The Lebanese Youth; Fake Replicas ?
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Before I begin with the topic that I want to discuss concerning the Lebanese youth, I would first like to thank Mazen for his wonderful opening thread, and I'm sure we'll see many more of the same caliber as things get going. And now to the topic at hand.
I'm sure that a large number of the people who are going to be reading this blog will be people under the age of 30. They will be people of principle, and people of thought. But I have always wondered, are they people of free thought ?
If you take a look at Lebanese newspapers these days you will see that the frontpage is full of news concerning local and regional politics, and you might also see the student representative of a certain political party at the bottom of that frontpage. But you will never see a real student movement taking up a space on the frontpage, and if you ask me why, that's because there are no free thinking student movements. Most if not all of the political parties in Lebanon have a student committee, the Free Patriotic Movement, the Future Movement, the Communist Party, Hezbollah, etc... And I believe that all these committees restrict the development of the student body as a whole on all campuses. Instead of seeing students becoming the bringers of change, they have now become a tool of exchange. Do not get me wrong here, I am for the freedom of thought and I believe that you have the right to enter any sort of organization that you want, however, take a minute and look at the Lebanese political scene.
Where do the students come in when it comes to decisions made in politics? You would think that they would have a say since they are told to attend demonstrations and support whatever decision the party they support or sympathize with has took, but sadly that's about it. If the party does not tell them to participate in a demonstration they believe in or think is right. They will not move an inch. Students have become nothing but mere followers and sheep in a stock guided by a shepard. However, the shepherd's decisions do not have to be negative, and could be positive, but just the fact that they will not take part in a certain act without being told by that shepard means that they are truly sheep, which are occasionally sent out to graze.
Since when have students been taught not to think. We could partially blame it on the educational system which teaches a child to accept instead of criticize. We could also blame it on our middle-eastern community which is also based on a feudalistic ideology, or we could blame it on the lack of vision that has hit our youth and has become a virus smeared amongst them. They have become an extension of previous followers. When the government issues a law that restricts a certain freedom or is unjust and unfair no word is uttered by those students if the leader does not say a word.
When you look at any country outside of Lebanon, you will see that the students are the ones who have led the change in society. They have rebelled against whole governments and regimes. They have pressured leaders into giving into their demands, and not the opposite. Lebanon has been stuck in a gigantic loophole for the last 50 years because of the lack of vision that inhabits its youth. Instead of being the condemners of violence they are the messengers of violence. Instead of learning from their elders' huge amount of mistakes, who have done nothing but shed blood on Lebanese territory, they carry on with their legacy threatening to kill and destroy. We do not see the the development of our society through our youth. We are only witnessing the propagation of the old sectarian, feudalistic, and rotting values in them. A small example of this continued rotting mentality is the titles given to the Lebanese leaders, which are a remnant of the Ottomans' regressive era. The shiekhs, the bieks, and the affendis, although removed as official titles by law, are still spread throughout the Lebanese community, the educated and the non-educated. Instead of having a student think about why he is giving that person such a title he goes ahead and says it without giving it a single thought. He does not think that he is giving a person that does not surpass him in anyway as a human-being, physically or mentally, the idea that he is better than him. The Lebanese youth are simply the continuation of mistakes of the past, only reincarnated into new bodies.
Why aren't the students revolting against the government ridiculous economical policies on their own. Why aren't they aware that their country is collapsing in front of their own eyes, and are not starting an initiative on their own for their country, rather than for their parties and leaders? Why aren't they on the streets at this moment protesting against the governments continuous failure? The government's economical policies do not only concern the FPM and HA. They also concern the FM, the PSP and the LF. Where were they? Aren't they aware that their fellow Lebanese are suffering. Are they just blinded by the few cans of oil and donations that they receive from the Hariri foundation? If that's the case, then the thought of not biting the hand that feeds you certainly comes into the affect.
Living on past victories has truly blinded most of the Lebanese youth. Looking at the short-run without taking a step forward and looking at the long-run, and where are the youth? The revolutionary youth that have started riots against their leaders because they did not like their policies. To me, it seems that they are hanging around in a deep slumber. More occupied with winning the university elections for their party, than actually campainging for a better university and a better Lebanon. Orange, blue, red, white, green, fushia, turquoise shirts do not create a new country founded upon patriotic principles, but it seems that this has become their center of attention. Yet, the way I see it, it only creates a rainbow of ignorance that follows to the pot of gold.
The Lebanese youth are asleep, dreaming not acting.
I'm sure that a large number of the people who are going to be reading this blog will be people under the age of 30. They will be people of principle, and people of thought. But I have always wondered, are they people of free thought ?
