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From: alibob
Date: 10 May 1999
Time: 03:11:02
Remote Name: 152.163.204.63
Remote User:
hello
i am a new participant here but i am almost definitely sure many people know me. hello SL and DR. Hass hello you people with new names who i am sure came over from the dailystar. the people who we typed so much to bring some sense to their analysis.
there seems to be a problem that i cant comprehend. i dont know what it is. but something is wrong with a certain group. i just hope you would analyse discussions from know on putting your feelings aside for a while!
first, i would like some one to explain to me the general ideology of the ssnp. i dont know much of it but the basics. is it true that they want a democratic secular state? is it also true that they want the whole region to merge into one state? what about the cyprus case. what is that all about?
you know we had many arguments with many people on the dailystar until they SHUT the damn thing! but one thing i am sure these people are doing and they are not realizing it. it is that they are repelling many lebanese from wanting to be called lebanese! they almost NEVER budge on anything. NO COMPROMISE. isnt that the cause of lebanese problems? compromise is essential for a case like lebanon because this is a place where you cant be fixated on your view. you have to compromise because without some form of agreement on something we will end up again in a civil war!
this is how i see earlier history. no compromise by the maronite leadership to share power with the rest of the lebanese factions since the whole constitution was based on power sharing in relation to the demography of each faction. this in turn induced the moslems to open the way for the PLO to enter. then that shook up this fragile "so called" country thus creating the phalangists who later asked syria to come join the party. then VOILA, a full-scale party in the lebanese backyard with everyone flirting with everyone else.
but what was the essential cause: maronite leadership selfishly wanting ALL the power! p.s. this is nothing against the maronites as a people. it is simply a political analysis and i ld appreciate no one coming telling me i am accusing the maronite "people".
i dont know why i go on and on with these people! i almost know they will never acknowledge whatever i say but i keep on talking!
to this other group that knows who i am and that knows itself, i would like to ask:
when did lebanon have its current borders and on what basis where these borders legitimized?
i will answer my version and i would LOVE to hear some rational explanation by this group. from the history i know, lebanon and the whole region was carved by the french and english. the maronites wanted to add the south and beka'a to leb. to make it ECONOMICALLY VIABLE! that was their reason. it wasnt one of nationalistic views or something. they ignored the people of that land and that led to the catastrophe. it WASNT PLO and wasnt syria or israel. these were the TOOLS utilized by the lebanese. this state was doomed since its creation.
At least the israelis have a sense in the boundaries they want. it is in their books! what about lebanon. on what basis was it carved that way!??!!
i would like someone to define the meaning of the "lebanese nation". DEFINE it just like the french can define their country or the germans or japanese!
There is a book called "imagined communities" by Benedict Anderson (Reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism)which i am still reading.
to understand true nationalism, i would suggest people to read it.
the lebanese problem is very deep. yet people keep on ignoring it and continue to talk about the effects lebanon faces from this deep problems. they say lebanon is fine! they argue about syria or israel. why dont we argue about the menaing of "lebanon" for once!!!
for these people who want lebanon to be the lebanon of today, i would suggest you address these core problems! or else watch it whither and die which is the result i predict because it is a so called country with "weak" foundations!
and personally it doesnt affect me because honestly i dont feel it is a nation. i know i am from tyre and that's my land! i also know i am an arab from tyre which is currently in lebanon in the middle east!!!!!
i dont know! this is just a reflection. a way for me to show my colors here and discuss issues with the participants.
alibob