The Changing of the Elites in Syria

     Acemoglu and Robinson state that an important consequence of extractive institutions is the continual battle for the resources appropriated to the elites by the institutions. This creates a cyclical process in which one set of elites is overthrown and replaced by another group who continue the practice of extracting resources from the state. The Syrian Conflict between the Free Syrian Army and the established government of President Bashar Hafez al-Assad can be analyzed with this view to understand some the the FSA's objectives.

     
     On the surface, the main goal of the Free Syrian Army is to overthrow the government of President Bashar Hafez al-Assad. From a western perspective, any opposition to the human rights atrocities being committed in Syria is viable and worthy of support. However, the equal prevalence of human rights violations by the FSA indicates that the rebels may be fighting for reasons that are not necessarily moral or for the good the the Syrian population. This article about the well-to-do of Damascus raises the idea that if the rebels overthrow Assad it is possible they will target other minorities and compete for the last of the resources in Syria. They are not heroes, but simply another subset of society trying to become the elites.