When the Lebanese Cabinet convenes, average people – who feel like they’re sinking – might pay attention hoping they will be thrown some sort of lifeline, no matter how small, to help them out of their many predicaments.
And when said meetings end, they can only feel like they’re sinking even deeper.
This week has seen Israel launch airstrikes in the Bekaa Valley, with war and violence raging just beyond Lebanon’s eastern border. The Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp has also experienced a surge in tension and violence, while violent crimes of all kinds continue to plague the public. On top of these and many other chronic problems, the country is in the grip of a trash crisis that poses a threat to people’s health, the environment and the already-fragile “tourism season.”
Against the backdrop of all of these problems, ministers – as they exited Thursday’s session – gave the impression they had attended different meetings. One described the session as “smooth,” while another confessed that “I didn’t understand anything” that went on.
The meetings appear to be about 24 people sparring over their own prerogatives and trying to convince the public, with a marked lack of success, that they are actually doing something about the pressing concerns of 4 million people, and not busy tapping on their smartphones. In short, a kindergarten class would be more productive than the current government team.
One question that arises is whether these politicians are exhausted by their efforts to remain in power, and pretend that they’re relevant. The saddest thing is that their colossal failure isn’t enough to generate serious action by the public and its supposed representatives. It appears to be a case of Lebanese being content to complain about the situation, and politicians banking on the fact that this won’t change any time soon.
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