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11:26
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4:32 In a week a famous butcher will arrive in Lebanon. He loves Lebanese meat. Though he has butchered his own meat, he prefers to select the finest Lebanese that are raised on the finest food from Goodies, Sultan Ibrahim, Chez Sami, Phoenicia and Noura.
Coming to Lebanon also is a major arab sponsor of the Butcher Syndicate who has funded many butcher businesses in Lebanon. There is rumour that a Persian Butcher is also coming to connect with the Arab Butcher Association.
When the most famous butcher arrives though in Beirut, the drama will be if other butchers will meet him. Will the mustcheod mountain butcher get a chance to beg for more forgiveness and will the bearded butcher in a dress come out of his underground butcher hole for a grand troika butcher summit.
Will the christian butchers who are competing for supremacy get to meet the grand leader butcher neighbor?
Certainly the orange butcher will have a backstage pass to see the most friendly neighbor butcherman. Even the little butcher from Zgharta who only has a few pieces of Lebanese meat to his name will get a chance in this grand summit of butchers. But the biggest question is will the notorious rightwing butcher step down from his self appointed principles to attend a party with the parliament butcher and the other dignitary butchers and maybe just maybe shake hands with the grand poobah butcher. No one can tell…
yet what we can be sure of is that the Lebanese love butchers. They elect them. They support them. They absolve them of all the butchering they do. They wish that their butcher will butcher other Lebanese butchers or their supporters so that their butcher rises in the ranks of butcherdom. They wear the colors of the butcher and switch sides when their butcher switches. They think of new excuses of why their butcher is only butchering and not planting any trees or cleaning any roads or providing anything other than butchering.
Oh yes the Lebanese love butchers and they love the sponsors of butchers. They love butchers and they love the handlers of their butchers. They love butchers and the foreign ambassadors who tell their butchers when to butcher. They just plain love butchers. period.
4:32
17:11
10:31 While our friend N10452 has taken an important but justified decision to stop posting for a while, I’ve taken the opposite direction myself and finally decided to write something after a long period of absence (more than a year) from posting and commenting as well, and believe me it was nearly for the same reasons showed by N.
It’s because I am, and I’m sure we are all so disappointed (not to say disgusted) from the situation in Lebanon, mainly with the poor political performance of those who are running and taking the country (to HELL I’m afraid), those who were supposed to improve the whole situation and create a good atmosphere for the people to re-enjoy this beautiful Lebanon.
But sadly, and as N has mentioned, things are getting worse and hope is fading in seeing anything good from that staff of politicians and officials.
In addition, allow me to say that many of the comments we usually read here or elsewhere regarding the different issues or conflicts we’re suffering from, are even more disappointing, which proves that we still lacking the culture of communication, as most of these comments do not have the minimum level of logic, respect and sanity, but above all they seem missing the necessary knowledge and awareness.
You have to excuse me for this, and I don’t want anyone to feel offended, because in return, lots of comments are great and should be very well taken in consideration for including a high level of good speech.
Well, and returning to the main subject, I wanted to write a comment on what N posted, but since it was impossible to do that as he closed this option, I thought maybe I could voice my opinion here, emphasizing at the same time that I really understand what he feels deep inside, and eventhough I may not agree with everything he said, I do agree on the subject and the disappointment as a whole.
The message is that we can differ but we should not disrespect each others, we should try to give a good example of how to establish a sane Dialogue, and I think this Blog is the right and the best place for that.
How can we ask our politicians, with all their personal backgrounds and own interests, to agree on one thing or even to stop insulting each others, while we the ordinary Lebanese people who clearly want the best for our country are still unable to do so?
Let’s start with ourselves and try to engage in a constructive Dialogue. I’m not saying that we should give up on our ideas or opinions, but we have to put in mind that no one has the full truth, also nobody is fully wrong, so let’s try to see the right and wrong in each and everyone of our politicians and of us, maybe by that we can better understand what N and many others are trying to convey.
