Our country is in extreme peril
The mutiny and occupation of a power plant south of the Capital by power utility workers is just a small example of how vulnerable the Lebanese State is from certain groups. It’s a symptom of a deeper malaise.
I refuse to accept that the utility workers at the power plant decided on their own to take the action they did, no one in Lebanon takes such decisions without making very fine political calculations first. It is the same for MPs, ministers, government civil servants, and the ordinary masses; it’s simply how we are. Independent action in Lebanon, like real independent thought, is a rarity in constant danger of extinction; some even think it a myth.
But certain people in this country, certain groups, seem to have more leeway to take actions that seriously impact public order, safety, and normal life than others. The tent city of down town Beirut of a couple of years ago comes to mind. And what a mess that was, a year of unrealized profits and opportunities lost for all the businesses in the heart of the city’s tourist showcase, shut down and depressing.
As long as there are armed people or groups outside the control of the state, outside the control of our elected (if imperfect) government, who are allowed to act as they like with impunity, nothing will ever be normal in this country, not ever, certainly not for business, not for investors, and not for the inflows of badly needed expatriate capital.
Confidence in the state and its viability has been eroded just a little more over the last couple of days. And then today, the Moody’s report comes out. Why does it seem that for every step forward we take, someone seems to drag us ten steps back?
Confidence, the lack of it that is, will eventually impact our government’s ability to borrow. And if depositors decide to take their money out of Lebanese bank vaults, this will affect Lebanese banks’ ability to bankroll the treasury and the lumbering state bureaucracy, a civil service which is populated by cronies of this politician or that.
Labor has the right to go on strike but they do not have the right to occupy a power plant, a strategic resource, and shut it down. People with a political grievance/agenda have the right to protest and take to the streets, conduct a sit in, but they do not have the right to pitch tents in the commercial heart of a nation’s capital and ruin the livelihoods of shop and restaurant owners.
People can show their support for one political idea or another in front of a certain embassy, but they haven’t the right to assault those who disagree with them who choose to protest in front of the same embassy.
Bully tactics must be opposed most earnestly and we must not waver. We must never let the bullies win, even when we are really scared and all we want is to run, we must stand and resist. We must stare down the bullies. Falling apart or allowing ourselves to be dragged into pointless political debates or losing our tempers and engaging in a television duel with drinks glasses and chairs is not an option.
We must be very clear, steadfast, and firm in our course, today more than ever. We live on the cusp of a new and frightening world order. The Lebanese are back where they always wanted, at the center of it all, or we soon will be. The old lines in the sand are being redrawn. We are approaching a new cold war, and we will, sooner than we think, be in a fight pitting us, one against the other. We must we wary and ready to resist a new/old evil empire.
While I am inclined to be more leftwing leaning than right wing, and while this article might appear a drastic change of course, it is not. In times of crisis and great peril, when our national unity and cohesion is under serious threat, we must all be very right wing.
I abhor injustice committed by anyone against anyone. Being the standard bearers of a righteous political ideology, does not erase the bullies’ crimes. When unarmed civilians protesting in the streets and demanding a change in leadership are assaulted and shot at, killed or captured, imprisoned and tortured, all the credit a regime may have accrued over decades as the sole beckon of Pan Arab truth and a stalwart opponent to Israeli aggression, is lost instantly.
Lebanon is in danger. We are in the middle. Neither standing with nor standing against one party or another in this regional pressure cooker will save us. I’m afraid we will have to fight to save our own skins before too long.
I refuse to accept that the utility workers at the power plant decided on their own to take the action they did, no one in Lebanon takes such decisions without making very fine political calculations first. It is the same for MPs, ministers, government civil servants, and the ordinary masses; it’s simply how we are. Independent action in Lebanon, like real independent thought, is a rarity in constant danger of extinction; some even think it a myth.
But certain people in this country, certain groups, seem to have more leeway to take actions that seriously impact public order, safety, and normal life than others. The tent city of down town Beirut of a couple of years ago comes to mind. And what a mess that was, a year of unrealized profits and opportunities lost for all the businesses in the heart of the city’s tourist showcase, shut down and depressing.
As long as there are armed people or groups outside the control of the state, outside the control of our elected (if imperfect) government, who are allowed to act as they like with impunity, nothing will ever be normal in this country, not ever, certainly not for business, not for investors, and not for the inflows of badly needed expatriate capital.
Confidence in the state and its viability has been eroded just a little more over the last couple of days. And then today, the Moody’s report comes out. Why does it seem that for every step forward we take, someone seems to drag us ten steps back?
Confidence, the lack of it that is, will eventually impact our government’s ability to borrow. And if depositors decide to take their money out of Lebanese bank vaults, this will affect Lebanese banks’ ability to bankroll the treasury and the lumbering state bureaucracy, a civil service which is populated by cronies of this politician or that.
Labor has the right to go on strike but they do not have the right to occupy a power plant, a strategic resource, and shut it down. People with a political grievance/agenda have the right to protest and take to the streets, conduct a sit in, but they do not have the right to pitch tents in the commercial heart of a nation’s capital and ruin the livelihoods of shop and restaurant owners.
People can show their support for one political idea or another in front of a certain embassy, but they haven’t the right to assault those who disagree with them who choose to protest in front of the same embassy.
Bully tactics must be opposed most earnestly and we must not waver. We must never let the bullies win, even when we are really scared and all we want is to run, we must stand and resist. We must stare down the bullies. Falling apart or allowing ourselves to be dragged into pointless political debates or losing our tempers and engaging in a television duel with drinks glasses and chairs is not an option.
We must be very clear, steadfast, and firm in our course, today more than ever. We live on the cusp of a new and frightening world order. The Lebanese are back where they always wanted, at the center of it all, or we soon will be. The old lines in the sand are being redrawn. We are approaching a new cold war, and we will, sooner than we think, be in a fight pitting us, one against the other. We must we wary and ready to resist a new/old evil empire.
While I am inclined to be more leftwing leaning than right wing, and while this article might appear a drastic change of course, it is not. In times of crisis and great peril, when our national unity and cohesion is under serious threat, we must all be very right wing.
I abhor injustice committed by anyone against anyone. Being the standard bearers of a righteous political ideology, does not erase the bullies’ crimes. When unarmed civilians protesting in the streets and demanding a change in leadership are assaulted and shot at, killed or captured, imprisoned and tortured, all the credit a regime may have accrued over decades as the sole beckon of Pan Arab truth and a stalwart opponent to Israeli aggression, is lost instantly.
Lebanon is in danger. We are in the middle. Neither standing with nor standing against one party or another in this regional pressure cooker will save us. I’m afraid we will have to fight to save our own skins before too long.
Comments
Post a Comment