How to Stop Syria Genocide: What the Neighbors Can Do

The only massacre anyone cares about is their own. And nobody "owns" the massacre in Syria except the Syrians. The world attempts to show they "care", but what is "care" and what mobilizes or galvanizes it? The world is preoccupied with the possibility of impending financial breakdown -- but that's not a massacre. Bashar al-Assad's genocide is a greater issue certainly, but right now, with Russia and China roadblocking any UN action, and the world skittish on military intervention, this mass murderer is getting a free pass and using it to the full. From killing "dozens" a day, he's going for "hundreds".

Unless some threat to "our" interests occurs - and Syria is not precisely or clearly "our" interest - we, the rest of the world, are throwing up our hands and saying "Eh - Oh" - which means neither "What was that?" nor "oh-oh" nor anything else intelligible. Russia is loath to lose an arms customer, now that the killing business is getting hot -- somewhere! finally! Ditto China. Besides, neither Russia nor China is hot on the idea of Da West railroading yet another dictator out of office. After all, these are kinder, gentler totalitarians, raising up young whippersnapper totalitarians. Neither country is noted for valuing human life or rights when weighed against maintaining power and control. So Bashar kills? Conscience to them is a matter of opinion. Hey, things are out of control. Any self-respecting totalitarian would crush the plebes into obedience. The only question to which Russia and China prick up their ears is "Got lead?"

So the world is basically negated by these two totalitarian Security Council veto-ers. What's left? The clear and present and obvious answer is, the neighbors. The Arab countries. They are really the only ones who can do something, but it needs back surgery. A real campaign in the Arab world to Bring Back the Vertebrates. Time was, Arabs were indignant about stuff. Competed. Fought wars. Gave a damn. Now nobody wants even to say what they think is right, let alone act on it. The Arab League is still wallowing in the long-discredited fake quicksand of conferences, discussions, meetings, and endless proclamations and statements. Worms and jellyfish can do that. A mass murderer is loose, killing innocents by the thousands, and the Arab league meets to discuss it. Women are being raped, and they are having a conference. Then they come to "observe". After the "observers" became so nauseated at what they saw that they could no longer function, they decided to have another meeting, maybe next week 'cause you see they're on a losing streak...

After the last long run of Arab dictators and their attendant pimps - don't ask me when this started! -- it's time to act like vertebrates. Time to finally walk upright. Time to stand up with and for the Syrian people against this brutal, genocidal dictator. How? Simple!

Cut off all business and all relations with any country that does business with Syria - including pointedly Russia and China. No matter the sacrifice. In short order, Security Council sanctions against Syria will pass, armies will gather at the borders, and the self-proclaimed "mighty" Bashar will shrink to the size of vermin without their abilities to reproduce.

With this simple tactic, the lives of Syrians can be saved by the hands and diplomatic coup of their Arab neighbors. Which neighboring states must ask themselves the question, Are we our brothers' keepers? And the followup question, Do we want the blood of 8,000 Syrians and counting to be remembered by our own failure to act?