As we approach the anniversary of the so-called revolution that began on the 17th of October, we look back and wonder - what did it achieve? What came of it?
My personal outlook of it is, sadly, extremely negative:
-Not only has the mafia state not been dislodged, it has actually become more entrenched. Hariri is favorite to become PM for the 5th time. Joumblatt's monopolist-feudalist empire is untouched. Berri's criminal network has become an accepted reality within the public consciousness.
-The mafia state media is still free to misdirect, misinform and whitewash without consequences. Journalists on payrolls being dictated what to say and how to say it conduct character assassinations on Aljadeed, while MTV and LBC whore themselves out to whoever coughs up the cash... People still watch them and believe them without question.
-The judiciary is ridiculously corrupt, yet has been spared from any attack. The truth behind the August 4 Beirut explosion will forever be hidden from the public, as Judge Ghassan Ouweidat - a person directly responsible for the catastrophe - is heading the investigations and putting into custody those who attempted to blow the whistle on the nitrate depots. At the same time, honest prosecutors and lawyers get probed by compromised committees while gang leaders like Geagea and Franjieh openly harbor fugitives - and the public doesn't bat an eye.
-The country's economy has been truly and deeply ****ed. I don't care if our financial system was destined to go into freefall sooner or later. The false revolution hastened our demise and contributed heavily in destroying what little was still holding on, only to completely fail at backing real change and accountability when the opportunity presented itself.
-The people are so radicalized and divided that a civil war is no longer out of the question. All bridges of communication have been burned and would take years to reestablish. Echo chambers have been reinforced. Sober, reasonable thought has been replaced with extremism and refusal to find a middle ground.
-Bullying and harassment have become widely accepted. The filth of humankind, like Gino Raidy and Pierre Hashash, can sway opinions and accuse whoever they want of whatever they want. The fake "thawra3" has given a platform for the worst of us to drag us all down to their level.
-The common man's will to revolt and change has been exploited and drained dry by parasitic political parties to the point where another movement is almost impossible to awaken, at this point. The population is escaping the country en masse... A true exodus.
I could go on for pages, but it all amounts to the same thing: the Oct. 17 revolution has been a tragically fatal event in the history of this nation. A lie. A scam. Nothing good came out of it, and I don't see how anything will.
But that's my opinion. What is yours?
My personal outlook of it is, sadly, extremely negative:
-Not only has the mafia state not been dislodged, it has actually become more entrenched. Hariri is favorite to become PM for the 5th time. Joumblatt's monopolist-feudalist empire is untouched. Berri's criminal network has become an accepted reality within the public consciousness.
-The mafia state media is still free to misdirect, misinform and whitewash without consequences. Journalists on payrolls being dictated what to say and how to say it conduct character assassinations on Aljadeed, while MTV and LBC whore themselves out to whoever coughs up the cash... People still watch them and believe them without question.
-The judiciary is ridiculously corrupt, yet has been spared from any attack. The truth behind the August 4 Beirut explosion will forever be hidden from the public, as Judge Ghassan Ouweidat - a person directly responsible for the catastrophe - is heading the investigations and putting into custody those who attempted to blow the whistle on the nitrate depots. At the same time, honest prosecutors and lawyers get probed by compromised committees while gang leaders like Geagea and Franjieh openly harbor fugitives - and the public doesn't bat an eye.
-The country's economy has been truly and deeply ****ed. I don't care if our financial system was destined to go into freefall sooner or later. The false revolution hastened our demise and contributed heavily in destroying what little was still holding on, only to completely fail at backing real change and accountability when the opportunity presented itself.
-The people are so radicalized and divided that a civil war is no longer out of the question. All bridges of communication have been burned and would take years to reestablish. Echo chambers have been reinforced. Sober, reasonable thought has been replaced with extremism and refusal to find a middle ground.
-Bullying and harassment have become widely accepted. The filth of humankind, like Gino Raidy and Pierre Hashash, can sway opinions and accuse whoever they want of whatever they want. The fake "thawra3" has given a platform for the worst of us to drag us all down to their level.
-The common man's will to revolt and change has been exploited and drained dry by parasitic political parties to the point where another movement is almost impossible to awaken, at this point. The population is escaping the country en masse... A true exodus.
I could go on for pages, but it all amounts to the same thing: the Oct. 17 revolution has been a tragically fatal event in the history of this nation. A lie. A scam. Nothing good came out of it, and I don't see how anything will.
But that's my opinion. What is yours?