The caricature is from An Nahar prominent Lebanese newspaper. it depicts the three European minsters who visited Lebanon recently, bringing a balloon with compassion written over it to the Lebanese who are drowning and in need of much more than some compassionate words...
17 comments :
What we need is a miracle
Maybe what we need is counting on ourselves and working toward reconciliation instead of relying on others and wait for miracles to happen?
Maybe we should talk to each other instead of relying on neo-colonial powers that hold nothing but more disasters for us?
What is wrong with a consensus president? Is it that hard to talk to your fellow Lebanese?
I am all with consensus...and talking to everyone...without being assassinated of course...
and plz when u use neo-cons or new-colonial try to use the word tyranny and theocracy too. Cause these are the choices we are facing.
Bob,
First and foremost, sorry for not checking in more often (I don't have much access to the net where I live now for the sake of saving money).
"atlanta dude"'s attitudes are typical for many here in the US, I had a lot of the same pre-conceived notions about Lebanon until I really started diving in and learning about the situation.
A new round of financial sanctions has hit Iran recently and the next avenue is probably oil sanctions
http://www.iran-press-service.com/ips/articles-2007/october-2007/oil-sanctions-on-iran.shtml
Prior to a final straw of an attack.
Oil sanctions would be immensely damaging to Iran and what is costly for Iran is costly for their HA and Syrian agents.
Granted I suggested this very scenario on this blog almost a year ago, but it seems that it is getting closer to materializing.
Following the summer's wave of public executions in Iran, students are back out en masse protesting.
An oil embargo coupled with the current unrest in Tehran could possibly deteriorate the IRI enough to loosen it's grip on your country.
A new approach since the cartoon you've got posted shows the EU's unwillingness to really do anything is to send emails to US congressman at http://congress.org using the zip codes of major US cities like from Atlanta, GA "30303" for example to contact their US Representatives and Senators telling them basically:
"Hi, my name's Bob. I am not a US Citizen, but instead live in Beirut, Lebanon. My country's democratically elected government is on the possible verge of collapse at the hands of local groups working at the behest of the Iranian government.
For the sake of my beautiful country, I urge you to vote for imposing an oil blockade on Iran robbing them of 70% of their revenues thus substantially weakening both their government along with their ability to fund those elements here in Lebanon which seek to destroy my homeland.
Doing nothing will only encourage my countries enemies to keep assassinating our democratically elected leaders, and dropping bombs on Iranian targets will only lead to the mullahs responding with asymmetrical attacks such as unleashing Hezbollah fighters on us here in Lebanon.
Please impose oil sanctions NOW! Before we become the latest incurable 'war zone' in the Middle East."
I'm about to fire off a few letters to congress.org myself along these lines.
That's the best I can come up with right now.
You're definitely one of the bravest people I've ever known. So keep it up. You've gotten this far.
Bob,
Neo-cons and neo colonial are drives that put us in the CENTER of the equation, we are the subjects here. However Theocracy is a system for Iran not us: they are not trying to impose it on us we are not the subjects of a theocracy.
HA under Nasrallah officially took out of their charter creating an islamic state let alone a theocracy. If they did I will fight it with you: it is never going to happen.
We can not compare a system of government (republic for the US, Communist for China, Thecracy,...) with a plan to control the greater Middle East: 2 different things.
The choice we are facing is either us Lebanese making a deal together or plunging in the abyss scenario.
Why do you give Iran the benefit of the doubt, while denying it to the west?
Have you read Hezbollah by Naeem Kassem (2nd in command) what about "In the path of HA" ?? making a theocracy is their one and only aim!!!! everything else is propaganda. go visit the south and see what s happening, you cant have a beer anywhere, all girls are in the ugly Iranian black Tchador...
and you claim that they will not transform LB into a mini Iran...
Welcome back Mike
it is always good to hear your voice, hope that you are doing great! and thx :)
>>Why do you give Iran the benefit of the doubt, while denying it to the west?
History. Iran is not occupying us, did not attack us and colonise us.
As for the benefit of the doubt??
I have no doubt, there is no doubt, they are declaring it openly in their neo-con agenda: The US (which is an Israeli proxy when it comes to the Middle East) are launching the Greater Middle East initiative (which has failed but they are trying to ressusitate it).
