They all counterpose the rule-makers against the rule-breakers; you can’t make a comedy in which people just follow orders, after all, and though sometimes a protagonist will learn that a little discipline is a good thing, more often the point is that too much is a bad one.

"Since they were civil, not criminal court judges, I think they were killed simply because they were Alawites. All Alawites did not benefit from Bashar al-Assad. Those who worked for the regime were forced to follow orders, otherwise brutal measures would be imposed on them," Nadine said.

"Most of the soldiers in the Storm Corps come from working-class or farming families, who are highly obedient to the party and will follow orders unquestionably," says Haneul, whose father and cousin were in the special forces.

The way to succeed in Republican politics these days is to follow orders, no questions asked.

They will not follow orders they don't like from the new set up in Damascus.