Over 100,000 people have been killed in the Syrian civil war.

[BlueCheese]

Some estimates place the number as high as 170,000 or even higher over the last several years. That war grinds on day after deadly day, averaging some 130+ casualties a day in 2014.

While what's going on in Gaza is terrible and should be stopped as soon as possible, why is the Syrian conflict so much in the background? Over 100 times as many people have died in that conflict, and it gets only a fraction of the attention and diplomatic effort that Gaza does. What's the reason for that?

[el_bryanto]

1. I think because a civil war is harder to understand and take a stand on.

On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict it seems pretty easy to pick a side and stick to that side. But in the Syrian Civil War, people would have to study it pretty hard to figure out who was right and who was wrong, and most people (including myself, I'm afraid to admit) haven't done that.

Also talking about the Syrian Civil War or any Civil War might lead to a discussion of why the United States or the United Nations doesn't intervene - and that is a can of worms all in its own.

Edited to add - actually I think the Isreali-Palestinian situation is very complex and I have a hard time myself knowing exactly what our stance should be. I'm just commenting that many people do seem to find it easy to pick one side or the other, based on how they talk.

Bryant

[brooklynite]

6. I see it completely the other way

Likud and Hamas are BOTH undeserving of support; meanwhile, Bashir Assad and his Government are clearly dictatorial oppressors of the majority of the Syrian population.

[RobertEarl]

2. When Iraq was bushvaded

the TV was actually making statements about how Syria was next.

the last president actually claimed Syria as an enemy.

we, the us, have been at war with Syria for a long time.

it is good for us to keep placing reports about our wars. maybe one day we grow up and can only report about peace breaking out all over?

since this seems to be on your mind, Blue, how about telling us some background? I've offered a bit here, oh and here's a bit more: Israel attacked Syria just 7 months ago. As if Israel doesn't have enough problems? wtf?

Anyway, look forward to your report.

[hack89]

3. Palestinians are chic. Syrians are not. Nt

[Comrade Grumpy]

4. The injustice done to the Palestinians is the festering sore of the Middle East.

It's going to get attention until it's resolved, especially when the bombs are falling.

Also, we give Israel $3 billion a year to kill more Palestinians. That's OUR money, so we should pay attention.

We've only just begun providing money to kill more Syrians, with Obama's $500 million plan to arm "the good rebels" (not counting the previous "secret" CIA assistance).

Also, Syria is just intractable. It gets flurries of attention, in between all the other crises du jour.

[Turbineguy]

5. And ISIS

makes Assad look like a good choice.

[morningfog]

7. For purposes of US consumption, Syria is not an ally nor do we fund and arm them.

Syria is in an internal power struggle. It is a bloody and tragic civil war. We should have no involvement militarily, including sending weapons and trainers to "moderate" rebels. We should be providing humanitarian aid and facilitating non-violent resolution.

[customerserviceguy]

8. How many deaths of US (or any other foreign) forces should be added to that?

There's not a damned thing that any outside party can do to change what's going on in Syria, the best thing that they can do is stay on the outside.

The other story is interesting to the media because it covers a topic of interest to many in the US, especially Jewish folks. As it wears on, it will slip from the headlines, too.

Let the Middle East settle it's own problems without us being involved, we have enough of our own challenges.

[Baclava]

9. Unless Jews can somehow be blamed it's not "news" in the middle east

Surely we've learned that by now

[Puzzledtraveller]

11. I was told it was Israels right wing overnment that was to blame.

So it must not only be Jews, but conservative Jews.

[Puzzledtraveller]

10. because it's Syrians killing Syrians.

and the Israeli Palestinian conflict is a no brainer for most, and that's the bad part, "no-brain" involved, just emotion and cognitive dissonance.

[Crunchy Frog]

12. And while we're on the subject,

why are people nattering on so much about Eastern Ukraine, and the low level civil conflict there? Even the loss of life on the downed flight was relatively minor when compared with the deaths in Syria.

And yet there have been dozens and dozens of posts about Ukraine in the past few weeks, and almost none, as you point out, about Syria. I wonder why that is.