But I will leave it there: I will support national reconciliation, and you can continue to wait for miracles while supporting US interference in our affairs if you like. The majority of the Lebanese people will resist it: Democracy? No problem!
>> go visit the south and see what s happening, you cant have a beer
anywhere, all girls are in the ugly Iranian black Tchador...
Many shiites are secular (much more so than sunnis).
Iraq was SECULAR, women were free to wear what they want today: see for yourself. Palestine: look at Hamas thanks to US democracy. Syria is secular, want to install the muslim brotherhood to solve the "tchador problem"?
HA has officially abandoned this aim (unless they become more than 90% of the population or more)
On the other hand, the US has (and is) actively encouraging the wahabi phenomena from Saudi Arabia to Jordan, to Egypt, to Pakistan... and is using it.
Have you been to Abou Samra in Tripoli? What do you think Hezb el Tahrir is planning for (just read their manifesto)?
The US plans to bring us and fund sunni extremists to attack shiites (like in Irak) will only result in more tchadors not less (and violent wahabi ones this time).
(I'm glad I was born in a sunni family otherwise I might have been accused of been anti sunni!)
But it doesn't matter their religion, the ones who want to attack shites will not even be able to do so over my dead body: no way. From the north I am and with the south I will always be.
Unfortunetly I can't have a beer in some neighberhoods of Trablous and I regret it (I still love Trablous though).
Bringing the US? only will have more of those Tchadors (+ civil war).
Atlanta
Come on you defend HA by claiming that Sunni are also banning alchool??? what kind of argument is that???
I am against all theocracies whether Whaabi or hizb al Tahriri or anyone else!!!
thing are that only HA have the power infrastructure and popular support to threaten LB at the moment. The rest are being fought tooth and nail by the army and moderate sunni (like future movement) and if they stop fighting them they will lose my support...
Now i do not care about what the US want i will use their support to fight extremists. and plz if you see Syria as secular you are badly mistaken, it is only a show deep inside it is the rule of a small religious minority (the alwite) over all others!
and do not derail the discussion by claiming that a secular tyranny is better than a religious theocracy. I am against BOTH!!!
so to sum it up HA, like Hizb Tahriri like Al queda are a threat to me. At the moment the greatest more important threat is HA. BUt keep in mind i will never ally with these guys, never not even for defeating HA...
>>Come on you defend HA by claiming that Sunni are also banning alchool??? what kind of argument is that???
That was not my argument.
My argument is that HA abandoned the idea of an islamic state unlike the Hezb El Tahrir (which was banned until fatfat gave it a permit) as well as other extremist groups.
>>I am against all theocracies whether Whaabi or hizb al Tahriri or anyone else!!!
Bravo, I'm totally with you on that, we agree here.
>>only HA have the power infrastructure and popular support to threaten LB at the moment.
They aren't that's the point. They will never do it (under Nasrallah)
All the opposite they are the only one liberating Lebanese land and prisoners. They are not a "state within a state" they are a "state where there is NO state". They are asking us to integrate them in the army, and Aoun promised to do just that.
>>Now i do not care about what the US want i will use their support to fight extremists.
That is an oxymoron. How can someone use the support of someone implementing extremism and confessionalism and division to fight them? (Again look at Iraq, Palestine, Pakistan, Afghanistan)
>> if you see Syria as secular you are badly mistaken, it is only a show deep inside it is the rule of a small religious minority (the alwite) over all others!
No one said Syria doesn't have minorities and issues but Syria has a secular system.
In Syria you can drink a beer where ever you want. Syria is the ONLY country in the Middle East where the number of christians is going UP. Syria bans by law any party based on religion or confession.
Do I like the Baath: NO but let's just not blame all our problems on Syria (nor israel or the US by the way or anyone by the way) WE are responsible for not pursuing unity not the others.
Peace
atlanta
glad that we agree on something :)
anyways as i said you trust what HA says i do not, u trust that they will not threaten LB i do not. (PS: as i am sure u do not trust Geagea not matter what he says...).
