I am very aware that Saudi people are educated, but at the same time they are very extremist, one of the most in Arab world. If it wasn't the oil there, they were going to be one of the worst place in the world, people are rich there, maybe that's why they don't go against the government. But in my opinion, that government is the worst one in Arab world, first one that should have gone, I can't believe people can bear them..
Bashar is an educated and a good guy, if you listen to his speeches you would understand what I mean. But as your friends said, yes the people around him are ruling this country, and that could be true. The old generation is bad, but changes happening slowly, the one who are involved in the corruption are going. But it is not really to do it very fast, to clean the bad ones.. Believe me and Rami when we said the country changed a lot since he arrived. It was like you described, long time ago, but not anymore..
The ones on street who keeps going with "La ilahha illa allah" are the Brotherhood sympathizers. That's their wish.
I know it very well, how it was and how it is now. You can't do everything like before now, not anymore. You still can do a lot, but it is decreasing, and I used to do these in Lebanon too, and I know you can buy whoever you want in Lebanon, and I hear a lot of these happens in Turkey too, seriously, this is not a problem solely in Syria. It's everywhere in the region.