Lebanon's government needs to grow up

Lebanon's government needs to grow up

By Ghassan Karam,
Special to Ya Libnan

There comes a time in the life of individuals when they pass that very specific stage in life when they are no longer treated as juveniles but as adults who are responsible for the consequences of their acts.

The same is true for nations. Nationhood is a privilege that carries with it immense responsibilities the least of which is the ability to govern and demonstrate a strong commitment to law and order. Unfortunately the current Lebanese government has failed, thus far, to demonstrate that it ought to be treated as an adult.

Some facts are incontrovertible and are clear to all. The Syrian presence in Lebanon has been costly in human, economic, political and social terms. Actually, an argument can be made that Syrian hegemony has robbed the Lebanese state of 30 years of development and has thus contributed to the existence of the dysfunctional state that Lebanon does not feel capable of overcoming. But such an argument must be deemed to be faulty.

The logic for the inability to recognize right from wrong is similar to offering those brought up in poverty and trying circumstances a justification for doing the wrong thing. The reverse should be true. Those that were exploited and those that were taken advantage of must rise above the temptation to get even and have a special obligation to do the right thing. It is easy to take revenge and it is easy to demand a pound of flesh but what is needed is the ability to transcend these primeval, base and sinister motivations. What is needed is the ability to grow up, act responsibly and take a stand for what is just and what is right.

Pan Arabism is your father's ideology, and to expect a toothless Arab League summit to muster the resolve to come up with a solution to what is essentially an internal affair is an exercise in futility. How can we possibly expect outsiders who do not understand the dynamics of the domestic Lebanese crisis to come up with a lasting solution is laughable and boggles the mind. How can we expect autocratic authoritarian regimes to come up with democratic solutions? Do these leaders understand what a democracy is and do they have an interest in nurturing one? Of course not.

We have said this before but it must be said again. The only way to offer a permanent solution to the Lebanese crisis is to have it homegrown and truthful. The Lebanese state cannot withstand half-solutions and meaningless gestures any longer. It is time that we face the hard reality that sectarianism is the problem and that one cannot pretend to be on the side of law and order and yet act against the letter and the spirit of the law.

General Suleiman might be a very capable individual and a committed patriot but he is prevented by the constitution from seeking the office of the presidency. March 14 and others should just cast their votes for someone else. But in order to hold presidential parliamentary deliberations the Chamber of Deputies must be in session and no individual, not even Mr. Berri, should be allowed to hold a nation hostage. He must be removed from office. Mr. Berri does not seem to understand the simple fact that the Chamber of Deputies is a separate branch of government than the cabinet. Even if he is right that the Cabinet is illegitimate then he is obligated to correct that error through parliamentary discussions in an open Chamber of Deputies instead of one whose doors he has ordered padlocked.

The process of presidential elections must be opened to all Lebanese irrespective of sect, gender, national origin or sexual orientation and obviously the presidential elections must not be predicated on the allocation of ministers in the new cabinet or on who the PM designate is to be. And last but not least Hezbollah must not become a party to a project that it opposes. Their place is in the opposition until such time that they can muster enough votes to form the government. All what is needed to resolve the Lebanese impasse is a group of politicians that believe in democracy, trust the people and have the courage to be guided by what is good for the country. If we fail to deal with the above then the long term prospects for a country called Lebanon are dim at best.

Ghassan Karam welcomes your correspondence at wp.karam@gmail.com

Source: Ya Libnan

Why don't you come back home to Lebanon?

By Dana Fadel,
Special to Ya Libnan
It is “I” and the many Lebanese people who live outside Lebanon who make up the word “Lebanese Immigrants” around the world. Why are we here? Why don’t many of us want to go back home after the 2006 war? Are we exiled?

On the other hand, friends back home enjoy making us feel guilty with their silly claims “Oh! So you’re too good to come back home?” or “You’re American now?” It’s true that we’re still away, lost in translation, living around people who judge us as terrorists and anti-Semitic, pursuing a dull life isolated from any Lebanese flair, and fighting our way to preserve our identity… yet life here is still more manageable than going back home.

How can we go back home if after fifteen years of brutal, unforgivable civil war, fought on our soil, by us and between us, people have not yet learned anything - especially politicians - not a single thing! People still look around your neck for a cross or an “Allah” pendant. New friends ask you online or in your face your religious affiliation. Parents grow seeds of sectarianism in their kid’s hearts and teach them to obey politicians and follow them blindly. Or how about hearing stories of couples that can’t get married just because they are from different religions and don’t support civil marriage?

How can we think of returning when we watch Lebanese cable or read newspapers and all we see is politicians insulting one another and combating to pretend caring more about Lebanon but then go strip us from money? They pretend to fight for Lebanon’s independence when they have sold us previously for couple of greens to our enemies? Worse than that, kids on Facebook already affiliated themselves politically, even racially, quoting whatever they hear a politician pronouncing. The battle turns a kid against another kid, a politician against another politician, a religion against another religion, a city against another city…. leading to rigid pyramid against Lebanon’s independence and power.