Now do not blame fatfat for giving a permit, he was following the law. In Lebanon you can create a political party and u only need to inform the interior ministry, u do not need a permit...
now, about my oxymoron well i can use the support as i please, i do not care what the US is doing elsewhere, but in Lebanon i can use their support as i please or they can stop supporting me...
oh and more thing, i hope we will agree on: Syria is a tyranny and i am against all tyrannies :)
>>PS: as i am sure u do not trust Geagea not matter what he says...).
Absolutely, I do not trust Geagea. I trusted Bashir Gemayel but not Geagea.
The same for HA: I hated soubhi toufeili and didn't trust him, I totally trust Nasrallah.
>>Now do not blame fatfat for giving a permit
I don't!! You are the one complaining about Tchadors not me. Democracy means everyone should dress as he or she pleases.
>>i can use the support as i please
Absolutely not. The US doesn't care about what you want they will do what they want without asking our permission (and they are right).
>> Syria is a tyranny and i am against all tyrannies
Yes I would like to see it become a democracy (and I am convinced it will gradually go toward that aim although it is not going to happen overnight). This said their form of government does not change the underlying regional strategical reality. Example: Syria is secular and Iran is the exact opposite (a Theocracy) they still made a strategical alliance because of the geopolitical environment they are in (their internal form of government is not the most important point here).
k lets not fall into a never ending argument, and jump from one subject to another
when u said "Hezb El Tahrir (which was banned until fatfat gave it a permit)"
i said "Now do not blame fatfat for giving a permit"
what does tchadors have to do with this??
and let us keep the judgment of intention on the slow burning... for example in Egypte the US is supporting a moderate gov against extremist (Muslim brotherhood) international relations are not black and white it is only a shade of grey...
and i will repeat what i said against Syria, just like you see the US threatening LB i see SY as more dangerous, for LB and for its ppl.
Bob you don't see the link between Hezb El Tajhrir and Tchadors? Just go see the "Madrassas" springing in Trabloss funded with (pro US)Saudi money (not Syria).
>>the US is supporting a moderate gov against extremist (Muslim brotherhood)
All the opposite, the US is supporting having an opposition (including the muslim brotherhood) so they can later use it to divide Egypt. Their strategical aim is not different with Egypt than it is with Iran or Iraq or Syria or Lebanon or Palestine(divide and conquer in the name of democracy). They are actually starting to plan for ways to weaken the regime (they don't want Egypt to become too strong either) but they can't go fast about it because the results would be counter productive.
>>just like you see the US threatening LB i see SY as more dangerous, for LB
I don't see the US threatening I see the US as pursuing their interests. The Syrians too are pursuing their interests. My point is that our interests and the Syrians are mostly the same because our security is imbricated.
atlanta this is getting similar to an Al Manar talk show...
you have a point just say it outright, stop alluding and hinting like a lebanese politican. You accused Fatafat of giving Hizb Al tahriri a license i answered you. Now you wanna talk about sunni extremism compared to Shiite be my guest just state a point and let us discuss it. But no more topic jumping, i m getting dizzy!!!!
and when u start speaking about US concpiracies try to give evidence, like your latest claim that the USis not supporting it s ally (moubarak) but on the contrary it is supporting the Muslim brotherhood, meanwhile they are keeping Bashar in office for fear of putting the Muslim brotherhood in power???
and then after all these dooms day conspiracy theories u say that you do not feel that the US is threatening to our region? what do u call that then support? for example "dividing egypt" and plz explain what does that help US intrests inthe region? t topple one of its greatest ally and put a bunch of Al queda extremist in its place?
I am starting to feel that this is a useless discussion. So let us focus it and start from this point: DO you believe in the finality of Lebanon as a country? and forget long convoluted answers just try to be focused plz...
Atalanta/Sam
Every time you get cornered you turn to personal attacks and insults, saying stuff like "people like me..." and accusing me of things i did not say is not acceptable.
After you made fun of Walid Eido hourse after his assassination i should have permanently banned you, and i did for a while.
But you see democracy is strict about freedom of speech, and i know that it is the best available system because it is very hard to implement. So i turned a blind eye when you returned with a different alias, but i will not tolerate any insults, personal attacks or disregarding comments...
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