Comments on: Economic Oppression is the Worst Form of All http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2010/03/economic-oppression-is-the-worst-form-of-all/ With Sake, nothing tastes better than Olives. But you would have to be a Levantine living in Japan to know that. Fri, 18 May 2012 11:50:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: bashar dayoub http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2010/03/economic-oppression-is-the-worst-form-of-all/comment-page-1/#comment-28547 bashar dayoub Fri, 25 Jun 2010 05:28:04 +0000 http://yazanbadran.com/blog/?p=866#comment-28547 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 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

]]> By: bashar dayoub http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2010/03/economic-oppression-is-the-worst-form-of-all/comment-page-1/#comment-25830 bashar dayoub Wed, 12 May 2010 16:28:45 +0000 http://yazanbadran.com/blog/?p=866#comment-25830 i am thinking that instead of such laws the governmen should consider too pulling nationality there is alot of pollution in this country i am thinking that instead of such laws the governmen should consider too pulling nationality there is alot of pollution in this country

]]> By: bashar dayoub http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2010/03/economic-oppression-is-the-worst-form-of-all/comment-page-1/#comment-25829 bashar dayoub Wed, 12 May 2010 16:25:57 +0000 http://yazanbadran.com/blog/?p=866#comment-25829 well may be the government is sending us to army the muslim brother hood will send us to jihad good luck now and ever well may be the government is sending us to army the muslim brother hood will send us to jihad good luck now and ever

]]> By: KJ http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2010/03/economic-oppression-is-the-worst-form-of-all/comment-page-1/#comment-20699 KJ Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:59:12 +0000 http://yazanbadran.com/blog/?p=866#comment-20699 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. 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.

]]> By: Ihsan http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2010/03/economic-oppression-is-the-worst-form-of-all/comment-page-1/#comment-20586 Ihsan Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:27:55 +0000 http://yazanbadran.com/blog/?p=866#comment-20586 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. 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.

]]> By: Maysaloon http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2010/03/economic-oppression-is-the-worst-form-of-all/comment-page-1/#comment-20534 Maysaloon Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:11:23 +0000 http://yazanbadran.com/blog/?p=866#comment-20534 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? 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?

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