We thought of coming back home, it’s the “Lebanon” as a dream that was never turned to reality that ignites a feeling of excitement. The Lebanon we sang of, made movies about, and wrote bestselling novels on. Yet how can we? Everyday the people get poorer and politicians get richer. How weird, right?

Lebanon is under huge debt, more than 40% of Lebanese people are below poverty line and 20% are unemployed. Yet politicians seem to manage to import ‘08 Benzes straight from Stuttgart, and Armani suites - keep in mind a new one for every single conference - overbooked nights in 5 star hotels. How is this considered fair to see people deprived from life and politicians spending their money madly?

I kind of recall we’re all born equally from our elementary Civil Education class. Or is it just the politicians that are allowed to enjoy the 10452 km2 of Lebanon? (If it is truly 10452 km2). Who cares about the people - if politicians are happy we’re delighted, seeing them steal money from our own pockets and pretend to invest it in “Projects propelling towards Lebanon’s Future and Advancement”, when they’re really stocking it on top of the sum of greens they’ve stolen long time ago or leftovers of the money spent on Molotov Cocktails during the Civil War.

The new Lebanese motto shifted sharply from “All for the Country, for the Glory, for the Flag” to “Your wish is my command ya Wazeer, ya Hakeem, ya General, ya Sheikh, ya Sayyed.” We’re promoting anarchist propaganda in a way in Lebanon and yet we call in the name of independence and self-determination Lebanese people are brainwashed to think that we have control over Lebanon’s fate.

Despite of all this, we go to bed hoping for a change, a strike, a revolution one day against the unfairness back home from the bottom of the pyramid. Our Friday and Sunday prayers revolve around Peace in Lebanon and end of Sectarianism. Our New Year’s resolution calls for an awake to reality and to what has been happening to us for years and decades. Some of us, just wish for a political debate between different groups in Lebanon (as if we learned in a civilized way how to not use arms as a way to enforce our ideas); or what about an elected Lebanese President for the people, from the people and by the people? Is that too much to ask for?

source: yalibnan

Get to know the true, beautiful Lebanon

By Wassim Badr

Beirut - It's interesting how opinions, preconceptions, misconceptions and prejudices are so influenced by the media today.

We take adamant stands based largely on reported news instead of spending the time to try to experience hands-on the world and how it works.

I am an exchange student from Lebanon, studying in Michigan. Contrary to what people think, my country is not war torn. It is not run by dictators. If you're a woman, you don't have to cover yourself up. We do have clean water, plenty of it, and we do have electricity. Oh, and we also have McDonald's, Burger King, Chili's, and God knows what else from America's food chains.

My country is modern, and it is not what you usually see of it on TV news. But Lebanon also is a place of rich history, legacy and beauty. CNN and BBC don't show you a Lebanese festival with beautiful costumes, enchanting music, mesmerizing choreography and the overall ambience of awe and wonder. They would rather show Lebanon only in times of conflict and war.

This projected image is false, but if it's all you see, naturally it becomes the worldwide image of Lebanon, the indisputable truth.

With all due respect, Lebanon is not synonymous with Hizballah. Lebanon is not part of the Syrian-Iranian coalition. Lebanon is not a nation of terrorism and religious fanaticism.

I come from a country where the literacy rate is 90%, where people are generally fluent in three languages (Arabic, English and French), and where people are known for their hospitality and benevolent nature.

That is probably why I expected Americans to be less friendly than they have been, aware of media influence about Lebanon.

One difference between us is that in Lebanon, we actually watch CNN. We seriously consider what BBC broadcasts. We even consider ourselves part of the MTV generation! But I'm sure Americans cannot claim exposure to Lebanese broadcasts, even though satellite stations have been available for quite some time now.

That makes a huge difference: We know what's going on in our country and we know how the world perceives it. Yet the people of America, France, England and many other nations are educated simply based on what they receive from their televisions and their occasional podcasts.

At one point, calling yourself an international expert meant you had done massive reading, foreign travel and had actual exposure to the diverse customs of a country. Now, however, that title is being conferred on people who watch excessive TV to claim deep international knowledge and worldly understanding. What they really have are biased notions of the world around them.

I wish that people would go back to the old ways of actually visiting countries, put Lebanon at the top of their list, and base their opinions on experience and interaction with the people. It pains me to see all the beauty with which God has graced my country go to waste simply because, nowadays, it boils down to bad representation and equally bad publicity.

Live in the world and truly partake in its magnificence; life is not about politics or the media. It is essentially about people.

*WASSIM BADR, 20, of Beirut, Lebanon, has spent the fall 2007 semester studying computer science and English literature as an exchange student at Madonna University in Livonia. He will return to Lebanon in February to complete his senior year at Notre Dame University. Sources: freep.com

Peace Please! SUUUUUUUURE

Lebanese politicians....