At Amarji, Syrian author Ammar Abdulhamid disagrees with those who believe the Baathists are capable of reform, and that Assad can ride the storm:
[W]hen people say that the President is popular, I think they are often referring to the sentiments of the continuously shrinking Middle Class, that is, to people who still have something to lose, and are therefore still inclined to believe that the President can do it, that he can still save the day. They want to believe.
The poor, on the other hand, who represent the majority at this stage, seem to be beginning to realize that the President is neither capable nor even interested in improving their lot. And they seem to be going past the frustration stage into a state of anger. This bodes ill for the stability of the country. Indeed, the days of open rioting in major cities like Damascus, Aleppo, and Lattakia are fast approaching.
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