Economic Oppression is the Worst Form of All
I am not writing. I am less than inspired, and less than content. But it was difficult for me to cross off the nausea this time. You learn to turn your eyes, arm yourself with that tiny bit of hope and that growing sense of detachment, and cross off the “little things.” But little things have greater meanings.
من المقرر أن يقوم مجلس الوزراء بإحالة مشروع قانون بدل الخدمة العسكرية للجامعيين داخل سورية إلى مجلس الشعب خلال وقت قصير.
وتشير المعلومات أن مشروع القانون اقترح عدة أشكال لدفع البدل استناداً إلى العمر أي حسب عدد سنوات الدراسة والتحصيل العالي إن وجد..وستكون قيمة البدل المقترحة 300- 400- 500 ألف حسب الفئة.
The government is proposing a monetary fee for those who want to avoid spending 18 months in Military Service. The proposed fee is allegedly between USD 6000-10000.
Let’s start with the obvious question to all my Syrian readers. How many fresh university graduates who have an extra USD 6000-10000 lying around, do you know? This, in a country where an engineer’s starting salary is well under USD 150. Is it plausible to ask, then, for whom exactly is this new legislation?
There are very few people who disagree about the disastrous state of our armed forces in general, let alone the absurdity and cynicism in our National Military Service program. A program that does little more than wipe off 18 months of your youth. My best friend’s brother graduated with excellence as a civil engineer, and he was shipped to the army soon after. For the next two years, the only stories we heard were of him and his friends being abused/abusing fresh recruits. It might be funny to hear the story of him ordering his infantry to search the yard, for two hours under the scorching sun, for 2 male and female ants. But, is it really?
What explanation do you have for such an outrageous legislation? The poorest people of this country are expected to send their sons to serve this army, which supposedly defends our nation, while the well-off can just buy it off? What logic, what disgustingly blatant and abhorrent discrimination is this? For anyone who still has doubts as to whom this “reform” movement benefits, that’s your answer. A spit in the face of all of them who serve, is what this is.
They used to be able to bribe someone (ironically, for almost exactly the same amount), and the government just goes and legalize it. Only in Syria, you fight corruption by systematically legalizing and sponsoring it.
And it’s not like we have no option. We do, many of them; reform it and make it mandatory (for everyone), cancel this charade, or find other ways where these qualified people can better serve this country.
It’s not rocket science. Community service programs as a replacement for military service are applied, with utmost success, in many countries around the world. We’re not asking them to split the atom.
Yes, we all enjoy a free public school system, free health care (say, what you want about the deteriorating quality, it’s free), and we have to give back. Nobody argues with that. Let us help this hapless place.
I happen to be an only child (and thus, relieved from military service), but if I was asked to spend 2 years after graduation doing volunteer community service in areas I am qualified in, I’d gladly oblige. But, this?
You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people’s blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud
Bob Dylan – Masters of War
March 5th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
Yes, the content of the laws might leave much to be desired, but is it not something that we are shifting back towards at least lip service for law or, dare I say it, the “rule of law”? The substantive content of laws is not as important as that laws are there which could then apply to all, even if those laws might at first support one side or another. It is much better for a law, even a bad one, to be known and for people to be able to plan their lives effectively around it than to be left in a state of uncertainty and I think that is perhaps another way of viewing this proposed legislation?
March 6th, 2010 at 8:27 am
I posted this reply on Google Buzz but it didn’t appear here, so here we go:
The military service is a thorny topic. On the one hand, Syria is in a state of war (I know I know but it is) and the country has a staggering unemployment rates which will only get higher if the military service is made voluntarily as almost no one would enlist. So cancelling the mandatory aspect of the military service is not on the table.
On the other, our army is useless and worthless to say the least and recent history is a testament for this. It needs a full restructuring and revamping and the way things are in the country, it may never happen.
Now the exemption fees could be a partial solution for the problem although not all the Syrian youth would be able to afford it. If those fees are used to enhance and improve the military, and to increase the wages (like a major increase) of everyone there, it would make it more enticing for so many people to enlist. This will keep the unemployment rates the same and those who go to the military would be better off there than on the outside which will be a very competitive labor market due to the fact that so many university graduate will choose to stay in their country to work as opposed to going to the Gulf states in to work for 5 years in order to qualify for military exemption. So here you go, this could be a solution to the brain drain as well!
Having said that, I know, deep inside, that the exemption fees won’t be put in good use and probably we will see a lot of high ranking military officials driving newer luxury cars and enjoying more extravagant villas here and there. But theoretically speaking, this proposition could be a good thing if well managed, and knowing how things are in Syria, it will never be.
March 8th, 2010 at 4:59 am
Their reasoning might not be in the direction of having a class of people sending in their kids while another class buying their kids’ freedom. The government probably “finally” realized that there is an enormous amount of money that can be made which is going “into the wrong hands” in the form of bribery. By legalizing it they are attempting to reduce the bribery by placing the money somewhere else that’s legal. How this money is spent or in whose lap it ends up in, is not the debate here!
But of course I do agree with you, there are better ways and I would certainly, if I am not an only child and I do live in Syria, would prefer to use my degree/education/general skills in community services and fostering social growth than learn how to abuse and be abused in the military.
May 13th, 2010 at 1:25 am
well may be the government is sending us to army the muslim brother hood will send us to jihad good luck now and ever
May 13th, 2010 at 1:28 am
i am thinking that instead of such laws the governmen should consider too pulling nationality there is alot of pollution in this country
June 25th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
an egyptian caller during a show on aljazeera network program about the israeli air ride on der al zor that the syrian military is busy doing bussiness and raising stomackes and mostaches