The structure of the Assad regime in
Syria is different than what most people would consider to be typical in an
authoritarian state. While there is brutal oppression of political enemies, and
censorship of arts and news, the regime did allow certain things to slide. The
concept of tanfis, or letting out
air, helps the regime by letting people be frustrated and express that through
political cartoons or a joke, and then gives the impression that there is
freedom. However, the jokes which are allowed are always eerily accurate. For
example, if it something about government censorship, the cartoon will include
the repercussions of writing something against the state. In this way, the
state essentially uses political cartoons as threats. Through humor, the
cartoon depicts what will happen if a citizen turns against the state. In
addition, when the acts of opposition against the state is something as basic
as a cartoon or a joke, rather than an armed rebellion, that is beneficial to
the regime. And for most of the reign of the Assad family, that was the case.
Lisa Wedeen’s book, The Ambiguities of Domination, help to
characterize the peculiar but effective strategies of the Assad family. The
shameless promotion of Hafez as the most competent at everything he tried was
unbelievable, but this by no means turned him into a laughing stock. The over
the top nature of the cult of personality created still was powerful, as
pictures of the family were all over, and they were portrayed powerfully. When
a message is repeated over and over, and becomes part of the culture, it
becomes easier to believe and internalize. The consistency of the propaganda
wears people down and becomes incredibly effective. On top of that, when people
are unsure when the line will be drawn and how erratic retribution will be, the
effectiveness increases. Their strategies essentially isolate individuals and
make organized opposition against the regime impossible. While the regime is
now under attack from a few groups, the length which they could repel this demonstrates
its merits.
Clearly, forms of opposition succeeded
against the regime, and that was possible as the subtler forms of protest began
to hold powerful messages. When a cartoon used to intimidate, it began to
inspire. While the Assad family operated a successful propaganda and fear
campaign, as soon as it broke, it was impossible to put back together. Once the
initial fear factor was lost, and people felt freer to make jokes and criticize
the regime, that became less terrifying.
