Assad's inner circle trying to covertly defect to rebels

If I were Syrian, as a non-Sunni, I would have preferred to live under Assad. I fear regime change will put Syria decades back. But only had Assad known that reforms are must:
http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2007/issue2/Raphaeli.pdf (20007)

Even if you read any article on Libya,Tunisia, or Egypt economic/social reforms, you would see exactly the same problem. These problems were known for more than a decade but why the Western nations also ignored them? Democracy isn't the correct solution in the short run, it will only over-complicate and delay the the economic/social reforms that these countries need IMO.

Some folks don't like living under an oligarchy or autocratic regime, especially those in the disadvantaged majority.

It's not clear that economic/social reforms will occur anytime soon under regimes like those of Assad or Mubarak.