The Way Out Is in Hands of the Lebanese and Not Other Countries: United Alliance proposes a different approach to stopping the war

United for Lebanon Against Corruption (Mouttahidoun):
The Way Out Is in Hands of the Lebanese and Not Other Countries: United Alliance proposes a different approach to stopping the war

Amidst the ongoing war, questions and inquiries from Lebanese citizens about the ‘Lebanese Shiite dilemma,’ have been flowing our way. The focal point revolves around how the ‘Israeli enemy’ has settled the score with Hezbollah’s top officials, where as usual, come the wishes of many Lebanese that other countries, especially the United States and European countries, push to evening the score with the rest of Lebanon's politicians. This includes Speaker of the House, Berri, and Prime Minister, Mikati and others, due to their extreme corruption and heinous crimes against the Lebanese people.

In our attempt to answer those questions, we resorted to what reason and logic pose: Aren't the citizens of any country the ones in charge of holding their rulers accountable, with the matter being an own country’s affair before it is an external one? In this case, isn't it more common for other countries to have their dealings with a certain country based on the choices of its citizens first and foremost, no matter how flawed these choices are, as long as they ultimately agree to cast their votes to the ‘ballots?’

Even in a small country case like Lebanon, always influenced by the policies of large countries, don't the people's choices remain the starting point for dealing with those other countries?

Before we answer with ‘a yes, and a thousand yeses,’ we followed the comments on ‘the infringement of rights of the Lebanese citizens’ and ‘the rights of depositors in Lebanese banks’ and so, as put forward by Israeli spokesmen, most notably the Israeli Prime Minister, Netanyahu. An example has been a comment by a Lebanese ‘Shiite’ citizen in response to a call by another Lebanese to exacting retribution on ‘Nabih Berri:’

“It is true that I am a Shiite, but I have never belonged to a party. Yes, I have my ideas and convictions. I am laughing at those who are calling on France and Western countries to change the regime or the ruling class... Go to the elections and change if you want to change.”

Reconstitution of authority. A new authority that truly represents citizens and depositors, in Lebanon and abroad. This is certainly what Lebanon and the Lebanese need now and before anything else, even with the ferocity of the war; a roadmap at least, far from the claims and jargon aimed at retaining the masks that we wear to evade responsibility. If not now, then when? Until we are annihilated and the last of us killed and our country completely destroyed? Isn't what has happened to us and to the acclaimed ‘Resistance,’ having turned from allegedly being a forte for Lebanon into being a curse after those in charge of it went too far in entangling it with interests beyond borders, utterly awful?

Here we ask, proposing a different approach to the problem of war, for the sake of a serious discussion:

Where does the priority lie now? Isn't it in stopping the machine of killing and massive destruction and stopping the horrors of division and the effects of war trauma on the children of Lebanon at the very least and before anything else?

Don't we feel humiliated and deeply degraded when citizens and depositors are robbed, stolen and displaced by our rulers, and the ‘enemy’ comes and lectures us about it? What next?!

The most important question: In light of a corrupt, criminal, tyrannical authority that does not represent its people and a fierce war is raging, what is the way to move on? How can we reconcile the necessity of stopping the war now and without any further delay, in presence of an authority that lost legitimacy and does not represent its people, and the urgent reconstitution of authority?

What is the shortest and most effective way to achieve this, other than attending to the matter directly, without paying attention to the nonsense of accusations of treason, that can be basically addressed to those who voice them out? With the loss of any legitimate Lebanese authority and after having chosen to hand over our affairs to countries toying with our lives, what is left for us but to address the world and the Israelis directly – and confidently – in a way to have our interests at heart? What else is left after having our homeland devastatedand our people being exterminated?

Isn't it better to listen to the words of the ‘enemy’ as they are, then discuss them and extract what we see deep inside as serving the interests of Lebanon and its people? Regardless of the party that issued them, in form, as we are the concerned people of Lebanon. What more to hope for, which may provide a window to observe our interests in the first place? Some might say that the enemy is not to be trusted and so. And we say: Our confidence in ourselves is great and we are not among those who follow other countries or are ordered; so if we try and succeed, then praise be to God, and if we fall short of this, then we would have the honor of trying. Anything but just not watching our lives being further violated, with the ruling corrupt traitors now to enternegotiations in our name over our blood and livelihood!

Or else should we submit to remaining hostage to our executioners and their puppeteers, and we have nothing but death, humiliation, displacement, degradation, destruction and devastation, deserving of God's wrath upon us?

Or further as well, how do we explain our rejection of the principle of dialogue even with the enemy, one of our basic moral and human values? So how if it is aimed at warding off deadly dangers, destruction and injustice from us, after all paths have been blocked and those in charge of our affairs have not managed our affairs well??

They who trust in themselves, their courage, honesty, values ​​and principles do not falter or fear the blame for truthfully trying to save their people and their country.

Needless to mention at this juncture that we are all descendants of Abraham, believers in one God whose call is Peace above all. So do we choose to be believers, genuinely in truth, and advocates of ‘real’ peace and not just ‘political’ one, or to be advocates of conflicts, wars, grudges, sedition, killing and destruction?

Together we can, United for Lebanon, the Nation of the Human, the homeland of the Message, for Lebanon only.