Erosion

David Gardner:

Seen from a distance […] the Syrian uprising looks like a stalemate. […] Yet, erosion is eating away at the narrow foundations of a regime pounded by waves of revolt […] Erosion is a slow, often invisible process, but suddenly, and without warning, a loose boulder can set off an avalanche, a fissured cliff can come down, or a rotting house can collapse — in this case, the House of Assad.

Recently, with the extended revolts in Syria and Libya, I’ve learned to play a little mental trick on myself: I pretend that nothing is happening or that a denouement will take at least another year (stalemate). This way I don’t overstate every single demonstration and I don’t waste my time every Friday in following the minutia of new protest slogans.

But articles like those of Mr. Gardner remind me again and again that things can suddenly change out of the blue and at a rapid pace..