The left is dead, long live the old left

I am a leftist, a hard-core believer in socialism and struggle of the working class to create a better future.. History for me is split to pre-French revolution, the period between the French revolution and the communist Russian revolution, the period between the communist revolution and the French student uprising in 1967, and now....

Note how I divided history to events by the French and the Russians? Yeah.. That’s how the left should be..

But I am also Syrian.. Coming from a Damascus middle class family, living abroad (of course.. the stereotype!!), and have been on a constant nail-biting and binge drinking trip since the Tunisians started what is, and will always be noted as a landmark in history..

.. and I want in on the celebrations goddamn it!!!!!

I spent every single minute of the past 5 weeks checking the news, reading every single blog or news hub -regardless of the integrity or value of the writing- and waiting to see mobilization in the streets of Damascus and Aleppo.. and to the life of me, I still can't figure out why no one moved a finger.

sure, the theories about the fear from the bloody secret service revenge, fear of secular wars and the loss of our oh-so-precious so-called inner stability, and the fear of "what's coming next" all make valid reasons... but didn't the egyptians and the Tunisians have the same fears and phobias? they did go out in the street and killed their own pharos... why not us?

Ok, we have more sects and religions and the whole nine yards.. we have a higher chance of civil wars... but isn't 40 years of political and social oppression enough to get people out in the street calling for heads to roll? isn't the complete lack of economical integrity and the almost impossible-to-bear living conditions stronger than a simple fear from police force??

but this is not the people's fault.. this is the neo-left's fault that believes in civilized solution, negotiations, talks, signing petitions, and political agendas; when facing an enemy that imprisons 19 year old bloggers for a simple innocent wish to be part of their country's future.... an enemy that devalues their people's lives to kill and imprison them by the numbers, just to keep the reign of terror..

so, the neo Syrian left resorts to silence.. they disassociate themselves from the facebook calls for a day of anger, they turn a deaf ear to the cheers and songs of freedom coming from Egypt, and they let down all those who once looked up for them, and saw a glimpse of hope in their faces and names, imagining a better Syria with them in the lead..

and so goes away any hope I placed in the people from the Damascus Declaration, the Social Democratic movement, and the Syrian left in general... because just like Diet Cola and low fat milk, the neo left is now "civilized" and cautious, waiting for the right moment to act and for enough people to sign their petition... Hell, even the Muslim Brotherhood (my arch enemies) took 4 weeks to say that they are "considering resuming their oppositional movement"..

CONSIDERING??? REALLY?? you, the ones who keep talking about revenge for Hama and the 1982 Massacre, the ones who - once - didn't see a problem in blowing up a whole bus station to kill a few Alowite soldiers (killing tens of innocents in the mean time).. you are starting to "consider resuming your opposition" ? yeah, why not wait another 40 years until little Hafez Al Assad Junior is old enough to be president? huh?

The left is dead, a philosophy shouldn't exist for longer than 40 or 50 years.. it's time to bring something else into play.. Anarchy, digital revolution, youth and anger and frustration into play.. Fuck politics, and Fuck civilization.. the people should march to get their demands.. and if needed, there should be blood!!