Marhaba.

I live in Lebanon, Aley district. Israeli airstrike targets are at proximity of my location. Beirut, and particularly Dahieh, is completely visible from my balcony. There are also refugees sheltered in my town.

Other things to know about me: I am a leftist, and a legal and political writer.

P.S. I will answer anything (as it is with AMA posts), not only issues pertaining to the recent events.

  • SubstantialNothingness [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
    6·
    2 hours ago

    I have so many questions I could ask. Here is a selection of them. I know it’s a lot, so please feel free to not answer any of them.

    • What does Lebanon need most right now? (This is an intentionally vague question.)
    • How can Lebanese leftists make a difference domestically? Internationally?
    • In your eyes, what does global leftism need the most right now? What can global leftists do for each other right now?
    • What does leftism in imperial countries need the most right now? What can empire-residing leftists in particular do for the people of exploited states?
    • How much of an impact has the 2020 Beirut port explosion had on the country? (The videos that day had a profound effect on me, I think about Lebanon all the time and try to speak up for the Lebanese people whenever it is relevant. Is that weird?)
    • What are the chances that the existing government structure remains intact in, let’s say, 20-25 years? What do you think and what is the consensus opinion?
    • How functional is the national government right now? What areas (responsibilities/programs) and regions are it more and less functional in? How is the government viewed?
    • How do Beirut and regions further north view Hezbollah?
    • Lebanon is a diverse country. Across the territory, how strong is the desire to remain as a single coherent state in the long-term?
    • What do you think will determine Lebanon’s fate over the next few decades? How much is under the control of the populace, vs. how much is dependent on externalities?
    • What is the prevalence in the country of the various opinions about climate change?
    • You’ve mentioned the prevalence of solar cells. Was this driven out of necessity? If so, what lessons can you share with the rest of us - were there challenges in adoption, was it surprisingly easy to adopt, is this solution sufficient for people’s energy needs in Lebanon, what conditions led to people adopting solar cells, who has been left out in this transition, etc.
    • What has been the reaction among the people to Nasrallah’s assassination?
    • Do you feel safe right now? If not, what would help you to feel safer?
  • Mardoniush [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
    3·
    22 minutes ago

    I know the divisions in Lebanese society can be fairly extensive, but this seems to have outraged my (many, close) friends of Lebanese origin across the board. Is it the same there?

    Is there any chance of the politicians unifying in resistance? I know the Lebanese army could probably effectively resist an Israeli incursion if it and the various faction militias banded together.

  • PKMKII [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
    4·
    2 hours ago

    I know this is a less serious question, but any tips/recommendations for someone visiting Lebanon? I’ve wanted to go there for the longest time.

  • miz [any, any]@hexbear.netEnglish
    17·
    5 hours ago

    if you know Roqayah Chamseddine can you tell her I thought her recent appearance on The East is a Podcast was very good

      • miz [any, any]@hexbear.netEnglish
        12·
        4 hours ago

        I discovered The East is a Podcast via their Tankie Therapy series of group therapy sessions where they try to cope with the news of the zionist atrocities, highly recommended

    • godsvictory [any]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
      32·
      5 hours ago

      More or less inexistent. The Lebanese Communist Party has no more popularity even after it rebranded itself as soccdem in the 70’s.

      The Progressive Socialist Party adopted sectarian politics after the assassination of its former leader.

      There is the Communists Action Organisation in Lebanon which still upholds its socialist character.

      After the 17 october 2019 protests, a new grassroot party emerged called “Citizens in a State” whose leader is an approved communist. But the party’s constituents are diverse, from liberals to socdems, neoliberals, socialists and so forth. Wasn’t very fond of their programme.

      I think the main issue of the political left is its failure to attract and mobilize the working class. The only recent example I can recall is the establishment of a labor union by the workers of Spinneys (supermarket chain) after intense legal battles with the help of the communist leader that I mentioned earlier. I highly recommend reading about it: https://www.jadaliyya.com/Details/27198

  • Utter_Karate [he/him, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
    English
    27·
    6 hours ago

    To give you one of those not pertaining to current events:

    How did Lebanese cooking conquer so much of the world? I feel like every other country with a cuisine that is as widely spread and popular is more than ten times the size. I actually just did a search for Stockholm where I live and found 54 different lebanese restaurants. The food is great, but why did Lebanon in particular beat all of its bigger neighbours and become such a giant in food culture?

    • godsvictory [any]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
      40·
      6 hours ago

      Lebanese cuisine conquering the world is the only imperialist endeavour I approve 😎

      It’s very interesting because many of our dishes we share with the neighbouring countries due to cultural and historical ties. One factor could be that the Lebanese among the arab nations were the first to immigrate (circa 1840’s) to the west. They were mostly christian minorities who fled and were very successful in establishing themselves abroad. This could also be a case of xenophobia and islamophobia. But I am no expert.

      Also, the food tastes even better if you visit the country.

      • Utter_Karate [he/him, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
        English
        18·
        5 hours ago

        Being the first to emigrate to a large degree is a great explanation. I don’t think this one can be blamed on islamophobia because I think the islamophobes just consider Lebanon to be an entirely muslim country already because it’s in that part of the world.

        It is no surprise that there are more good Lebanese chefs in Lebanon than anywhere else, and I hope I’ll be able to visit someday. Stay safe and thank you for answering our questions!

        • FunkyStuff [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
          10·
          3 hours ago

          think the islamophobes just consider Lebanon to be an entirely muslim country already because it’s in that part of the world.

          Christian immigrants from Lebanon would’ve had an easier time integrating into islamophobic societies though, and would act as the bridge between cultures.

  • Vampire [any]@hexbear.netEnglish
    32·
    7 hours ago

    Pagers exploded.

    Walkie-talkies exploded.

    Are people living in fear their lightswitch is about to blow up, or their showerhead, or something? Is there a climate of fear about hidden bombs in everyday objects?

    • godsvictory [any]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
      46·
      7 hours ago

      Oh that was a common concern. Especially directly after the incident, there was a lot of fear mongering being perpetuated. Some claimed that the batteries of phones and laptops were also rigged or, worse, lithium batteries connected to solar panels were going to explode (FYI, the majority of households use solar energy and virtually every roof has at least one station).

      Also, you reminded me of this

        • Chronicon [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
          6·
          1 hour ago

          cheaper than a power plant… and more reliable in places with frequent blackouts.

          small panels, enough to run LED lights and charge phones or whatnot, are very cheap these days. I’m guessing it’s not like most people have a big array of panels and enough batteries for a whole home (at least not at anywhere near murican consumption levels), but even a small solar setup is a valuable backup source

          • FunkyStuff [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
            2·
            23 minutes ago

            Right, I initially pictured a full setup with an inverter for feeding power back to the grid and enough power for their whole homes. I know some people that have similar small solar setups to make it through hurricanes, it’s a real life saver and I can imagine if your neighbors are demented Zionists it’s always good to have backup plans.