How disgusted are Lebanese-Americans at Lebanon?

The Lebanese back home may believe all the myths about how great their Lebanese immigrants are and what great achievements they attain in politics, business, the arts and the sciences and so on. Like Khalil Gebran's myth - that he achieved all this fame and perspicacity because he's Lebanese - and every other one of us brag about him to our non-Lebanese friends.

But beneath all that boisterous bragging, there is the truth, which is is that Lebanon as a country stinks - morally, physically and in every other respect, except perhaps in some of its remote mountain retreats where the filthy Lebanese, with their money grabbing mentality of savages, have not arrived yet, and the beauty of the land remains untarnished by its own people.

That truth is in fact known to most Lebanese immigrants, who generally do not voice these opinions out of respect and in order not to embarrass their families and friends back home. But when they talk to each other in private e-mails and conversations, they vent their anger at the rape of Lebanon by its own people - the moral and physical rape, the distortions made in the name of archaic and obsolete religious beliefs, the abuse of the environment and all that the money whales, the powerful families, the political and the business Mafia, the churches and religious institutions, deny to the people of Lebanon. We, the emigrants from Lebanon, have watched Lebanon over the past 40 years fall and decline - yes, because of the interferences and occupations and manipulations of outsiders - but also in large part due to our own sickness (as Lebanese people) and our own inability to evolve from the state of primitive savages in which we live back in Lebanon. And until we do, Lebanon will remain a country to be ashamed of, not to brag about.

One little example comes to mind. As I was checking in on my flight at Beirut Airport this past August, a man standing next to me lit a cigarette, to the annoyance of many people around him and in violation of the signs and voice reminders blaring across the airport. I asked him politely to go to one of the designated areas for smokers, to which he replied in anger: "This is Lebanon, I can do what I want here." As I reported him to a female airport security officer, she waved her hand and said something like "What can we do? Even the airport personnel smoke anywhere they want." A minuscule metaphor about how the Lebanese people do not understand the role of the law in their daily lives.

If the politicians in Lebanon read this blog, let them know that we will vote - as Lebanese-Americans - the way we think, in freedom, right here in our countries of exile. We will not vote like the dogs back home, licking the very hands that beat them and kill them and ruin their lives.

Here are excerpts from a letter (made anonymous) by a Lebanese-American to another:

[Begin letter]

Dear friend

I skimmed through the blog below. I like it, and I was moved by the article "Lebanon: where maids come to die". I was in Lebanon many years ago and I saw how they treat the maids and lock them up and I saw a lady slap one in public. I was disgusted. I like the name "lebanoniznogood" for that blog, because if we lie to ourselves and if we never admit there are problems we will never correct them.

A country that does not value human life does not deserve to have freedom. A country where the president "Slime" as they said calls a terrorist who kills children a hero, is a country that does not deserve freedom nor respect nor help.

You know our pastor one time said "Great people are great because they believe in a good cause, so believe in a cause not in people." He says "do not come to this church because of me, i may disappoint you. But come for what you believe. I built it on principles, principles do not change but people do."

One time I was in Lebanon and I had a guy drive me somewhere. At the Syrian checkpoint, he was saying "Yes Sir" and "No Sir" and almost wanted to kiss his ass. At the Lebanese checkpoint, he was arrogant and rude with the Lebanese soldiers. I made him go back and apologize to the Lebanese soldier or else I would get out of the car. These people deserve that a Syrian step on their neck.

I had so many people insult me because I did not worship Aoun, or Geagea or some other other politicians. I received ugly emails and at one point point cursed the day I was born as Lebanese.

But then i found some good people who do not belong to this or that party but they have no place to go nor a site to represent them, so this is who the site is for. I work for the department of health and I helped many Native Americans, Latinos, and indigent people to create coalitions, etc... One day I saw an organization that is trying to save a bat from extinction. They had newsletters, adopt a bat program, and the way they function amazed me. It hit me that if people can do that for a bat, I can do something for our heritage. I know several email lists have thousands of people but they want me to add their link, so I was willing to lose these numbers and not compromise. If I add a Christian militia site, then I would have to add Hezbollah or some other terrorist organization, and we would be back in the same shit that we have in Lebanon. I have nothing in common with Hezbollah and I cannot believe we are from the same country. It makes me sick that every damn terrorist group has offices or is related to Lebanon somehow. the PLO terrorists were kicked out of every country but roam free in Lebanon. Lebanese politicians would sell their mothers for a dollar and have no principles.

When I think of Lebanon I get sick to my stomach. I left very young and never thought of it. I met a Jewish man who told me I need to learn about my country because that is where I am from, but the more I read the more I got disgusted. One day a leader is against Syria, then next he is sleeping with them and yet his people follow him and I am talking about educated people.

[End of the letter]

Hanibaal