Quote:
Originally Posted by elias-aj  Hard to say because we don't know what can be considered "right" or "left" within the scope of the lebanese politics.
I may say that "left", as it is accepted in the western countries, does not exist in Lebanon.
So, from a "western" point of view, if we consider that FPM supports :
- a strong state but focused on its main duties (justice, security, defense...) ;
- principle of a strict lebanese sovereignity ;
- strict independance between the three powers ;
- economic freedom (not the Hariri way but the true one) ;
- rationalization of the political institutions ;
etc., it's rather a right party. |
Left/Right in Lebanon should be taken from a strictly Lebanese point of view. Just like the Democratic Party is considered Left in the US, and the Modem center-right in France, each of these classification is done according to the country we're in...
As for the 5 points:
1- I agree that focus on -internal- security is a rightist objective. However, justice and defense aren't... Justice is usually a focus for opposition parties anywhere in the world (all oppositions world wide will accuse their respective governments and parliamentary majority of injustice). Security is a focus for rightist parties in most countries, but not all...
2- Would you say strict sovereignty isn't a concern for Castro's Cuba, Lenin's Russia, Mitterrand's France, Ceausescu's Romania, Zapatero's Spain, Tito's Yugoslavia?
3- Strict independence between the powers is also an international opposition's focus... No relation with right/left ideology
4- You are right on this one... But again, all, or almost all Lebanese parties are rightist in that case. Hence one should focus on how each party sees the current situation, and wishes the future to be... I'd say yes, FPM is economically liberal. But it also wishes the State to take more control of socio-economic issues, the social policies in general... Bigger involvement of the State in socio-economic affairs is a strict leftist ideology!
5- If by "rationalization", you mean good governance (less corruption, less waste, tighter budget for expenses, etc.), then again, you may be right, but it is relative nonetheless... While a stricter control of corruption is a rightist political focus, they are also a focus by all opposition parties in the world! As for "less public expenses", I believe that FPM isn't for "less expenses", but "better expenses"... In fact, they might even believe in more expenses on socio-economic issues... But that's debatable...
In 1995, Hariri lowered all taxes to a flat 10% tax rate. That's a pure liberal (by the historical definition, not the American one) policy... FPM, as far as I'm concerned, has always defended the rights of the poor, and believes in more social expenses on them... FPM is hence on the left from FM... But since it believes in a liberal economic policy, it still is rightist! In my opinion, when it comes to economic issues, FPM stands in a center-right position...
Where does FPM stand on the political spectrum? -
9th April 2009
