00:03:37 Why the Middle East seems ‘excel at conflict’ the last 70 years?00:14:03 How America managed to avoid ethnic strife (unlike the Middle East)?00:18:02 What is actually happening in Syria? What conflicts predates the war? How does ISIS fit into the Syrian War?00:33:33 Why the major world powers abuse the Syrian conflict as a proxy conflict? What does Russia in particular want?01:00:00 How can we rebuild Syria? Should we abolish sanctions? Do we need a new Marshall Plan for Syria? You may watch this episode on Youtube – #78 Joshua Landis (A deep dive into the Syrian conflict). Joshua Landis is the Director of the Center for Middle East Studiesand an Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma. Read Joshua’s opinions on his blog or follow him on Twitter @joshua_landis. Apologies for my terrible audio in this episode. Joshua’s excellent audio and video makes up for that – I hope! Big Thanks to our Sponsors! ExpressVPN – Claim back your Internet privacy for less than $10 a month! Mighty Travels Premium – incredible airfare and hotel deals – so everyone can afford to fly Business Class and book 5 Star Hotels! Sign up for free! Divvy – get business credit without a personal guarantee and 21st century spend management plus earn 7x rewards on restaurants & more. Get started for free! Brex – get a business account, a credit card, spend management & convertible rewards for every dollar you spend. Plus now earn $250 just for signing up (Terms & Conditions apply).