After only a few posts, it’s too early to tell if this blog from Lebanon will be interesting/valuable, but for now there are some good images and a brief history that I probably shouldn’t admit contains more than I knew before.
Kristin?
Julia Rietmulder-Stone's blog | ramblings about poetry, politics, & Harrisburg
After only a few posts, it’s too early to tell if this blog from Lebanon will be interesting/valuable, but for now there are some good images and a brief history that I probably shouldn’t admit contains more than I knew before.
Kristin?
This is a great blog put out by the young leaders of Lebanon’s so-called “cedar revolution.†Many of these kids (do I sound terribly old?) have been living downtown in tents since Feb. 14, the day of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Their bravery to speak out in the face of a very real danger is immeasurable. Countless people in Lebanon (including politicians, ordinary citizens and journalists) have dissapeared or been killed or deported for expressing the views that they have so bodly proclaimed in their mission statement. It is truly inspiring to see young people working to make a difference and to see their efforts rewarded with the changes that they have demanded. They are courageous young freedom fighters.
I was also pleased to see that the history part of the blog mentions the irony of America’s role in Lebanon. Much like the Osama bin Laden connundrum, the Syrian oppression of Lebanon was in part created through American foreign policy. Although the Taif Accord which brought Lebanon’s civil war to an end made clear references to an end to Syrian occupation, George H.W. Bush gave Syria carte blanche in Lebanon in exchange for Syria’s support in the first Gulf War. Lo and behold, that decision to abandon Lebanon and appease a rouge regime came back to haunt us. I am happy that the younger Bush is taking steps to correct these mistakes. But I am annoyed whenever he claims (from the comfort of his oval office) the credit for the spread of freedom in Lebanon. It is the brave Lebanese youth who deserve such kudos.
Thanks, Kristin!
The internet obviously makes the world smaller, but hearing from you and reading blogs like this one have me really excited about the possibility of change in Lebanon. I read regular news articles and I just kind of think, “That’s nice.†I imagine it’s very exciting (and maybe a bit scary) to be there right now. I love hearing your thoughts about it.