Monday, December 04, 2006
Fed up!
I became so fed up! So against all caution and reason I went out for a drink in Gemayzeh, just a few hundred meters away from the place where all the protests were going on.
The streets were empty; the distant sounds of the protest filled the background. People walked briskly. And most restaurants were empty, the waiters idle.
We choose “Le rouge” a cozy restaurant, with excellent food at affordable prices. Even on weekdays the place used to be packed, tonight there was only one table beside ours.
I choose a “steak in a bagette” a very tasty dish, but all what we could talk about was what is going to happen in the next few days! It kinda ruined our evening. But I came to prove to myself that no matter what these people will do, I staying here in my country and I will always love live! No matter how much they try to frighten us, we will stay here, peacefully and endure…
Going out we bumped into two aounist, going home form the protests. I almost screamed at them, asking them “Are you happy? Are you happy with what you are doing to our country? How you are slowly killing it! How did you feel yesterday, in your demonstration, when Talal Arslan and Wiam Whab declared their ending alliance with Syria and Iran! Did you cheer! Did you cheer for those who oppressed you, oppressed us for 15 years!!! DID YOU CHEEER!!!!!”
I closed my mouth, grind my teeth and walked away, with some tears glistering in my eyes as my country was slowly being killed…
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18 comments :
I am also feeling helpless to the whole situation being thousands of miles and over 15 years away from Lebanon. But, I have got so much stake in this place and want to return one day. I am completely against the Hezballah/Amal/Aoun greedy actions and I am too fed up from these idiots ruling over idiots and claiming more power. What they are doing is not democratic but the rule of savages. What does it take for all of the Lebanese to say NO to america/iran/syria? In school, they should have taught us how to say no and not to be sheep by following these types of leaders who over-promise and underachieve. Hassan should be brought to justice for the consequences of July war which does not represent the will of the majority of the Lebanese (including expats); Lebanon belongs to all Lebanese and not just Hezballah!
BOB,
I would like first to apologize for all the previous comments,sorry some of the words were uncalled for regardless,but that fellow got the worse in me.Anyways am glad you got a chance to go out,hopefully if things don't change,I will take up on your offer when I visit Lebanon in the summer.
Nothing make me mad than the Lebanese living abroad,enjoying freedom,stability and calling for war.It doesn't make sense to me at all.I say if you want war go live there and experience all the hardships that comes with it,right?? don't sit in the comfort of your own home watching on T.V.
Anyways,am sorry again but am glad that I still have this hot lebanese temper that flares every now and then.
Good luck to you,stay safe and peace.
Faisal
Bob can we really place the blame on them?
The reason those pubs are empty are not just because there is a demonstration nearby, its also empty because people are afraid to leave their homes. Aren't some of your people on the streets getting into fights?
You know how I feel about Hizballah and we discussed it openly but let's be honest shway; most of the tourists have cancelled their December trip to Lebanon because of the entire situation and not because of the demonstrations. I for one, am flying into Lebanon no matter what goes on in the squares yet the situation on the streets and the response to the demonstrations is what is giving me second thoughts.
Halla2 the FPM-HA are slowly killing the country, and Jumblatt-Geagea-Sheikh Saad Beik Basha are the salvation?
Inno bob i;ll give you inno they all are the same shit, i might agree with you on that. bass inno one of these teams wants to "Push you backwards" to quote the FTV and the other is gonna turn you into Swisra is a bit extreme.
don;t be depressed ,inno worst case scenario bindhalna 3al sifr w ma bin2addem, la wara aktar min heik sa3beh.
It is true Bob i thought of that too , the best way to fight back is to stay here no matter what. but i am afraid that at one point we will be obliged to leave. if economicly we can't get our payroll??? if war starts and gets dirty ?? i will never forgive myself if anything happens to my kids !!! i even thought to go to court and ask them to take away our religion from our identity cards , i don't want my kids to be labeled because of their identity, but i laughed and said who r u fooling ?? in lebanon your family name is more than enough to label u, and u can get killed for that!!!
I just hope my miracle will happen before that.
Rampurple
you r right there is violence on both sides, but the demonstrators presence is giving violent messages to the other party and therefore they r being violent, it is wrong and they shouldn't respond in that way. but violence leads to violence and at one point we won't be able to stop it . so if the demonstrators go home now may be it will stop and everybody calms down and we will try to solve our problems calmly.
Ram
I do not only blame the protestors for empty streets. They are one of many causes. Two, I cannot but compare the cedar revolution and these protests, the level of violence, the fear and the damage…
Faisal do not worry about it, it is water under the bridge. Yalla I am waiting for next summer ;)
Jamal
No they are all killing the country… both sides…
They are killing the country, they are killing people, they are killing lebanese people and lebanese thoughts.
They are killing culture, music, history, everything.
Sorry guys, but all these people who are callin to protests, and those who are calling to no protests, all these people, they made the war 30 years ago.
So please, do not follw any of them. They not deserve your trust.
Wish all the good luck, libano-lebanese people
Let me see if i get this right bob.
So talal arslan and sleiman frangieh are worst thugs, crooks, thieves etc… than joumblat and hariri.
