We continue to see calls for both of Lebanon’s major political groups, March 8 and 14th to reach out to each other and meet half way in order to preserve the “national peace”.
Some of those calls are well intentioned while others are not so much.
I personally am for dialog and preserving the peace. However we need to drop the rose colored glasses and look at the situation in a more realistic way.
On one side, we have March 14th group who is having its leaders killed one after the other in a cold blooded manner by two of the most brutal regimes history has ever seen, Syria’s Assad and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionaries. I have heard many comments saying that the most recent Martyr Wissam Al Hasan is not a political leader, but rather a national martyr since he was a high ranking officer or all of Lebanon. That is true. But I am not the one who is labeling him a March 14th member. People like Aoun and Hamdan are the ones who did so when they threatened him publicly.
On the other side we have March 8th group who are allied with Syria and Iran, watching with great pleasure their political opponent being eliminated one after the other. I will not accuse March 8th of being involved directly in the killing, I will let the legal system determine that. However being allied and covering up for the killers makes them as guilty as the ones who are pressing the detonator.
So what is the centrist position that both groups can agree on? Currently the assassinations are executed by high powered bombs, 50 kilograms and higher, targeting high ranking officers and prominent political leaders from March 14th. So the halfway point between both groups would be using smaller bombs? Or is it to kill less prominent leaders?
I guess the conception of centrist, seen as a geometrically centred between the position x of M8, and the position y of M14, turns your title from a sarcastic one to a sadly true one.
So centrism is not necessarily being politically equidistant from two parties, I like this sentence from wikipedia’s definition: ” … It (centre) supports some egalitarianism as long as some social hierarchy is maintained and changes are not radical, and usually opposed to what it regards as the dangers of “extremism”….” .
So then comes the greater disagreement with your post: I believe that “Bombing & killings” are not a political issue. They are a criminal one. So on one hand, my main disagreement with M8 is how they remain poker faced, to crime pulling the carpet from under their legs. And on the other hand, my main disagreement with your post is when you expect a Legal system to determine the involvement of “March 8″, a political group, in the bombing. It is as if you are saying that voter x for M8, is a criminal. Check on someone you know around you that voted March 8, now blame him as a criminal. I think that is too extremist.
I believe that it is our responsibility to establish criminals as individuals, these criminals should not have any religious nor political identity. Even when political parties claim that they protect them.
Because if what you feel towards a voter of M8 it is true, if it is true that voter x is to be blamed as a criminal too, then the only option is civil war…. And I cannot support that.
If March 14 want to use this event to mobilize voters (as claimed by their speakers), I would suggest they do that in the fine line of gaining voters other than their usual cheerleaders. That is what did March 2005… I know this is the hard way to go, but I argue that it is surely the preservative way, because centrist, independents, pacifist, and don’t give a damnist will be reluctant to see comfort in separatist and extremist stances, even in extremist victims…
We are free from occupational armies but we need to be free from their reminiscent systems. This comes at a huge price.
Or not to kill at all ? and focus on a better country as they all claim they strive to achieve !
Well let’s see … M8 claim that all those killings are done by Israelis to destroy the so called – national unity/peace ,and to spread the” fetneh” among Lebanese loving citizens ( yalleh bala daff el fetneh byere2so )
M14 believe that the killing of their prominent leaders is a message from the” tyrants” saying you will never have the Lebanon you always wanted .
So why not the “meet me halfway “initiative will be agreeing on common grounds and brainstorm the Lebanon we all want … and act upon achieving this goal … ( is this very utopian !!! Or did I suddenly fly in a time capsule a century ahead?)
Wait a minute , this suggestion is like a déjà vu ! Wasn’t the common ground of the Lebanon we all wanted was the main reason for the long lasting civil war ? What’s the common factor? Yes it’s Political Dynasty …!!!!!
Ok so let me rephrase , Why not the “meet me halfway” initiative will be getting rid of all the figures of M8 , M14 and all the “reznema” figures ( not necessarily by high powered bombs) and go for brand new thoughts with a brand new bunch of unpoliticized Human beings… .
So shall we call this the “meet me half way” , or the “starting from scratch”!!!!
to write or not to write, that is the question…
I guess when you have an opinion, it’s hard to keep silent.
I agree with Fady that extremism is definitely not the way to go because violence begets violence and it’s a truly vicious circle we’ve been in for quite a while.
The question that BEGS itself here and i say this from a truly independent point, “Do M8 & M14 (stole that from you man sorry) supporters truly buy into all the BS that their political leaders are shoving down their throats?”
If i am to choose a guilty party, i would choose all. This “Class” of politicians only thrives through division, hatred, fear of the other and bickering that makes their supporters run for cover and NOT consider their incompetence and hence consider change.
IF the circle is not broken (& I think it won’t be – sorry for being pessimistic), all we will have is simili-peace when they agree & a big fight when resources dwindle, their masters bicker and disagreements surface.
While awaiting better times, May God (Anyone & Everyone’s God) watch over our beloved country and save it from itself.