I have sympathy for what the Lebanese people are going through as expressed by some Lebanese bloggers. I would hate to be under fire and honestly have no idea how I would react. I have been courageous at certain moments of my life and a complete coward at others.
But I am troubled by these complaints in a larger sense because I think they are based on the fallacious assumption that the Lebanese had a real democratic revolution. They didn’t. They had a drastically unfinished one on which they had punked out in big ways. I know “Democracy! Whiskey! Sexy!” was a great rallying cry and the Cedar Revolution had plenty of democracy “babes;” but much as I love babes, that’s only a small part of the story. Unfortunately some Lebanese (and their supporters) think revolution is all latté, chic chatter and art galleries. Toward that end they made a deliberate/unconscious entente cordiale with that cult of religious psychokillers known as Hezbollah: If you guys leave us alone and go live by the southern border, we will pretend you don’t exist. You can do whatever you want in your own neighborhood. We can do what we want in ours. That’s great in the short run…. you might get that kitchen and bathroom finished in the condo… but murder, as we now can see, in the not-so-very long run.
Those same Lebanese are now blaming the Israelis because they (the Lebanese) left their rattle snake on the Israeli border. Talk about irresponsiblity and denial. This is the kind of thinking that guarantees lack of change and emotional development. The American supporters of these Lebanese bloggers are nothing more than enablers. One of these bloggers has now run off crying to Syria of all places. It would be comically absurd if it wasn’t so sad.
Note to the Lebanese: If you want democracy, finish the job. Starbucks can come later, if you really think you need it.
UPDATE: A must read. (via Imshin)
MORE: Austin Bay comments.
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