Ronny Karam

Staying home this weekend wasn’t the best choice to make, unless you have cable. All the Lebanese TV channels had to cover the boring endless speeches of our parliament members because these speeches were more of electoral speeches aimed to enforce their campaigns; some of them placed heavy loads on the 10 months government’s back, others didn’t even read the governmental statement and was placing more loads on its head. 4 days of speeches ended yesterday (Sunday) with 2 conclusions: the government is approved but dead and useless.

There’s only one thing all the members agreed on: these sessions were made to address the public and the supporters. Not because they missed us or because they cared but it’s this time of the year where people go stupidly to elect the same parliament members who were stealing their money, taking the food out of their mouths, depriving them of all the rights/requirements needed for a good living (water, electricity, gas, etc.) and leaving them 4 years (or 3 years 6 months) to battle with poverty, sickness and internally created religious problems.
I’m not going to generalize so a friend of mine won’t take a stand against me saying that he doesn’t do that or know people that don’t do that. But the majority does…

Yes, the majority of the Lebanese people, votes for the wrong politicians. Why? ‘Cause they love to blame others for their own mistakes; they love to complain on how tough it is to live in Lebanon where salaries are so low ($200) and the prices are so high (20 Liters of gas = $22), where you can die on the streets because you don’t have a social security card or the ministry of health’s approval (yes we have so many options :), where each citizen have to kiss 100 hands to get his rights and where a stupid guy who didn’t finish first grade can make you go on your knees and kiss his boots just ‘cause he has the army or internal security suit on and he’s having a bad day.

That’s how low life is in Lebanon; it’s about the night life, the tourism and the summer carnivals & festivals when people are killing each other in Tripoli a few Kilometers away from us. It’s about owning the most beautiful cars when our families are dying of hunger. It’s about studying all our lives to travel and work abroad when our country is in need for our expertise. It’s about the people who died and are dying now and whom no one is asking about. It’s how low we are in how we act, how we live and how we think, yet pretend to be civilized.

We can’t handle the change. We got used to the shame and dishonor we’re living every day. We forgot who we are what we do and where we live. We became careless. We lost our pride…

And every time, we go and do the same mistakes all over and over again. We gather in millions to cheer for our stupid politicians but can’t agree once on gathering to improve our streets, our salaries, and our social security.  We can find the time to attend a gathering for a political party but have no time to revolt against the lack of competence that’s causing the vanishing of our forests. We can unite to kick the Syrian regime out of our country but can’t put our hands together to build this country up from the ruins.

We are the problem, not them. Stop blaming your politicians for your mistakes; they’re business men. They do what’s needed to get what they want. You should also do what’s needed to get what you want even if it was electing competent people who are willing to work for this country not your usual old fashioned family/religious driven parties’ candidates.
And what you want should be one thing: Lebanon.

When I listen to politicians talk about the squandered resources/money/brains of the country, I nearly believe that they care.

We all agree that the country have been robbed several times by either the Syrians (I mean the system that occupied Lebanon) or even by our own politicians, though I’m not writing to talk about those.
We all know that all those who were part of the parliament or the government from 1991 ‘till 2005, and their gangs, did everything they can to put their dirty hands on whatever they can get; if it was by legal or illegal means.

Still, the Lebanese people are being robbed since 1943 and exactly since the famous Independence Day by his parliament. How? Let me put this in simplified Mathematical formulas and explanation:

The number of deputes have changed since 1943 ‘till now so I’m going to round the number at 100.
When elected, each member stays for a 4 years period.
He’s paid approximately 10,000,000 LPD (~ $6,666.66 – Strange coincidence?).

We don’t have to argue about the salary. It’s fine by me, even though the minimum salaries in Lebanon go down to $200/month. That’s fine.

Over 4 years a parliament of 100 spends:
10 M * 12 months * 4 years = 480,000,000 L.L. ($320,000)

480 M * 100 = 48,000,000,000 L.L ($32,000,000)

That’s also fine by me. They’re doing their jobs (…) and they’re getting paid.

But why, why, why do I still have to pay a member of the parliament, after he leaves and new members are elected? Can someone explain that to me?

