As democracy slips in country after country in the region, France often quietly sides, once again, with the once-and-future autocrats.
To people who have quietly sided for years with poorer countries that fought to escape the high prices allowed by patents, both moves seem cynical.
In the immediate term this is a strategic coup for Mr Erdogan who has been openly supporting armed opposition against the Syrian dictator.Until recently the PKK had been quietly siding with Mr Assad who last summer gave the rebels control over a string of Kurdish towns along the Turkish border.
And on the policy issue that has counted most to Israel and the lobby — preventing the United States from accepting a Palestinian state prior to a negotiated deal between Israel and the Palestinians — it's fair to say Washington has quietly sided with the Palestinians for a long time.
That's the first thing one should know about the Park City Women's March, which, over the course of a few hours, went from a quietly side-eyed punchline to a substantial happening.
Nothing controversial, just a quietly impressive side winning and advancing to the next round.
We're fully aware it's going to be a hostile environment against a quietly confident side.
