https://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2012/12/15/assads-playbook-is-now-empty/feed/HotAir is the leading conservative blog for breaking news and commentary covering the Biden administration, politics, media, culture, and current elections.en-usTue, 09 Jun 2026 13:08:55 -0400<![CDATA[First, every indicator suggests the despot of Damascus no longer has one-third of the population behind him. The Assad father and son had relied on an unusual collection of minorities with interconnected political and economic self-interests. The political math added up large chunks of Alawites (12 percent), Christians (10 percent), Kurds (9 percent,) plus business elites, the corrupt who were bought, and civil servants in a bloated bureaucracy who were loyal (or apolitical) in exchange for jobs.]]>Sat, 15 Dec 2012 15:05:23 -0500<![CDATA[Erika Johnsen]]>https://hotair.com/headlines/2012/12/15/assads-playbook-is-now-empty-n280593