I understand what N has felt before taking this decision, and I urge everybody to understand him and to give him in return a good reason to show up again and re-post as soon as possible.
6:45
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19:08
17:17 I remember four years ago when i first started posting here, i was enthusiastic and motivated to express my opinions and reach out for as many readers as possible. I also had set for myself a specific goal, to promote transparency and accountability in Lebanese politics, most specifically within the Lebanese Forces.
Four years later, i believe i’ve achieved my first goal and the blog is read by thousands and followed by hundreds. It is one of the most popular political blogs, if not the most popular in Lebanon. Many bloggers were inspired as well by it and started posting themselves and contributing here.
However, i must admit i failed to reach my goal, or maybe was too ambitious from the start. The Lebanese parties, and more specifically, the Christian Lebanese parties are all going downwards in all aspects and the Lebanese youth in its biggest majority is following them.
Do i hold myself responsible for that? I cannot but feel a bit of guilt in what i did not take enough initiatives, however let us not forget what we are dealing with here.
- Tens of millions of dollars being poured into Christian parties to keep them on the “right” track, whether allied to Hariri or to Hezbollah.
- Severe divisions within the Christian ranks causing more fanatism from each side, and lesser chances to moderates and intellectuals. More ground to the herd.
- Undemocratic parties based on “le culte du chef” principle.
- Inexistence of any sort of accountability or transparency within the parties.
Those are few points that demotivated a person to even think about change, specially someone who might have other priorities in life than doing politics, or maybe doesn’t have the means to change anything.
Added to that, looking at the overall situation in Lebanon:
- Hezbollah influencing every decision in the country from banning certain books in school to starting wars with Israel.
- Syria coming back slowly but surely.
- The Hariri Tribunal being neutralized and compromised day after day.
- Incompetence and corruption everywhere.
- Gradual Arabization of the country.
- Risk of a new war at any second.
Having said all that, i am not trying to depress anyone here or motivate them to leave Lebanon, but it does make you want to think if bothering to get involved in any sort of politics in Lebanon is worth it. I’ve always done it because it’s a hobby for me and i love politics as a whole, but what we have here is everything but politics. It’s a fragile political system that is holding on to barely anything and surviving on the misery of its people.
So to sum things up, i believe a small break from posting about politics could do me some good, and give me more time to meditate on more efficient ways to reach out to more people and influence their ways of thinking. I must even consider engaging actively in Lebanese politics if i get back. I’ve been giving this a thought for months now, and since i am quite busy for few months now and travelling, i will embrace the silence.
Until then, i am sure most of you will understand my decision and i hope the other authors on ouwet.com will keep this great blog alive and up to date.
10:01
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4:27 Well you can tell
by the way I lately Talk
I’m a worried man
no where to walk
Tribunal’s loud and Bellemare’s warm
I’ve been hiding underground
since the STL was born
And now it’s not all right, it’s not ok
and all of you MUST look the other way
We’ll force you to understand
That no one dare accuse our man!
(chorus)
Whether we killed your brother
or whether we shot you’re mother
We’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive
Feel the country breakin
and everybody shakin’
and were stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive
HA, HA , HA, HA, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive
HA, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive
Well now I Talk low and I shout high
And if I can’t convince them, I really lie
Got the blood of Hariri on my shoes
But I’m a Ghammeeda champ and I just can’t lose
You know it’s all right, it’s ok
HA will live to see another day
We can try to destroy the land
But dont you dare accuse our man!
(chorus)
I’m goin’ nowhere
somebody hide me
Somebody hide me, yeah
HA’s goin’ nowhere
somebody hide me
Somebody hide me, yeah
Stayin’ alive
Well you can never tell
Where I will walk
I’m a hiding man
No time to talk
My beard is long , my dress is warm
I’ve been fucking Lebanon
since I was born
And now it’s all right, it’s ok
Wilayet el fakih is on its way
You should try not to understand
That Imad Mughnieh killed your man
(chorus)
We’re goin’ nowhere
somebody hide me
Somebody hide me, yeah
I’m stayin’ alive… (repeat)
HA HA HA HA Stayin Alive Stayin Alive
3:57
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23:00
9:29 We keep hearing from March 8 politicians that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon has lost its credibility and is politized, but i cannot understand how one can come up with such conclusions when the people in charge of the tribunal have barely spoken a word out to the media.
