you will have as an SIS major, I mean in world politics they were talking about civil society and it did not compare even slightly to the readings or the material we covered in class. Overall I think that the way we talked about civil society in and around the MENA region in all different types of contexts is unequivocally helpful and will continue to be so for sometime. Now I know I have rambled a little bit about the class but I want to leave you all with one last of my blurps.   

                Last night a report was launched by MSNBC along with many other news sources that Syria is loading the chemical agent Niacin gas into bombs to be dropped on rebel strong holds. AS far as this goes it is either a last ditch effort bluffs by Assad, a move to test the international community, or perhaps just pure insanity. The report said the military is now just waiting for Assads word to commence the final preparations and dropping these bombs. Forgoing the morbid parts of this discussion I can’t help but think how this would be happening if the Syrian people took their time in building up a unified non-violent civil society movement rather than jumping into a forgone revolution. Anyway I hope that this does not come to pass but if it does it will surley be the final nail in Assad’s coffin.

                Thank you guys!