Half the lebanese people are poor, says this Akhbar article (this is confirmed by Oxfam study posted earlier and by the findings of the UN survey). The Lebanese government is unmpresed, and the minimum wages have been frozen since 1996, but not the prices of basic commodities. The worst regions: South Lebanon, Bekaa and North Lebanon. No surprise if most of the 'turbulence' in Lebanon originate from these regions. Could this be linked to the events in Nahr el Bared? Noooo of course not. In Nahr el Bared, it is just Palestinians trying once more to destroy Lebanon. Ask any Lebanese. Especialy (but not exclusively) those aligned with the government.
I hope that K., the american photo reporter I met at Kamal's and who was so concerned with the touristic season is reading this. I have this to say to you K.: poverty has been escalating in the periferies, and no amount of tourism has been able to address that. It takes more than boozing and prostitution to build a country. The proof: look around you.
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1 comment:
I discovered your blog through UrShalim. I appreciate your analyses. I think there is a clear link between neoliberalism and the rise of instability and wars in the developing world and one should always remind people of this. Wars in Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan, Congo, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.. are wars against the poor, against pooor Americans sent to fighting, against poor lebanese, against poor Africans... against poors inside and outside the countries who launch and fight these wars in an alliance between the leader of the neoliberal wolrd, the US and local governments who accept US interventions and make themselves accomplices of the crimes against civilians that are the mian results of these wars.
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