How does one base the credibility of a renowned and international tribunal based on rumors spread by newspapers and some politicians? So what if Der Spiegel said the tribunal will accuse Hezbollah, how does that mean reflect on the tribunal’s credibility?
Nasrallah is saying it is an Israeli, as this is his only explanation to everything that Hezbollah doesn’t approve of.
Michel Aoun claims “The STL has been subject to a lot of politicization starting with accusations against Syria, then the arrest of the four generals, and today they are trying to point fingers towards Hizbullah”. Ok so how does that make the tribunal non-credible again?
Did we ever hear statements done by the general prosecutor of the tribunal pointing out at Syria or Hezbollah? Did we hear ANY official statement by the tribunal accusing any party?
The only reason as i’ve said tons of times that one can feel threatened by this tribunal is that he had some responsibility in the Hariri assassination and others that followed. Let’s pray justice will prevail one day even though i highly doubt it considering our current political status in Lebanon.
7:09
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15:39 As most of you know or don’t, Hassan Nasrallah is giving a speech as we speak and it is still the same utter nonsense i heard from him the other day when he accused the STL of being an Israeli project.
Commenting on some of his quotes:
9:23pm Nasrallah: I haven’t held anyone responsible up till now, and I believe that PM Hariri is responsible and he can take a stance, and I’ve always advised him to be aware of the investigation and of what would happen. We both will be in tough position
He did point out at major figures who should be held responsible didnt he? Who did he mean? Falafel Sahyoun’s owner?
9:18pm Nasrallah: As to the issue of the indictment, we are the aggrieved party, and they can do a lot before the issuance of the indictment. Some can address the international community and stop the game because they have the influence and ability.
Fine then meet with Hariri and discuss the issue with him since he has contacts with the international community and let the STL go on.
9:16pm Nasrallah: Hizbullah is not scared from anything at all, and let the indictment be issued.
Again then let the freaking tribunal takes its decisions instead of putting more obstacles on its way.
9:15pm Nasrallah: I tell the Lebanese, March 14 supporters in particular, that we, together with them, are the victims of grand schemes, and I urge them to re-evaluate their political leaders.
Spoken by the official Iranian puppet in Lebanon.
9:13pm Nasrallah: March 14 leaders led the country into the abyss and every other day we had been on the brink of civil war.
Wasn’t it Hezbollah who invaded Beirut? I wasn’t aware Hezbollah is part of March 14.
9:12pm Nasrallah called on the State to reinstate the four officers “for one year” to make up for their unjust imprisonment.
Looooooooooooooool !
9:11pm Nasrallah: Those who misled the investigation are the ones behind false witnesses.
Those are Lebanese aren’t they? Why call the tribunal an Israeli one then?
9:07pm Nasrallah: I urge President Assad to visit the Baabda Palace as soon as possible in order to open a new chapter of relations between the two countries.
Yes let us urge our enemies to walk back into Lebanon while we are still trying to push our other enemies (Israel) away.
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17:55 So Hassan Nasrallah declared the STL an Israeli project and basically is labeling anyone who deals with it a collaborator and a traitor, or at least anyone who agrees with its proposals that might suggest HA’s involvment.
Wahhab continued:
“”Anyone who deals with the outcome of the court (case) by pointing his arrow at Hizbullah will be considered an Israeli,” Wahab threatened. “
My questions here to Nasrallah are:
- Why didn’t you vote in favor of the STL in the government few years back and took full control of it as a lebanese?
- Why are you so paranoid about the tribunal? Do you feel guilty in anyway?
The next few weeks are going to be decisive for the STL and its future, as well as for Lebanon.
17:54
17:40