Working for Tomorrow

"Cure ancient ills before planning a bright future"

It asks the following: What has to change to have a decent chance of success in this new Lebanon?

It's solutions:

- Lebanon has got to be first.
- The political and religious elites have to be tamed.
- Stop using the foreigner to fight your neighbor.
- Shed the culture of victimhood and start accepting responsibility.
- If secularism is impossible, use religion wisely.
- The generational gap should be bridged.
- Never again depend on foreign powers to save Lebanon.
- Syrian hegemony is inevitable, find an accommodation deal. (hmmm ... hegemony might be a wrong word here.)
- Egypt should be brought back to balance Syrian hegemony. (don't agree...)
- In addition to this partial list of necessary reforms, the political will and the people's will both are necessary to make things happen.

And he ends with: History does not give second chances often in the game of nations. But it afforded Lebanon that rare chance. Are we up to the challenges ahead? Can we learn from history so as not to waste the martyrdom of former Premier Rafik Hariri? History is watching.

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But I wonder, are we really watching? Or do we have our eyes on the wrong target. The Mehlis Report? The Truth? What will be next? More flag-waving? More speeches? More enthusiasm? Will that energy never be sublimated into economical advancement?

A first step is to follow the old cliche: forgive, but don't forget. Unfortunately, our memory is reset day by day. It isn't the forms of tutelage that we have (take your pick of whatever tutelage you want). It's our seperation of past and present.

Past actions do count. Whether you are Hariri, Geagea, Aoun, Jumblatt, Berri, Frangieh, Murr - today's actions do not exonerate you from yesterday's behavior.

Oh well ... I think I'll go find myself a za3im to follow blindly. It's much more fun, from what I see. This way, I'll know that there is ONE "completely and utterly and supremely nationalistic leader" who has the "highest patriotic feelings" for Lebanon and is putting all his time into caring for the "Lebanese national interest". And even more, I wouldn't have to care about what happens on the ground and definitely wouldn't have to think on my own. I would just nod my head at everything he says, and hate everyone he hates. Most importantly, at least I would know that there is someone out there who is going to "protect me" from all the different forms of "infidels".

After all, that's what a democracy is about ...

posted by Lazarus, 10:09 PM