Some shortcomings of Lebanese society.

It seems to me that in the last few posts I have become a rather literary version of a ditsy teenager "à la mean girls" complaining about life and how "so so stupid everyone is." 

If you havent thought so yet, you will after this post!

A good friend of mine once told me the whole blogging business is useless because bloggers never provide solutions, they just raise complaints. I agreed on the second part but I do not believe that it is a single person's job to create the answer, it is rather his job to launch the question and stir up the conversation. Today I will be mixing in my pot many reasons why the Lebanese society simply doesn't work. Keep in mind I love my country regardless of its wrongdoings and hope one day we can make a change.  

 1- Lebanon where women wear black for a traditionally set number of months after loosing a family member all while moving on with their lives regularly. Moving on is entirely normal and there shouldn't be a set deadline for when it is ok to listen to a song after someone has died. Grieving is personal and no one should interfere with it.

2-Lebanon where any group can burn tires and close international highways whenever they feel like it. 

 

3- Lebanon where Halloween is a big deal but independence day isn't. 

 

4- Lebanon where presidential elections depend on international consensus 

 

5- Lebanon where it is ok for men to sleep around with other women when in a relationship because you want to preserve your girlfriend for marriage. 

6- Lebanon where you can get a hymenoplasty as readily as you can order a burger  

7- Lebanon where George Clooney marrying a native gets unlimited coverage whereas the biggest Islamic mosque being closed gets near to none. 

8- Lebanon where a parliament renewing its expired mandate twice passes silently but a religious figure getting criticized leads to mayhem. 

9- Lebanon where a 3 km trip takes you an hour by car at rush hour

10- Lebanon where your skin color determines if you can swim in a private pool

11- Lebanon where yearly the first mild rain showers drain the infrastructure and claim a few souls 

12- Lebanon where the rapist can be forgiven if he offers to marry his victim 

13- Lebanon where plastic surgery loans are offered

14- Lebanon where local homosexuals get rectal dilation tests by the police while visitors thrive in gay bars 

15- Lebanon where local art is almost dead 

16- Lebanon where school history books stop at 1970

17- Lebanon where one sect's hero is another's demon 

18- Lebanon where even ISIS can find supporters 

19- Lebanon where what type of car you own takes you a longer way in society than what type of mind you have 

20- Lebanon where connections are a requirement for job security not an addition 

21- Lebanon where phone calls get you out of traffic tickets and minor felonies 

22- Lebanon where less than 5% of the parliament are women 

23- Lebanon where sharing your opinion online can get you arrested

24- Lebanon where refugees get cut in the face and European tourists get the full hospitality package 

25- Lebanon where armed civilians establish check points and close roads for "security purposes" 

 

26- Lebanon where Hamra and Tripoli experience different meanings of the term "on fire" on the same night