SYRIA ON FRIDAY – AT 9:04 A.M. ET:  We've been regularly following the situation in Syria, one of the most important and influential of Arab countries, Iran's strongest ally in the Arab world, and a country that effectively controls Lebanon. 

The revolution in Syria continues.  Demonstrations erupt on Fridays, after prayers.  Troops fire into crowds.  The death toll will soon approach 2,000.  And Syria gets only elegant wrist slaps.  As for "human rights" activists on the Western left, forget about it:

(Reuters) - Syrian security forces shot dead at least 12 protesters on Friday as hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across the country in the biggest protests so far against President Bashar al-Assad.

Assad, facing the greatest challenge to 40 years of Baath Party rule, has sought to crush demonstrations. But although rights groups say some 1,400 civilians have been killed since March, the protests have continued unabated and swelled in size.

"These are the biggest demonstrations so far. It is a clear challenge to the authorities, especially when we see all these numbers coming out from Damascus for the first time," said Rami Abdelrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Police fired live ammunition and teargas in the capital Damascus, killing five people, and in southern Syria near the Jordanian border, where four people were killed, witnesses sand activists said. Three protesters were shot dead in the northern city of Idlibm, they said.

"We are in Midan and they are firing tear gas on us, people are chanting," a witness said by telephone from the center of Damascus.

COMMENT:  The Arab spring indeed.  Hillary Clinton (remember her?) has said that Assad has lost legitimacy.  My, my, I'm bowled over by the toughness of that statement.  Pretty soon she'll be saying that he's gained weight. 

No one cares what Hillary says because she works for Obama, and the world has learned to ignore him.  Ask Mr. Gadaffi, who remains in power despite Obama's demand that he leave.  Ask Iran.  Ask North Korea.

Some people laugh at those who say that we're experiencing 1939 all over.  No more laughing.  History doesn't repeat itself, but the psychology of history repeats itself.  A lot of the delusions of the 1930s are erupting again.

July 15, 2011