Random thoughts on the Beirut explosion.

in beirut •  4 years ago 

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My first thought was, "Dear God, please don't let this be the start of an ensnarement in a war over there."

Anytime I think about Lebanon, I think of the tragedy, travesty, and catastrophe of the country that could have been a light of peace and prosperity to the world. And that is precisely why they are such a target by their neighbors who do not wish to live in harmony with the rest of the world. There is a rich, long history of all the world's religions living in relative harmony around their big mountain, and a relatively short history of being quite pro-Western due in large part to their universities.

It's been called the Arab Paris for good reason (although many Lebanese are more pro-Western than many of the Parisian students coming out their universities since before Sartre.)

The people there are sophisticated, liberty-minded, and independent. They could become (as could the typical citizen of Tehran once their oligarchy is tossed out) good friends of ours and pivotal in producing regional peace. The Cedar Revolution still burns in the hearts of the people there and was thwarted not by the Lebanese but by neighboring Arabs, Persians, and Turks who did not want to see an independent Lebanon that lived in peace with Israel. So it has been under constant attack, perpetually infiltrated, embroiled in constant turmoil, and an exploited staging ground for terrorism.

A great book to read on this, if you can find a copy is Roger Scruton's book A Land Held Hostage: Lebanon and the West.

Finally, permit me to mention as a drummer with sensitive ears, that even if they were not injured physically in any other way, that blast surely destroyed or irremediably harmed many people's eardrums who were within a mile or two of it. My heart goes out to the people there.

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