Why shouldn't I support the Free Syrian Army?
As a Syrian, it is quiet shocking for me that after 5 years of destruction of my country, citizens of world still don't know the reality of FSA.Defectors?Nope. The defections from the Syrian National Army (SAA) happened only in the first few months of the conflict, (April 2011- Nov. 2011). The total number of defectors would not exceed 5000. More than half of those just fled the country. Less than 500 of the total number of defectors were army officials. The rest were conscripts. The ones who stayed in the country, began forming dozens of militias. Each recieved money, weapons, communication and huge media propaganda from the gulf countries, turkey, jordan and lebanese factions.There has NEVER ever been a real formation, pn the ground, called free syrian army. Never. It has just been a huge media propaganda, with some puppet defected army officials.ALL militias, from the day one, uptil the latest militia have islamic names, radical islamic agendas. Every single one of them. Their idiologies are 90% similar to the Isis idiology. They just cant express themselves as publicly as Isis, for political reasons. (Their investors wont let them chop heads off and post videos online, so they still can fool the western people with the democracy seeking moderate syrian rebel myth). Altough many, many times they recorded their actions especially the first two years of the war, after that they started filtering what they show.If you can understand basic arabic only, you can browse thousands of videos posted by the so called rebels, their commanders, and in every each of them you'll hear the same ideas as isis. You will never hear a single "rebel" commander ON THE GROUND, praising democracy, secularism or anything in that context.As for "if they are not FSA, and not army defectors, then who are these people fighting the goverment in Syria?", thats a whole different question the western people need to be enlightened about.
Why are people so upset about the NSA having the ability to look through their private and electronic data?
The others answers on here have very eloquently stated many reasons against the NSA's domestic data collection programs, but there's another element to consider in the fight against terrorism that's even more important.Terrorism only exists as a result of our own foreign policy actions. Politicians and media personalities will endlessly parrot propaganda about terrorists hating us for our freedom, but it's all BS. Terrorists hate America and its allies because America and its allies have spent 20+ years meddling with and screwing up the Middle East. Terrorists using Islam as a rallying cry is only incidental. Look at ISIS, for example. It might have grown and changed tremendously since it's inception, but that does not alter the fact that ISIS initially formed as a direct response to the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. No Iraq war = no ISIS. America and its allies launched an unprovoked war that caused the deaths of over 100,000 Iraqis while destroying the homes, business, and livelihoods of many thousands more, and then when some of those people get pissed off to fight back, everyone acts shocked and appalled, ignoring the fact that if anyone did that to us, we'd have the exact same response. If another country did to us the things we've done in the Middle East (Gulf War, economic sanctions, Iraq War, drone attacks, air strikes, thousands of innocent civilians killed) and our government couldn't (or wouldn't) stop it, American citizens would not stand for it. Some people would form resistance groups to fight back, many of those groups would undoubtedly use Christianity as a rallying cry, and then we would be the ones labelled terrorists. It doesn't take much empathy or intelligence to realize this, but people are so easily paralyzed by fear that they let the military-industrial-government complex get away with atrocities and spend exorbitant amounts of money in the name of safety, and almost all of it is counterproductive to that stated goal of safety.So the most effective way to protect Americans against terrorism is not mass data collection of Americans phone calls, emails, etc., but a shift in foreign policy to neutrality and non-interventionism. Only an end to the policies and actions that engender and feed the hatred which leads to acts of terrorism will make us safe.
What are the advantages/disadvantages of fashion?
The advantages of fashion are many:It’s a universal language - understood by millions of fashion and style lovers worldwide. When someone who follows fashion meets someone else who also follows fashion, there’s an immediate bond with a wonderful interest in common.Fashion is a means of personal expression. Fashion gives us an opportunity to make a statement to the world about our sense of aesthetics and beauty.Fashion is an art form. Putting together an outfit in the morning and accessorizing it creates a human work of art.Fashion is fun. Shopping for new clothes can be a thrilling experience for a fashion lover — looking at latest garments on display is like discovering new treasures.Fashion can build self-confidence. Ask anyone who gets one compliment after the next when they’re out in public spaces. Fashion inspires those who see us.Fashion makes you more attractive to others. Even though it is widely said not to judge a book by its cover, human nature makes this a common practice so why not enjoy it? Before I discovered fashion I felt completely invisible in public. Now hundreds of people know me and are eager to see what I’m wearing. That’s been a very positive lifestyle change for me.The disadvantages of fashion:It costs money to be fashionable. Spending $70 for a nice T-shirt can put a dent in your wallet, as can buying a pair of designer jeans for $225 USD.You will be judged more by others. This is especially true if you are shooting for a certain style and you miss the mark.Some people will envy you and be critical. If you walk around town with your $6,400 USD Chanel handbag, some folks might think you’re showing off.Fashion advertising can overwhelm people. The garment industry bombards both men and women with endless marketing messages.Weighing the good and the bad:All things considered, because embracing fashion is a voluntary activity, everyone is free to embrace it, or to ignore it. For those who enjoy fashion and can appreciate the talent and effort it takes to create new styles, a door is opened to a world of beauty and style.And anyone can be fashionable without breaking the bank - just shop on eBay or find new treasures at thrift stores. You’d be surprised at the discounts available if you take the time to look.