Barbershop Perspective
I just returned from a visit to my barber - a young Shi'a fellow from the Hizbullah stronghold of Dhayieh in Beirut's southern suburbs. I was quite surprised to find him open on the day that Nasrallah had commanded that all his supporters (especially the ones from Dhayieh) attend the demonstration in downtown Beirut, but this guy defied orders and kept his shop open, much to the dismay of his relatives. He told me that his father was calling him every few minutes demanding that he close for his own personal safety, because Hizbullah members had been sweeping through all the Shi'a-dominated neighborhoods, forcing business owners to close up and go down to the demonstrations. Our area is mostly Sunni, by the way, but this still did not entice customers into his shop just the same. I was his first customer today, and I will probably be the only one today. His shop is within line of sight from our apartment - I can see that he is still open, even as the demonstrations have begun. Good for him.
posted by Unfrozen Caveman Linguist @ 7:46 AM
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Caveman,
There are quite a few students at the elite West Beirut universities gathering.
I think they should be made aware of what they are supporting before they take part in these demonstrations.
Perhaps a few nice words from American, European, and Khalij authorities about visa opportunities might re-orient them to who is their friend and who is misleading them.
Hmmm... So, do you want to get a job in Syria or Iran? If so, go to the protest. Keep Syria in Lebanon, but don't expect massive foreign aid that is keeping your figureheads afloat.
I'm just burning up inside over this. I don't know why I'm taking this so personally. Perhaps it's anger out of fear that an opportunity for freedom will be killed and might never come again.
I was hoping change could happen without a bombing campaign.
Mountain Man
Before throwing in the towel, consider that the beautiful thing about freedom of speech and assembly is that the idiots all get to show their colors immediately, vice very slowly over the course of many years. The ultimate winners and losers in this whole thing will not be determined today, regardless of how many loons show up for the clown show at Riad al-Solh. The bottom line is that they are doing it peacefully (so far) - so peacefully, in fact, that the very nature of this pro-Syrian demonstration may well undermine the pro-Syrian standpoint that Lebanon is too unstable for Syria to consider leaving. I am not entirely sure what this protest is for, except for a continuation of an antiquated policy based on foreign occupation, all the while proclaiming to the world that they REJECT foreign interference (see the giant sign right in the middle of the demonstration). Their case is imploding, and the demonstration is not even half over.
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