lebanon_first: i respect the fact that you're being sensible enough to exchange points, not insults like others too often do when i disagree with them. therefore i respect your opinion.
But you understand i cannot accept your "personal experience" as a fact or proof. for many reasons, first anyone could anything like that. how do i know you're not making it up? i'm not saying you lie, but i'm saying someone's "word" over the internet has very little value as "proof"
second how do you know the transitaire was not BSing? maybe he cut a deal with a corrupt customs officer, and hides behind "amal & hezbollah" to prentend the money is not going to his pocket?
about the sheikh, i agree, and i said it before, i do not condone his behavior. what i'm saying is that if you want to be fair, you must have at least a little recognition for hezbollah's attitude which did not accept it either!
about the EDL it's the same as the point above. how do i know you're saying the truth? how do you know these people are nonpartisan (seriously, high ranking in a public company and nonpartisan, in LEBANON? i doubt any one gets high in a public admin without some political support. it's a shame, but it's like that, and not only in lebanon)
and i dont want to get into the "blame game", but vast regions in the north, around tripoli, akkar etc are not paying their bills either. i'm not saying two wrongs make one right, but i'm saying let's not throw the blame on one side, it's a country-wide problem, and most people who dont pay are impoverished people. it's a delicate matter, and no matter the area or sect, i would never want to force someone who can barely afford bread to pay bills... i dont know, some solution is needed, but a charitable, or solidarity, spirit wouldn't hurt.
finally about the test man honestly, what do you know about its difficulty? these are presumptions, and if the test is a contest where they take the best 500, or 100, or 1000 or whatever the number of employees that they decided to make permanent, difficulty doesnt mean anything. it's about ranking well among peers.
about HA i personally dont think their role is over. it took a LOT of efforts and years to reach a balance of deterrence with israel, if hezbollah drops it now, before the state and army are strong enough to take the role, then we will get back to where we were in 82, before hezbollah existed.
and as you say yourself, there is a huge propaganda machine, you know it, so beware of what you're told.
i appreciate this respectful conversation we're having bandoul, even if we never end up agreeing, i will always respect you and your opinions.
i see what you mean, and without getting into many polemic details, i just want to say that we see things from different perspectives. like why i feel may 2008 started with an aggression against hezbollah (wanting to dismantle its vital communications by force), while you feel the aggression was the other way around.
about 2006, we know the war had been approved by the american congress (or senate not sure) one year before. and after the war olmert said yes, we were going to do the war ANYWAY. so for me 2006 is the very proof of the need of hezbollah weapons. israel has an eye on our waters, on our lands, on our maritime oil fields. if we are weak and they can rip us off, do you think they will abstain? just because we're "being nice" ? i dont think so
about the percentage of lebanese on either sides, here it is a matter of fact: in the 2009 elections 55% of the people voted for the m8 bloc. it's only due to the electoral law that this translated into a parliamentary majority for m14. dont take my word for it, look it up in the CIA's world fact book for instance.
so if we talk of democracy and majority, it is normal that m8 be ruling. especially that the parliamentary majority also shifted last year constitutionally. miqati decided to change sides, nobody forced him. joumblat changed sides, do you think anyone can force him to anything? they decided freely, and the other side should accept.
in the next elections in the majority change it will be something else, but for now it is m14 who refused to participate in govt, and are doing nothing but antagonizing themselves.
finally, and maybe that is the most important thing i want to say: i understand that the idea that hezbollah has weapons (even though everyone has weapons, it is true hezbollah has more) bothers you. it is legitimate for you to oppose that. but what you must also see, is that the people of the south feel they have, not a gun, but F16s, mirkavas & battleships pointed to their heads. they feel if they drop weapons they will go back to aggression, occupation, daily arrests & tortures and the whole horror that they went through, while the rest of lebanon didnt care. they have these as scars in their flesh, and it's not a trauma easily overcome. unless they have SERIOUS garantees for their security, they will hang on to these weapons like their lives depend on them, and they actually do! that's why one must understand, and find some sort of arrangement, where they can feel they can defend themselves, and you can feel these weapons are not here against you.
provoke yes, and this is being done continuously, the provocation is incessant, and yet there is no response, no armed retribution at least.
but as i was telling you in the last paragraph of my previous answer, for hezbollah these are vital. hezbollah only emerged from israeli occupation and aggression, and their whole point is to defend themselves, and defend the country against israel. they do not care about anything else, and it is impossible for them to say okay let's drop the weapons and let israel do what they want with us.
nasrallah promised he wouldnt use the arms against the interior, yes, but he also said that the hand that would try to take their weapons would be cut. and in may 2008, the government tried to take these weapons.
also do not forget that during the clashes their were two sides, and both armed the same way (forget about the rockets and missiles which were absent, both sides had machine guns, rifles and rpgs. hezbollah did not attack civilians, but an armed militia who had be set there by those who try to disarm hezbollah. don't you see the contradiction?
phillipo
Of course he'd deny it.
14 May 2025, 22:20
Report: Gang Kingpin in Tyre Enjoys ‘Special Judicial Care’
09 August 2012, 17:09omg, harrier the big mr nobody of the interwebz decreed that i "failed" ! ya mama ! man get a life
Report: Gang Kingpin in Tyre Enjoys ‘Special Judicial Care’
09 August 2012, 20:56lebanon_first: i respect the fact that you're being sensible enough to exchange points, not insults like others too often do when i disagree with them. therefore i respect your opinion.
