Pro-Syrian, Anti-Syrian, Pro-Western, Anti-Western, Zionists etc etc etc… Labels passed around lately in Lebanon, a country in crisis where leaders bid their time, and the Lebanese live in a constant state of anxiety not knowing what the future holds. All sides claim they are working for the country and who can fault them for that, only if it were true!!
In 1988 we watched our county face a similar crisis where it was left to be manipulated by its own neighbors, when it was abandoned by the ‘caring’ west back then. The county was awash with weapons and crippled by sectarian rivalries that cost a lot of lives.
Today we see the same scenario re-occurring, and each side accuses the other of working against the interests of Lebanon. Unfortunately you get the Lebanese people living a constant state of suspicion and fear of each other. The sad truth is that yet again sectarian rivalries are threatening to tear the country apart. This truth is sadly being exploited by some of the Lebanese factions to retain their power, thus allowing the county to be yet again exploited by outside powers. Other factions are concerned with curbing civil strife; Their fear and weakness along with their self-interests, are also exploited by the same outside influences.
The end of the presidential term ended and passed on the 23rd of November, and we still have no president. The Lebanese still defend their leaders blindly. The leaders keep delaying and assessing their position; All the Lebanese people can do is keep waiting. If a president is not chosen soon, we have destructive scenarios ranging from a political vacuum to civil war. A civil war that may threaten the stability of the whole region. Hopefully that will not happen and a compromise is reached in the next few days.
All I can say is wake up people, just because someone does not hold your own political affiliation, that does not mean that they love the country any less. Stop your adulation of those useless leaders, the whole lot of them. One day we will learn to see and think for ourselves, put aside religion and hatred; Hopefully by then it will not be too late. This not only applies to the Lebanese people, but to everyone in the region as well.
By Sil
Comments
Well written Sil.
The inevitable always overrides though. With power comes more money, a wider social circle of political players (more money men in general) & a zero civilian environment, So their interest always evolves into a you help me & I help you personal agenda. Eventually they turn into zero civilian tolerance fiends.
We're tied 2 the international community & we need to be, goes without saying. Their influences however are strong and need to be filtered in a practical & respectful way.
Religion 4 the sake of religion isn't a good reason 4 any conflict but humanity will always be divided with or without it. It's human nature. However it's the civilians' responsibility, they are the ones who choose to live where they live & form communities of their sect, such as in the west where you see communities based on race, or the race you affiliate yourself with most. The super rich isolate themselves in masses of land; the rich have their communities, the comfortably living have theirs & so on; then the poor are stuffed in a small space as far away as possible. There’s no possible way of reaching mutual understanding
Anyhow the world over is stuck with corruption for the minute so I don't think it will take anything less than a global revolution to build new foundations. I think people are just too cowardly nowadays; even innocent civilians can live feeling threatened constantly. But yeah technology has made us lazy & get a sense of luxury, our parents don’t want us to live through the destruction of our grandparents/ great grandparents, immigration has become a problem so technically we are disabled in more ways than one.
We live in unfortunate times where you can’t question your nations ironic disposition of being a firm ally of both the US & China.
Do you need a president to deter you from civil war? Perhaps you should protest the end of certain positions only being for certain sects, the thing France implemented. That way politicians can qualify a tiny bit more as representatives of society & a tiny bit less as puppets.
Lebanon my lovely country God bless and protect you.
Sam,
There is an anonymous saying goes that along the lines of “if you think you understand Lebanese politics, it obviously has not been explained to you properly”!
Well That is so true, but you cannot help but feel disappointed at what is happening.
I can only second ohmygod!'s words and say God bless and protect Lebanon. Lebanon deserves a break.
Let me add oops for spelling country as county twice!!
* That goes along......
I don't understand leb politics let alone the politics of my own nation/s. I did not even know what Leb/Syria/Jordan were prior to having the internet...no offence you're all beautiful, nonetheless one is trying 2 learn now. I just meant 2 say that we're universally corrupt & never to expect much from politicians. I know I waffle a lot. but rabinah ma3akom anyway.
Oh well there's always my partner in crime sms 2 clue me up b4 we attempt 2 take over the world.
Oh my days I so can not read those 2 security words...some of them r hard waleg.
Ok I can listen 2 them just realised but I refreshed & got 'me' & 'Happy'.
That's a sad article..but wake up and be joyful and always be optimistic...you have Michel Suleiman who "might" become the next pres. But Sil don't think these problems started in 75 or 58..they started all the way back to 1860..with the massacres...Lebanon continues to experience instability and war because of its sectarian roots and politics...Ex…minister of defense always has to be Christian, whereas minister of this and that has to be Muslim....OUR region Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan is messed up POLITICALLY because of the foreign alien colonials, France and Britain.. Believe me Sil before french intervention and meddling ..there were no fights and extremism..France kept on encouraging maronite extremism until the 1860 civil war (massacres) happened ...IF Syria WAS NOT occupied by the Ottoman empire, and was not invaded by colonials our country would not have been divided into 4..and then later 5 with Israel.........Believe me guys ...none of this mess would be going on today...........
I really recommend this book by the great Lebanese historian Kamal Salibi..."A House of Many Mansions: the history of Lebanon Reconsidered"...trust me ..this is the best historical book you will find on Lebanon..because by knowing our history we will have the answers for the future!
P.S: waleg , once again , there's no reason to delete this reply..I'm not trying to offend any Maronites or Muslims....if you want to challenge any of the above historical assertions, please do it on this page.
by the way Sil the terms are "Pro-Syrian and Anti-Syrian" are not used in Lebanon or the Arab world ..they are Western concoctions.....
in Lebanon and the arab world they use the term "march 8" to describe Hezbollah, aoun and their supporters and "march 14" to describe gemayel, geagea, hariri and their supporters......
The West invents all sorts of names for us...we should invent names for them.....
I remember reading an article which maintained that a Bush female administration member came up with the term "cedar revolution" hah ha LOL...
beirut journalists -mostly- stayed away from this term because there was no revolution.. lahoud stayed in power.... LOL.....
I've informed sms 2 rid the world of u & 2 dispose your remains somewhere inconceivable...be afraid, be very afraid.
George,
Don't you think that soon enough March 14 and March 8 will no longer be, and new alliances will be formed as the usual norm in our country??... I envy your hope though about the situation.
Sam,
Okay!! lol..... By the way about the two words you mentioned, yesterday I had a problem too. I read Boris as Borts and was thinking what the hell is bort?!!! However soon enough I realised my mistake.
Man all i can say is Allah yehme lebnen and alsoo may allah keep away all people/countrys who want to harm lebanon!
Every one wants a bit of Lebanon! Just leave it and its people by themselves.. Inshallah they find a new prime minister, Lebanon cant stay like this for too longg..every 3 days or so they keep postponing da elections!
Anyways once again ALLAH YEHME LEBNEN YA RAB!
MWASZZZ TO LEBANON :)
I am Pro-Lebanon..ya z3ama fellu aw ete7du...enough is enough..!!!
Libnen 2awalan w akhiran... that's all I have to say...
why did you delete the poems i sent in frensh & english???
they were for lebanon!!
vive liban !love u lebanon!
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