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This sentence was once scrawled along the road to Buenos Aires airport. At that time, amid a crisis, Argentina was experiencing a massive wave of emigration.
In Lebanon, innovation is in full swing. While the last Lebanese hasn’t quite left yet (but we’re getting there), the power has been shut off. Today, the state’s electricity, or “dawleh” as the Lebanese call it, has become a thing of the past. At this stage, one should be entitled to raise some pertinent questions.
So, where did the $45 billion allocated for electricity go? Since 2010, a series of Energy ministers have cycled through, all closely affiliated with the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM). Yet another stellar achievement for the FPM, alongside their alliance with Hezbollah, which has pushed the country into a deadlock on every front. Today, the party is getting a “makeover.” Some of its most prominent and brilliant members have either left or been ousted. Their sin? Thinking. What an absurd notion! The FPM is like a baby walker: it staggers in every direction and bumps into every wall.
The important thing is to stay on track. But which track? The party’s strategy is so dizzying and erratic – presidential elections, war, Syrian refugees, reforms – that it’s difficult to keep up. Aside from a few insiders, no one seems to understand it.
Meanwhile, with the country plunged into darkness due to the power outage, in the dark, all cats are gray. Unless this is a clever ploy to keep the Israelis from hitting their targets. A country without infrastructure is tough to destroy. That said, there seems to be plenty of electricity in the massive tunnels showcased by Hezbollah – at least, that’s what the videos suggest! If we add some air conditioning, the population would be ecstatically happy.
Here’s a thought: Why would Iran, one of the largest producers of hydrocarbons, be keeping this precious fuel out of view? A drop in tiny Lebanon’s tank could make a big difference. Could the Ayatollahs really be so stingy as to refuse to help their “friends” in the axis of resistance? Over the years, the Lebanese have had so many “brothers” – Syrians, Palestinians, Egyptians, and now Iranians. But, as the saying goes, you can choose your friends, but not your family.
