LEBANONESQUE

Impressions, views, and steam-blowing by a lonesome cowboy.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

It’s Simple Really



But you have to have a modicum of will. Remember this from my previous post?

11:30 Berri's interview ends amid heavy gunfire (Monday March 24, Naharnet)

It turns out that stray bullets hit three people in the aftermath. Two were hit in the Cite Sportive area and one woman in Achrafieh was more seriously injured and almost died according to L’Orient-LeJour (link good one day). Now Lebanon also has the story.

Sonia Saade (or Eid according to Now Lebanon), a 50-year old woman, had her lung; liver, diaphragm and a membrane near the heart perforated by one bullet and had to be operated on immediately. She is in critical condition.

Here are the reaction as quoted in L’Orient. [The criminal thugs were Berri's this time, but recently Nasrallah’s and Hariri’s were doing same), my translation:

The FL (Lebanese Forces) ask Berri to restrain his militiamen and demand that Berri apologize to “targeted” citizens and to victims.

After that, thankfully they ask the army and the police to arrest these people. That’s a first. The rest of the FL statement is a diatribe against Syria and its lackeys that weakens the simple argument that these firings in the air are criminal and intolerable. They need to be stopped yesterday, regardless of Syria’s involvement.

MP Boutros Harb asks politicians to restrain their partisans. He barely mentions that the practice is illegal.

Finally Ulama Hussein Fadlallah urges leaders to take their responsibilities and to ban these practices.

OK, so reactions are mostly focused on asking the head-thug to ban the practice with a couple of background call for the law to assert itself. These acts are already ILLEGAL and CRIMINAL. What do we care what the bosses of these animals think or do?

Notice the absence of any governmental voice.

Notice that these calls/pleas have gone out before and that the practice continues.

Simple questions:

Where are the government, police and army?

Where are the unanimous calls to arrest these thugs?

Where are the calls to STOP pleading with the leaders, who clearly can’t or won’t do anything?

Where are the clear and unanimous editorials in the press?

Deploring is fine but how about pressure on ACTUAL SPECIFIC people in the government and police to ACT on a matter that has to be totally BIPARTISAN and needs no further discussion?


PS Of course, there was also this video of one of the animals, a few days back.

7 Comments:

  • At 3/26/08, 4:15 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Great idea! let's send them army to dahiye to strip the weapons..

     
  • At 3/26/08, 8:56 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    They should arrest anyone with guns on them. They should put up rotating checkpoints in different areas and collect these guns...Let's see if HA or Amal are fighting the Zionists in Beirut...

     
  • At 3/26/08, 12:50 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    The answer to your rhetorical question, of why the appeals go to these thugs' bosses: Because the rule of law is an afterthought in Lebanon.

    I suspect we all know this already, and the question was full rhetorical. But this goes a long way to showing the deep divide between those of us who live in the West, or who have a modicum of understanding of life in a civilized setting, versus those who don't.

    In Lebanon, this is not an issue of legal or illegal. No one even THINKS about it in those terms (as demonstrated brilliantly in this article). It's more about "this isn't right. make your people stop!" whining.

    This logic (or lack thereof, depending on one's perspective) brings to light a much deeper issue (worthy of discussion, maybe, some other time): In the absence of an impartial frame of reference (the Law as in the books), frames of reference can be very fluid, even when being backed by the most noble of intentions.

    The notion of "right versus wrong" is a noble one, perhaps, but it loses all validity when everyone has a different interpretation for what's "right".

    You'll notice that the FL story gives the impression that thugs should stop firing, not because it is illegal, but because "it isn't right".

    Sadly, different people have a different idea of what's "right" and what's "wrong". And in the absence of a tie breaker (the Law), it all goes to hell in a handbasket.

    I have no doubt that countless people in Lebanon truly believe that it is "right" to resist Israel, to revolt against a government they believe to be oppressive to their sect, and so on.
    I have no doubt that countless people in Lebanon truly believe that is is "right" to ignore the constitution, because it is for the greater good.

    This loose interpretation of laws, based on "the greater good" and what one determines to be "right" is at the core of Lebanon's problems, second only to Sectarianism. And Lebanon has no hope (none, zip, nada, not even a glimmer) of survival, if these 2 ailments (sectarianism, and fundemental ignorance of the Law (capital L)) are not eradicated.

    Sorry for the long rant. But this is the kind of thing that bares repeating over and over.

     
  • At 3/26/08, 2:16 PM, Blogger JoseyWales said…

    Ano and danny,

    Not to disagree, but part of the problem is making this about zionism or Dahieh or Hezbo. It's self defeating.

    To begin solving this, you have to say very specifically: it's about every citizen's security, period. Then see who complains and slam them in public opinion.

    BV, of course you are right.

    The law is there precisely because relying on everyone's (usually stupid) different opinion gets us nowhere. Trashing the law is very serious, look at the constitutional mess today.

    Maybe we should stop deluding ourselves that Leb or M14 or Aoun are "modern" or "western" in their approach.

    Finally and unfortunately, the rule of law and its importance are receding even in the West, thanks to the multicultural idiots and other post-modern types, and dire consequences will ensue.

     
  • At 3/27/08, 10:44 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    +++ARAB NEWS (Saudi) 26 March '08:"A Summit Only in Name",Osama Al Sharif
    "Arab Summit... is already doomed to
    failure"
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    EXCERPTS:
    It is a sad fact that the fate of the Arab Summit, scheduled to be held in
    Damascus next week, is already doomed to failure. The absence of key Arab
    leaders from this annual event can only be interpreted as a political
    indictment of the host country over its policies, especially in Lebanon. Few
    observers pin high hopes on its outcome and, in light of the tenuous
    regional reality, the event will add to the sense of gloom and despair
    permeating through the Arab world today.
    It is a summit only in name, with many Arab leaders choosing to skip the
    event and opting to send deputies. The message is clear but Syria has chosen
    to take the risk of organizing a botched event rather than yielding to Arab
    demands over Lebanon. If anything, the Syrian position reflects on its own
    internal predicament and the way it sees looming challenges.. . .
    From Syria's vantage point, the view is ominous. ... Its special
    relationship with Tehran does not endear it to moderate Arab states nor to
    the West. And by giving refuge to Hamas political leadership, it is accused
    of taking sides in the ongoing internal Palestinian rift.. . .There is
    much skepticism among the public over the viability of Arab Summits.. .
    .The question that must be asked now is what follows the ritual convening of
    the Arab Summit in Damascus? Barring a miraculous breakthrough, the event
    will further cripple Arab collaboration in face of regional and
    international challenges. The organization has failed to respond to crises,
    whether in Gaza, Darfur, Somalia or Iraq. The fault, to quote Shakespeare,
    is not in our stars, but in ourselves.

     
  • At 4/12/08, 6:47 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    without seing even the video (which is propaganda) which was broadcasted by many blogs etc...:

    nabih berri ended his interview and it was the night

    on the video it was still the day

    this is pro gov propaganda.

    go back to basic POLITICAL analysis and you would better make this difference and nothing looks like black or white but 14 march and 8 of march (and more over 14 of march) is gray.

    No need to answer or to follow this topic.

    you are biast.

     
  • At 4/13/08, 5:54 PM, Blogger JoseyWales said…

    Last anon,

    No one said the youtube vid was after the last Berri appearance, it was from before.

    Bigger point, lost on you, is that Berri or not, night or day, this freak should be in jail instead of on youtube and instead of freely eating dinner with his family.

    Why are you making excuses for scum and criminal behavior. A loved one of yours could die or be injured by this useless idiocy.

    And if you think I am an M14 fan, you got that wrong too.

     

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