You really have to hand it to the people in charge; their capacity for disappointment is optimized for maximum efficiency. Just when I think the bar is set on the floor, they grab a shovel and start digging. Today’s lesson in stupidity centers on the viral **Syria makeup ban**. Specifically, a provincial governor there decided he had solved all the world's problems. His groundbreaking solution to a decade of crisis? He wants to stop women who work for the government from wearing cosmetics. That’s it. That is the big strategic plan for the **public sector**.

Let’s sit with that for a second. We are talking about Syria. This is a place that has been through absolute hell for more than ten years. The cities have been smashed. The economy is a disaster. People are struggling just to buy bread or keep the lights on. There are a million real problems that need fixing. There are roads to pave, schools to rebuild, and hungry people to feed. But this governor? He looked out his window at the chaos and thought, “You know what the real issue is? That lady at the front desk is wearing too much blush.”

It is laughable. It would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic. This is exactly how the mind of a useless bureaucrat works. It doesn’t matter where you are on the map. It doesn’t matter if you are in Washington, London, or Damascus. The people at the top are all the same. They are allergic to real work. Fixing a power grid is hard. It takes math, money, and effort. You might fail. But writing a rule on a piece of paper regarding **workplace dress codes**? That is easy. Banning lipstick takes five minutes. It makes a weak man feel powerful. It gives him the illusion that he is doing something. He isn’t doing anything, of course. He is just annoying people. But to a guy in a suit with a fancy title, annoying people feels like leadership.

Let’s talk about the targets of this brilliant new rule: Women. Of course, it is women. It is always women. When a country is falling apart, the leaders never look at the men and say, “Hey, maybe you guys should stop wearing those ugly ties” or “Maybe you should actually do your jobs instead of drinking tea all day.” No. They look at the women and start policing their faces. They act like a little bit of eyeliner is the reason the economy is in the toilet. It is a classic distraction. If everyone is arguing about mascara, maybe they won’t notice that the governor hasn’t fixed the potholes in three years.

The story says this ban applies to the “public sector.” Have you ever been to a government office? In any country? It is the most depressing place on earth. It is usually a gray room with bad lighting, uncomfortable chairs, and a clock that moves slower than time itself. The people working there are tired. They are underpaid. They are dealing with angry citizens all day long. If a woman wants to put on some makeup to feel a little bit human in that soul-crushing environment, let her do it. Who does it hurt? Nobody. Absolutely nobody.

But logic has no place in government. Logic is for people who actually work for a living. The response to this **Syria makeup ban** has been exactly what you would expect: Outrage. Anger. And, because we live in the modern world, memes. Lots of memes.

This is the only good thing about the times we live in. You can’t stop a governor from signing a stupid order, but you can make fun of him on the internet until he looks like a clown. The people of Syria are roasting this idea online. They are pointing out the obvious hypocrisy. They are asking why the government has time for face paint inspections but no time to fix the water pipes. It is a fair question. It is the only question that matters.

This isn't just a story about Syria, though. Don't get comfortable. We do the same nonsense here in the West. We just use different words. Our politicians love to ban things that don't matter, too. They love to start culture wars over plastic straws or gas stoves or whatever the flavor of the month is, while the bridges crumble and the rent goes up. It is the universal language of failure. When you can’t fix the big things, you obsess over the small things.

So, cheers to this governor. He has proven once again that the people in charge are completely out of touch with reality. He thinks he is restoring order. He thinks he is being a moral guardian. But really, he is just another empty suit wasting everyone’s time. The women will be annoyed, the internet will laugh, and the rubble outside will still be there tomorrow. Nothing changes. Nothing ever changes. The world keeps turning, and the idiots keep steering the ship.

***

### References & Fact-Check

* **Original Report**: *A Makeup Ban in Syria for Women in Government and Public Sector Stirs Outrage* via [The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/20/world/middleeast/makeup-ban-women-syria.html). * **Event Context**: In February 2026, reports surfaced regarding a Syrian provincial governor issuing directives banning makeup for female public sector employees, sparking significant local and online backlash amidst broader economic challenges.