Federalism Reloaded

[Dry Ice]

The topic of federalism has been thoroughly discussed but that was prior to May 7.

May 7 if anything constitutes the sharpest challenge since 1990 to the idea of Lebanon as a central and unified state.

What is your opinion on that matter, do you support or oppose it?

Did your feelings about federalism change in one way or another during the past few years?

Thoughts appreciated..

Disclaimer: opening the discussion does not necessarily mean supporting the idea nor rejecting it, the thread op reserves the right to express his opinion in due time.

Thanks

[Rye]

totally against it... who does not like the country the way it is let him go elsewhere!

[Libnene Qu7]

I'm with decentralization, which is moderate compared to federalism. I'm against having different cantons per say, but Beirut need not be the center of everything in Lebanon. Other cities and provinces need to play their role, and should provide all legal and beurocratic necessaties without having to travel to Beirut and Baabda.

[elias-aj]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

The topic of federalism has been thoroughly discussed but that was prior to May 7.

May 7 if anything constitutes the sharpest challenge since 1990 to the idea of Lebanon as a central and unified state.

What is your opinion on that matter, do you support or oppose it?

Did your feelings about federalism change in one way or another during the past few years?

Thoughts appreciated..

Disclaimer: opening the discussion does not necessarily mean supporting the idea nor rejecting it, the thread op reserves the right to express his opinion in due time.

Thanks

In fact, it's a good question Dry Ice.

I'm deeply against federalism for some of the following reasons :

1°/ Lebanon is a very small country.
2°/ There is only 3.5 to 4 millions inhabitants.
3°/ Even if there are "christians areas", "druze areas", "chiites areas" and "sunni areas", those areas are still mixed and there is even 50/50 areas with people from any sects living together.
4°/ I think that the most important issue is to allow other areas than Beirut to develop from an economical point of view. Regarding this issue, we could consider either a new development policy or to implement a form of regionalism. This is to be discussed.
5°/ I hope that some day we'll be able to work on the building of a lebanese nation where lebanese consider themselves lebanese before considering themselves sunni, chiites, maronites etc. Implementing federalism is from my point of view in contradiction with this idea.

Etc.

Though, if the current lebanese generation is not able to start working on building a nation etc. and if this current generation is still stupid enough to engage in civil strife or civil wars every 10 years...then...then if implementing federalism could help stopping insanity, massacres and wars between brothers and cousins and neighbors...

One of the worst things, if this option was chosen, is that the Israelis would be able to say : "See ? Always been told look at the lebanese example of coexistence. This was pure BS. Let us keep our political system and if the palestinians are good boys, we may grant them with a little state in Gaza and in some other places, provided they keep quiet."

Another bad thing is that the very conception of Lebanon would be ruined. And we all would fail. Lamentably.

[Libnene Qu7]

By the way, if we ever adopt a fully-fledged federal system in our country, it is vitally important that our road and transportation network throughout the country be fully developed. The "federal" government must do its utmost to implement this project because the regular citizen must find it extremely easy and unobtrusive to travel wherever and whenever he wants inside Lebanon. The present situation of our road networks is a joke to say the least.

[chafic]

1- Who is proposing\discussing federalism?

2- For opponents of such an idea, is the refusal based on a rejection of the whole concept or reservations regarding feasibility?

[Orange Patriot]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

The topic of federalism has been thoroughly discussed but that was prior to May 7.

May 7 if anything constitutes the sharpest challenge since 1990 to the idea of Lebanon as a central and unified state.

What is your opinion on that matter, do you support or oppose it?

Did your feelings about federalism change in one way or another during the past few years?

Thoughts appreciated..

Disclaimer: opening the discussion does not necessarily mean supporting the idea nor rejecting it, the thread op reserves the right to express his opinion in due time.

Thanks

May 7th was not a challenge to the concept of Lebanon as a central and unified state in terms of sects.

The only way you can discuss may 7th as a premise for new debate on federalism is only on the assumption that may 7th is labelled as sectarian strife while we all know it was political.

Having said that, there is nothing new to bring to the table in terms of presenting both side of the argument for federalism. Everything is as it was in terms of federalism and sectarian divide, or lack of.

[dodzi]

I support bureaucratic decentralization. I have always been for it, because as Lebanon Qu7 said, we do not need Beirut to be the center of everything in Lebanon. The different Cazas need more means to assess their budget needs.

But federalism is the wrong way to go! It divides people amongst the already established communities, without giving people the choice to decide their fate (which lies in the religious institution they might not support!). Bureaucratic decentralization is needed for people to be able to decide their economical, financial, infrastructural needs!

PS: aren't we in a federalist system already anyways?

[ecce homo]

Federalism will only promote more sectarianism, hate and ultimately racism. It will not solve any problem but create new ones in the future. We have seen already and last week again what reclusion does to a society and openness is unknown to the people. We have seen how easy it is to some to hate and kill others based on religion. We have seen how easy it is to some leaders to promote an extreme sectarian language to promote more violence or to capitalise on the prevailing hate that they helped to construct. People are an easy prey to extremism when they are put behind some religious barriers.

To those who promote federalism, you are unable to accept the difference of others.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by Orange Patriot

The only way you can discuss may 7th as a premise for new debate on federalism is only on the assumption that may 7th is labelled as sectarian strife while we all know it was political.

But aren't politics sectarian in Lebanon?