Is it because hariri and joumblat decided to repent for 15 years of wrong doing a day after the killing of Mr hariri senior
Or is it because since they repented we should forgive them for what they did to us for 15 or so years
Or is it maybe because all their actions since March 2005 have been in the best interest of Lebanon
Or even maybe because they have chosen to be anti Syrian and more pro US the same US that legitimized Syrian occupation for 30 years
Or maybe it is because they decided to keep the Syrian electoral law against the wishes of most Christians and the patriarch in order to steal a majority in parliament
Or maybe it is because their record in the government for the past 18 month has been so glorious and rewarding to Lebanon in general
Or maybe just maybe because they have decided that the only truth in Lebanon is the death of hariri and it stands above all other national considerations
Or maybe because you think a pro US stance is better than a Pro Syrian stance given that the two have been equally destructive towards Lebanon
Or is it because we don’t really care how much money they have stolen and continue to steal as long as we get a few tourists in summer and a few donations a year to keep the economy on its knees but don’t you know bob that nothing is free in life and all these donations have a price
Or is it because we feel that the shi3a are radicals and fanatics but is it not the Sunnis and the wahhabites who are the true radicals and the suicide bombers
Is it because of all the BS propaganda they diffuse 24 hours a day
No bob they are not better than any of the other characters that we have gotten accustomed to for the past 15 years they are worse because they were the real Syrian instruments in Lebanon much more than arslan and frangieh.
So bob we are all pissed of at the current situation but it takes two to tango and throwing all the blame on one camp is like being utterly naïve and simplistic, I don’t agree with a lot of the things HA says and I don’t agree with the fact they have arms etc… but maybe just maybe the march 14th movement should have done more to keep the aounists in their camp instead of forcing them to ally themselves with the HA imagine for a second had aoun been given the 15 seats he was asking for instead of the 21 he got, knowing that someone like joumblat who represents 150000 druze has 15 seats. Imagine how much trouble we would have avoided, they say aoun only thinks about the presidency well I wonder what they think about, whatever it is, it is definitely not working.
Anonymous
Just were did you read about a comparison between Arslan/Frangeih and Hariri/Joumblatt???
I just asked the Aounsit if they cheered when these two spoke!! And if they accepted what was said!
Nothing more nothing less
Now you want to make a comparison, great. But I am too fed up with politics at the moment maybe next time.
I blame the protestors of the atmosphere because they are one of the main reasons that caused it (I stress main reasons not sole…)
I dont know about you people but i have a funny fealing Lebanon will never enjoy peace- ever
There are too many hot heads in this region
the middle east is full of hot heads it doesnt matter what religion or belief
I mean its been like that since the year dot
there are periods of peace
then corruption and then erruption
Khalil Gibran wrote about it almost around 100 years ago
I'm afraid the idea that you simply kill people rather than peacfully challenging them is so absurd
I am still proud of being Lebanese
not because of what is happening i'm not proud of that
but i genuinely believe there are plenty of good people in Lebanon and all over the world of Lebanese heritage and Lebanon has great history
its just a shame that a minority on all sides influences the majority
i would take a hard look at this lebanese culture its just doesnt work
screaming, fighting and hot headedness rather than respecting and challenging peacefully and good sportsmanship even in politics like sports
James
The ones who allied with Syria who created a 44 billion dollar deficit while stealing the country are the ones in power today in the political majority: the Hariri mafia, and they are still stealing...
Anonymous
Could you use complet sentences please, so we can understand your argunemnts.
And stop your insuls. You want to raise a point, do it, but stop these silly accusations that have nothing to do with reality...
Peace
These are not silly accusations these are serious accusations.
silly accusations because you provide no evidence… and until you do they will always be silly
Well it is easy to prove.
When they came to power Lebanon was almost debt free. It was during the Hariri tenure that we got the vast majority of our staggering 44 billion dollar debt.
They are in power today and the debt is still growing. They gave us the highest debt per capita in the world. 500 million dollars for an airport that is not even handicaped proof?
Evidence!! Stop with your silly accusation and try to use some real evidence! I do not care for your twisted logic and proofs, if you say the airport cost 500 million dollars give me evidence, official numbers, anything that transform your silly accusations from rumors to facts! Then I will discuss them.
and by the way we are not the number one country in debt per capita, not even in the top 5 or top 10.
i will leave it to you to find the real number and correct yourself.
(hint try this site or google the subject, http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_deb_ext_percap-economy-debt-external-per-capita
Peace
My mistake we have the highest debt compared to our GDP not per capita (around 200%) and the fact is that the same people in power today are responsible for that.
Accountability is the basis of democracy and this government failed miserably.
As for the airport this is the official number, it is not an accusation (but I'm glad you take it this way because it shows the level of the Hariri system Cronysm).
Sam
Well I think accepting responsibility for one’s mistakes is a start, let us hope all politician do that, then most of our problems will go away.
Now as you also refuse that I consider you part of a Hezbollah or Aoun, I too refuse that you consider me a spokesperson of Hariri. I have always said this, I choose 14th of March because they are the lesser evil…
About the airport, you made it look like an accusation, and if it was not why did you bring it up? and what does that have to do with cronysm
and finally accountability is great but it should apply to everybody. So ask Aoun about his 18 bag full of money that he took with him when he fled to frensh embassy in his pyjamas.
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