Lebanon: Political Uncertainty and Men · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

Many Lebanese blogs are reflecting the internal political bickering that is creating an atmosphere of uncertainty about the future of the country. Most of the posts in this weeks review are bleak with little hope for the future. This is something that is very unusual for a people who take pride in being life-lovers. But then this may just be a phase Lebanon is passing through.
As the “war of words escalates” Blacksmiths of Lebanon compiled a list of pro and con quotes that have lead to a general sense of unease.
Hilal (Ar) summarizes the situation by stating: “this is a country hanging in void”.
And to add to the political uncertainty some elements of security doubts, Bech tells us about gun silencers caught by security forces at the airport in Beirut.
The Grateful Arab describes the infinite cycle of crumpling and rebuilding of the Lebanese society by comparing it to the myth of the Sisyphus. Then points out that:
The response of the Lebanese civil society to the July War is infinitely more important for the future of our country than anything that happened on March 14, 2005. We urgently have to build on these achievements as our only hope of survival as a country at this point is the strengthening of our civil society. NGOs in Lebanon need to be supported at all costs, they need both volunteers and funds (an area where expatriates can particularly help). Change will only happen from the bottom up.
Liliane sees the political situation getting worse with little hope for the future:
I don't know how I actually still have hope that Lebanon will shape up to get better. We all know the children of today are tomorrow's politicians, so how can it get better while the way children (most) are being raised will only lead to more xenophobia and prejudice.
Meanwhile more victims of the Israeli war on Lebanon are falling almost daily more than two months after the cease fire was announced as pointed out by Lazarus.
While Laila points out to findings that point to the use of uranium bombs by Israel against Lebanon stating that:
Poisoning your neighbors will never bring you peace or security. You are poisoning the future of your own children as well as ours.
Sietske in Beiroet reports about unprecedented traffic jams in and around the city and quotes some conversations reflecting that:
The situation in Lebanon is rather odd at the moment. There is this sense of impending catastrophe. Something is in the air, we just don’t know what it is. But it is something. Something is brewing. Something is about to happen. It reflects in the conversations people have.
Abu Kais discusses the initiative for consultation that the President of the Parliament proposed to the different Lebanese parties and his (the president’s) fear of an internal strife.
It is easy to view what is happening in Lebanon as a battle between sects, or sectarian leaders. But there are also battles occurring within every sect, many of them instigated and directed by the Syrian regime, which is expert at directing intra-sectarian and inter-sectarian conflicts in the country. The real and final battle is over Lebanon, its identity and future role in the region.
Lebanonesque sees Lebanon experiencing in the near future what Iraq experienced in the near past:
Here’s the cast of the upcoming Iraq-the-movie. To be shot (in more ways than one) very soon in Lebanon. OK, it’s silly so take it with a grain of salt.
And as if the internal bickerings were not enough, the past week witnessed incidents involving the Multi-national Forces (Germany) in Lebanon and the Israeli army as highlighted by Sophia.
But Mustapha hears about these skirmishes in the news and points in another direction:
Such a different world we the Lebanese live in. You suddenly see your little Lebanese skirmishes in perspective. It is such a shame that the Lebanese political class and we the commentariat are so fixated on trivial power games and forget that the bigger ship, the world we live in, needs urgent attention. I am yet to see one mainstream Lebanese journalist write about global warming in a major newspaper.
Finally, lest we end on a depressing note, here is Maya[at]NYC continuing her men-metaphor by comparing them with animals like gorillas, cats, dogs and rats:
Some men are Lions. Majestic, handsome and successful. As the lions of the jungle, they rule in their kingdom, make their women do the work, wait for food to come their way, while looking over affairs with affected grace. They are feared and admired by everyone who crosses their path. A woman feels special just being able to say “I once knew a Lion.”
Some men are Tigers. Energetic, forceful and never take no for an answer. Natural born hunters, they hide, they lock on their prey, attack, and then leave satisfied. Ruthless and selfish. Some women will say “I survived being with a tiger”.