Syrian regime propaganda and tribes

Yesterday, Syrian regime propaganda outlets paid a tribute to tribes because some gathering of tribes issued a statement in defense of the lousy Syrian regime.  Tribes are a backward symptoms of Middle East societies, and they were almost dead by the 1950s, in Syria and Iraq--only to revived later by the falling regimes and by Western colonial powers.  The tribes in Iraq were clinically dead before being revived by Saddam and by US occupation.  And today, there is a competition to woo tribes between the lousy Syrian regime and the lousy Syrian National Council.  Why the competition? Because historically and presently, tribal elders have always been up for sale--sorry, I meant, up for rent.