Day 2,002: gawp, blinking, strife, despotic

Later, Syrians impoverished by his rule gawped at his abandoned palaces. Broken people emerged blinking from his prisons; some could no longer remember their own names.

In a part of the world plagued by ethnic violence and religious strife, many fear the worst. The Arab spring in 2010-12 taught that countries which topple their dictators often end up being fought over or dominated by men who are no less despotic.

How the new Syria might succeed or fail

Artwork of the day 
SELECTION
Goran_Despotovski
Original Title: SELECTION - The theme, Social, Installation 2013
Date: 2013; Serbia
Style: Contemporary
Genre: installation
Media: cloth

Word of the day 
gawp: gawk: to look at something or someone in a stupid or rude way:
blinking: an expression of anger:
strife: violent or angry disagreement:
despotic: having unlimited power over other people, and often using it unfairly and cruelly:

Quote of the day
“Childhood: it was like trying to chart an entire continent by the brief flare of a firework. Except that you had no idea that this was your only chance to explore for free, and instead you spent the five seconds of precious light gawping at the sky, stuffing treacle into your mouth. And then it went dark again.”

― Edward Docx, Pravda