Though I wouldn’t want to start 2013 on a bad note and with
pessimistic thoughts, but the outrage of living in this country and paying
taxes (for absolutely nothing) is just too much to take!
If we cannot start by respecting the simplest, most useful of
laws that hints to what ‘civilized’ means, then so long civilization!
By definition, a law is a rule enforced by the imposition of
penalties. This is only the definition, and, we Lebanese (the smartest of all),
will always find a work around any law.
That is not the main issue, as I got to a point where I
convinced myself that this is only human nature (wanting the forbidden) and
maybe, in our case, human nature is slightly ‘magnified’.
The issue is rooted into the system itself:
On September 3rd
2012, smoking was officially prohibited in all enclosed bars, restaurant and
cafes in Lebanon in accordance with Law 174, which
passed exactly a year ago.
It was finally a sign of a new modern government…. A
promising beginning, a naive (very naive indeed) hope, glimpse of light in a
corrupted country. YES somebody cares…
Though the law was not fully respected and strongly criticized/objected
by restaurant and hotel’s owners… we could finally go into a mall’s elevator
without suffocating in a cigar’s smoke (which by the way is more of a trend!)
Until it was time to party… until it was New Year’s Eve, and
the Lebanese aka ‘party animals’, where out in pubs/bars/restaurants to
celebrate the beginning of 2013.
Surprise: Everybody was smoking everywhere AND surprise,
surprise: No one was breaking the GREAT 174, as apparently, the law was
suspended for the festive season (Or maybe due to lack of resources whereas
only a handful of controls are assigned the enforcement tasks in the 10452 Km2).
When the ‘system’ is finding work around for laws, how can
we expect any improvement?
How can a population change when the whole 'system' doesn't allow it?
Honestly...speechless....
Ending with a quote for the Great Gibran Khalil Gibran from
the Prophet (Wondering whether his genius works would have been recognized worldwide if he had stated in Lebanon!) ...
“Pity the nation whose statesman is a fox,
whose philosopher is a juggler,
and whose art is the art of patching and mimicking.
whose philosopher is a juggler,
and whose art is the art of patching and mimicking.
Pity the nation that welcomes its new ruler with
trumpeting,
and farewells him with hooting,
only to welcome another with trumpeting again.
and farewells him with hooting,
only to welcome another with trumpeting again.
Pity the nation whose sages are dumb with years
and whose strong men are yet in the cradle.
and whose strong men are yet in the cradle.
Pity the nation divided into fragments,
each fragment deeming itself a nation”
each fragment deeming itself a nation”
