The pundits at the New York Times and elsewhere have now voiced the considered opinion that the Assad regime is finished, and they are concerned about the uncertain future of Syria, believing the county itself might not survive the current civil war. Assad may not survive, and probably won’t, but the country will. Syria is an ancient land, and her present troubles are just that – present troubles – for Syria has seen many such troubles since the dawn of recorded history and has survived. Syria was old when kings first built palaces of hand formed sun dried mud bricks, and wore the royal purple from Tyre. Syria was old when the Pharaohs came, and watched Egyptian war chariots travel the Damascus Road. Present troubles will fade, to be succeeded by future troubles, for there will always be troubles in the Middle East.

It surely is Assad, sad sight
And I don’t want to weary ya
But it’s not right the Alawite
Should rule so long in Syria
A land old when the Pharaohs came
And ruled the mountains and the coast
A land where Hittites played the game
And then at Kadesh made their boast
Phoenician ships sailed the Great Sea
With cedar for the world’s great kings
And with great skill remained men free
Till forced to kiss Assyrian rings
The land our alphabet was born
Where ocean going ships first sailed
And now in war and chaos torn
So long it’s lived, and now has failed
But only man will feel the pain
The land survives, the mountains, fields
The warming sun, the life gift rain
Will over watch, life never yields