But you understand i cannot accept your "personal experience" as a fact or proof. for many reasons, first anyone could anything like that. how do i know you're not making it up? i'm not saying you lie, but i'm saying someone's "word" over the internet has very little value as "proof"
second how do you know the transitaire was not BSing? maybe he cut a deal with a corrupt customs officer, and hides behind "amal & hezbollah" to prentend the money is not going to his pocket?
about the sheikh, i agree, and i said it before, i do not condone his behavior. what i'm saying is that if you want to be fair, you must have at least a little recognition for hezbollah's attitude which did not accept it either!
Report: Gang Kingpin in Tyre Enjoys ‘Special Judicial Care’
09 August 2012, 21:02about the EDL it's the same as the point above. how do i know you're saying the truth? how do you know these people are nonpartisan (seriously, high ranking in a public company and nonpartisan, in LEBANON? i doubt any one gets high in a public admin without some political support. it's a shame, but it's like that, and not only in lebanon)
and i dont want to get into the "blame game", but vast regions in the north, around tripoli, akkar etc are not paying their bills either. i'm not saying two wrongs make one right, but i'm saying let's not throw the blame on one side, it's a country-wide problem, and most people who dont pay are impoverished people. it's a delicate matter, and no matter the area or sect, i would never want to force someone who can barely afford bread to pay bills... i dont know, some solution is needed, but a charitable, or solidarity, spirit wouldn't hurt.
Report: Gang Kingpin in Tyre Enjoys ‘Special Judicial Care’
09 August 2012, 21:05finally about the test man honestly, what do you know about its difficulty? these are presumptions, and if the test is a contest where they take the best 500, or 100, or 1000 or whatever the number of employees that they decided to make permanent, difficulty doesnt mean anything. it's about ranking well among peers.
about HA i personally dont think their role is over. it took a LOT of efforts and years to reach a balance of deterrence with israel, if hezbollah drops it now, before the state and army are strong enough to take the role, then we will get back to where we were in 82, before hezbollah existed.
and as you say yourself, there is a huge propaganda machine, you know it, so beware of what you're told.
Report: Israel Intercepted Phone Calls between Lebanon, Bulgaria ahead of Bombing
09 August 2012, 21:26i appreciate this respectful conversation we're having bandoul, even if we never end up agreeing, i will always respect you and your opinions.
i see what you mean, and without getting into many polemic details, i just want to say that we see things from different perspectives. like why i feel may 2008 started with an aggression against hezbollah (wanting to dismantle its vital communications by force), while you feel the aggression was the other way around.
about 2006, we know the war had been approved by the american congress (or senate not sure) one year before. and after the war olmert said yes, we were going to do the war ANYWAY. so for me 2006 is the very proof of the need of hezbollah weapons. israel has an eye on our waters, on our lands, on our maritime oil fields. if we are weak and they can rip us off, do you think they will abstain? just because we're "being nice" ? i dont think so
Report: Israel Intercepted Phone Calls between Lebanon, Bulgaria ahead of Bombing
09 August 2012, 21:26about the percentage of lebanese on either sides, here it is a matter of fact: in the 2009 elections 55% of the people voted for the m8 bloc. it's only due to the electoral law that this translated into a parliamentary majority for m14. dont take my word for it, look it up in the CIA's world fact book for instance.
so if we talk of democracy and majority, it is normal that m8 be ruling. especially that the parliamentary majority also shifted last year constitutionally. miqati decided to change sides, nobody forced him. joumblat changed sides, do you think anyone can force him to anything? they decided freely, and the other side should accept.
in the next elections in the majority change it will be something else, but for now it is m14 who refused to participate in govt, and are doing nothing but antagonizing themselves.
Report: Israel Intercepted Phone Calls between Lebanon, Bulgaria ahead of Bombing
09 August 2012, 21:26finally, and maybe that is the most important thing i want to say: i understand that the idea that hezbollah has weapons (even though everyone has weapons, it is true hezbollah has more) bothers you. it is legitimate for you to oppose that. but what you must also see, is that the people of the south feel they have, not a gun, but F16s, mirkavas & battleships pointed to their heads. they feel if they drop weapons they will go back to aggression, occupation, daily arrests & tortures and the whole horror that they went through, while the rest of lebanon didnt care. they have these as scars in their flesh, and it's not a trauma easily overcome. unless they have SERIOUS garantees for their security, they will hang on to these weapons like their lives depend on them, and they actually do! that's why one must understand, and find some sort of arrangement, where they can feel they can defend themselves, and you can feel these weapons are not here against you.
Report: Israel Intercepted Phone Calls between Lebanon, Bulgaria ahead of Bombing
10 August 2012, 10:09provoke yes, and this is being done continuously, the provocation is incessant, and yet there is no response, no armed retribution at least.
but as i was telling you in the last paragraph of my previous answer, for hezbollah these are vital. hezbollah only emerged from israeli occupation and aggression, and their whole point is to defend themselves, and defend the country against israel. they do not care about anything else, and it is impossible for them to say okay let's drop the weapons and let israel do what they want with us.
nasrallah promised he wouldnt use the arms against the interior, yes, but he also said that the hand that would try to take their weapons would be cut. and in may 2008, the government tried to take these weapons.
Report: Israel Intercepted Phone Calls between Lebanon, Bulgaria ahead of Bombing
10 August 2012, 10:09also do not forget that during the clashes their were two sides, and both armed the same way (forget about the rockets and missiles which were absent, both sides had machine guns, rifles and rpgs. hezbollah did not attack civilians, but an armed militia who had be set there by those who try to disarm hezbollah. don't you see the contradiction?
Miqati: Samaha Arrested for Security Reasons, Not over STL
10 August 2012, 13:38well spoken, and i agree with you. but is this an utopia or is it realizable? can we ever get out of that sectarian mentality in this country?