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Small-Scale Question Sunday for July 16, 2023

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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So, why does the Western multi-national coalition want al-Assad dead or dethroned? Since the WMD narrative fell apart for Iraq and I believe the chemical attack narrative was a false flag by rebels, there has to be something more. But I never see these rationalist or rat-adjacent spaces talking about it.

It’s accepted truthiness among the alt-right and conspiracy spaces that Gaddafi was killed for trying to make a pan-African state backed by a gold Dinar. Is it something like that?

I’m not sure that getting rid of Assad is a major goal of western Middle East policy right now- no doubt the state department would be happy if he would be replaced with an Al-Sisi, but it doesn’t seem to be a focus and they’ve more or less made their peace with him being there to stay.

It’s accepted truthiness among the alt-right and conspiracy spaces that Gaddafi was killed for trying to make a pan-African state backed by a gold Dinar.

This is probably not true, if for no reason other than that the USA was definitely not in the lead on taking him out- he was batshit crazy and France and Italy took him down to gain control of his oilfields.