I don’t follow the news usually, i just read headlines.
and lately most of those headlines had arabs and spring joined in one sentence, if not being the only two words forming that sentence. they’re just phrases created to sell, or selling titles, by the likes of cnn or bbc or fox – when they have time to talk about anything other than the imminent terrorist threat on america – and many other news networks.
and they sold, viewership sky-rocketed…

i’d like to believe people like me were interested in seeing mubarak of egypt fall, or ghaddafi of lybia, simply because they’re the only ones to have ruled their respective countries since i was born; i was interested in change for the sake of it, not more.
i still have that interest about syria, except the ruler changed there when assad the father died in 2000. the ruler did change, the regime… not much.

that viewership went sky high as i was saying, until the so-called change happened (in egypt and lybia and tunisia for now), and nothing else. corruption became worse, inflation hit the roof, the poor – who were most of the people in those squares demonstrating – became poorer and the rich like vultures sky-dived to new opportunities to get richer.
boring is what the news became from then on. switch on any news channel today, one year on, be it an english speaking network of the ones mentioned above or al-arabiya and al-jazeera of the arab networks, and the tape keeps playing the same tune… with the exception of the rising death tolls.

we used to pride ourselves back in school when we were told as youngsters that ALL arab revolutions emanated from beirut, the capital of freedom of speech and other freedoms in the 60′s and 70′s. but the people of The Lebanon have the amazing capability of forgetting, or maybe is it a self-defence mechanism not to fall into those mistakes that lead to 30 years of conflict among each other.
whatever it is, one thing the lebanese have not learned yet is to keep to themselves, and mind their own business. under the umbrella of that same freedom of speech, people debate on a daily business, on tv’s or at coffee shops, whether the ruler will fall in syria or if the revolution will be crushed, whether and how it would affect us here in beirut.
no country is totally independent of events happening in its surrounding countries, true. but it IS possible to live and let live, and not give a damn. and it is those same discussions and television debates, that keep the lebanese from moving forward and getting on with their lives.
having turned on your “forgetful” thinking and starting to have an interest in the neighbouring events, allow me to remind you of a few facts, Oh great people of The Lebanon:
that same syrian rule you are supporting out of fear of crumbling dominos in beirut, crushed the free-thinking lebanese factions that fought 29 years of oppression and occupation of The Lebanon.
your southern neighbours in israel are sitting and watching, after crushing – the rulers that is – your braves in the south of lebanon and the many palestinians in gaza and the west bank.
ghaddafi did not consider lebanon to be an arab country due to it harbouring lebanese nationals who are not of muslim faith.
mubarak and his egyptian politicians were emissaries to the israeli desires in the remaining surrounding arab countries.

“lest we forget” ! seen in many public and private posters and posted proudly on chests in the form of red poppy flowers on remembrance day (november 11th)… guess i’m trying to urge you to do the same. stop forgetting, create your own remembrance day, for it is the only way to honour valiant freedom fighters of The Lebanon, all of those who fought syrian oppression, israeli occupation, lybian ignorance and egyptian double-agents.

Marie-Antoinette’s “menfichisme” led her to tell the people, when bread lacked, to eat brioches!
JFK called on to “forgive your enemies, but never forget their names”.

people of The Lebanon, let the syrians and their likes eat brioches. forgive the arabs and israelis, but don’t forget their names!

each time I go out, enjoying life, and biting hard on tasteful apples in the wonderful city that is beirut, i can’t help but have a thought for the surrounding countries… ha! Karma is a bitch after all. this is where i stand.