If you take a look at Lebanese newspapers these days you will see that the frontpage is full of news concerning local and regional politics, and you might also see the student representative of a certain political party at the bottom of that frontpage. But you will never see a real student movement taking up a space on the frontpage, and if you ask me why, that's because there are no free thinking student movements. Most if not all of the political parties in Lebanon have a student committee, the Free Patriotic Movement, the Future Movement, the Communist Party, Hezbollah, etc... And I believe that all these committees restrict the development of the student body as a whole on all campuses. Instead of seeing students becoming the bringers of change, they have now become a tool of exchange. Do not get me wrong here, I am for the freedom of thought and I believe that you have the right to enter any sort of organization that you want, however, take a minute and look at the Lebanese political scene.
Where do the students come in when it comes to decisions made in politics? You would think that they would have a say since they are told to attend demonstrations and support whatever decision the party they support or sympathize with has took, but sadly that's about it. If the party does not tell them to participate in a demonstration they believe in or think is right. They will not move an inch. Students have become nothing but mere followers and sheep in a stock guided by a shepard. However, the shepherd's decisions do not have to be negative, and could be positive, but just the fact that they will not take part in a certain act without being told by that shepard means that they are truly sheep, which are occasionally sent out to graze.
Since when have students been taught not to think. We could partially blame it on the educational system which teaches a child to accept instead of criticize. We could also blame it on our middle-eastern community which is also based on a feudalistic ideology, or we could blame it on the lack of vision that has hit our youth and has become a virus smeared amongst them. They have become an extension of previous followers. When the government issues a law that restricts a certain freedom or is unjust and unfair no word is uttered by those students if the leader does not say a word.
When you look at any country outside of Lebanon, you will see that the students are the ones who have led the change in society. They have rebelled against whole governments and regimes. They have pressured leaders into giving into their demands, and not the opposite. Lebanon has been stuck in a gigantic loophole for the last 50 years because of the lack of vision that inhabits its youth. Instead of being the condemners of violence they are the messengers of violence. Instead of learning from their elders' huge amount of mistakes, who have done nothing but shed blood on Lebanese territory, they carry on with their legacy threatening to kill and destroy. We do not see the the development of our society through our youth. We are only witnessing the propagation of the old sectarian, feudalistic, and rotting values in them. A small example of this continued rotting mentality is the titles given to the Lebanese leaders, which are a remnant of the Ottomans' regressive era. The shiekhs, the bieks, and the affendis, although removed as official titles by law, are still spread throughout the Lebanese community, the educated and the non-educated. Instead of having a student think about why he is giving that person such a title he goes ahead and says it without giving it a single thought. He does not think that he is giving a person that does not surpass him in anyway as a human-being, physically or mentally, the idea that he is better than him. The Lebanese youth are simply the continuation of mistakes of the past, only reincarnated into new bodies.
Why aren't the students revolting against the government ridiculous economical policies on their own. Why aren't they aware that their country is collapsing in front of their own eyes, and are not starting an initiative on their own for their country, rather than for their parties and leaders? Why aren't they on the streets at this moment protesting against the governments continuous failure? The government's economical policies do not only concern the FPM and HA. They also concern the FM, the PSP and the LF. Where were they? Aren't they aware that their fellow Lebanese are suffering. Are they just blinded by the few cans of oil and donations that they receive from the Hariri foundation? If that's the case, then the thought of not biting the hand that feeds you certainly comes into the affect.
Living on past victories has truly blinded most of the Lebanese youth. Looking at the short-run without taking a step forward and looking at the long-run, and where are the youth? The revolutionary youth that have started riots against their leaders because they did not like their policies. To me, it seems that they are hanging around in a deep slumber. More occupied with winning the university elections for their party, than actually campainging for a better university and a better Lebanon. Orange, blue, red, white, green, fushia, turquoise shirts do not create a new country founded upon patriotic principles, but it seems that this has become their center of attention. Yet, the way I see it, it only creates a rainbow of ignorance that follows to the pot of gold.
The Lebanese youth are asleep, dreaming not acting.
[ back home ]
Comments for The Lebanese Youth; Fake Replicas ?
The concepts of Accountability and responsibility have been systematically erased from our culture through the successive eras of dependence in our history. The grand majority of youth are not immune to this phenomenon and they have grown accustomed to have things done for them by the Ottomans, French, Syrians, Arabs, Americans, etc... through their feudal representative.
What we need is to develop a line of "Independence" thought. But can that line of thinking coexist with our culture?
What we need is to develop a line of "Independence" thought. But can that line of thinking coexist with our culture?
- Posted at 6:57 AM | By
I have always lambasted the youth of this country on their copycat moves of "leaders", the effort lies in multiple ways, developing critical thinking; encouraging independent movements based on issues not characters, parties or tribes per se; promoting socio-economic awareness including resources management and so on, I believe in self-discipline, I think that a self-disciplined man or woman can do little wrong; if we start with this, we could at least be limiting damage, if we link all so self-disciplined men and women, we would have won.
- Posted at 3:08 PM | By
Lira = 1500