Let’s compare Lebanon to a company, where the parliament and government are its board of directors and we, the Lebanese people are its shareholders.
We elect the board of directors and pay them salaries. If a member of the board is not doing his job, we fire him (in other words, he’s not elected for a second round).
Which company/institute/organization in the world pays an employee that it fired for the rest of his life? And if he dies, it keeps paying the same salary to his wife, then his daughter if she’s single or divorced?

Let’s go to another Mathematical formula:

Since 1991 ‘till now, we had 4 parliaments of 128 members.

4 x 80 (since they’re always the same members) = 320 members

320 members * 10 M/month = 3,200,000,000L.L (~$2,133,333.33)

We’re paying $2 Million/month ($24 M/year) for our parliament members from 1991 ‘till now. I didn’t add the ones before 1991, so you do the Math.

When a member is in the parliament, he should have a salary as he’s an employee of the Lebanese people. But once the people fire him, he should get a job and start producing.

Note: I may be wrong about the numbers, but I’m sure about the law.

If you were watching step by step, the birth of the new Lebanese Government, you would’ve noticed the partitioning made by/between the Lebanese parties and politicians as if the country was a chocolate cake.

It was really tough trying to have the biggest bite and really tough trying to please everyone, mostly themselves.
What hurts the most is that on every election, government assignment, etc., you see the Lebanese people, who were complaining all the time of the politicians, cheer and party for the new depute/government/president who’s probably the same politician but with a different tie.

And while watching “Nahar el Shabab”, held at Jeita, I couldn’t hold my frustration every time a new guy/girl was up to ask a question or to deliver a message; they all started with “Congratulating the Lebanese People” of the new Government.
This happens every time! When Pr. Emile Lahoud was elected, the Lebanese People was so happy they made him songs, named streets, not one, STREETS after him, boulevards, highways, etc.
What did they get in return? A Dam-n (or damns)

Why can’t the Lebanese people wait till the politician actually starts producing and starts finding solutions before they start partying?  Why can’t we, the Lebanese people, wait till the end of the era before judging and evaluating?
We always have a prejudgment that most of the time is not accurate or true, and a couple of months later, we’re disappointed and have to live the rest of the time complaining. POWER changes people. It’s evil and contagious.

Anyway, it’s Lebanon. We’ll never understand anything or anyone, not even ourselves.

Let’s get back to the “Tribal Government”.
Tribal because the tribes are all represented. Yes the Tribes. Some gained from the last attack on Beirut; others gained through the foreign embassies and the support of the West and the KSA. Both victorious in their own way, they were trying to divide the wealth and power.
But after 45 days, they agreed to share since there’s enough for everyone.

To me, this Government is like the IFL.
IFL stands for “International Fight League” where teams battle in 5 fights (different weights), for the IFL championship title.

This is the Lebanese Government now: a battlefield. It’s a Government of no decision. Both 8 & the 14 of March will do anything to make each other look “UGLY”; it’s not a pageant, I know, but both will do their best to disable the other’s work, projects, decisions, etc.
They’ll lie, they’ll cheat, they’ll go against anything the other proposes whether it’s good or bad, whether the community, the people, the country benefit from it or not.

Don’t worry, all this hard work they’ll be doing will just be a preparation for the 2009 elections. They’re not worried about the social and the economical situations or the stability of the country. They’re worried about their “own” future; who’s going to be the next depute of Matn or Baalbak or Tripoli or Jezzine or etc.? Who’s going to have the majority in the parliament? Who’s going to prove he has the majority of the Christians, Muslims, etc.?

After that, they’ll all go and share again the wealth and power in the next Lebanese Government.

Yet, we still have a small hope that this competition held will eventually force the battling parties to try to work to improve each the ministry they “own” and eventually we’ll see, in the next 9 months, the real birth of a good thing (I don’t want to be too optimistic, so I’m not going to say the birth of a new Lebanon; this is too much to ask and hope for).

I have faith in the new Minister of Interior, Mr. Baroud. And I really hope that Power won’t change him. I hope he stays the man he is and try his best to spread his good will and intention among other Ministers. And maybe his experience in the Government will encourage other respectable and God fearing men/women to walk his walk. Maybe the next Government will be full of those hard working people whose only goal is “Lebanon”.

Ok, kick me so I wake up