From Scylla into Charybdis

What unfolded before us was not a three-act Greek tragedy, but a lived experience: raw, immediate, degrading, and unforgivable. In less than two weeks, we watched unfold on our screens, in turn, a ludicrous comedy, a surreal situation, and a human catastrophe. Three distinct episodes, yet all exposing, revealing, and condemning the daily evils that continue to gnaw at a drained and weakened Lebanon.

The Dunces’ Fair

“What could this man possibly have in common with the people, this portly, pretentious bourgeois upstart, frequenting swanky bars, and a man who actually works… And is it not the greatest misery of our time that it is such a man who speaks for the people, who speaks among the people, who speaks about the people?”

These words, written by Charles Péguy in his essay L’Argent and addressed to his former mentor Jean Jaurès, apply perfectly to the vast majority of so-called representatives of the people, who seize any opportunity, under any pretext, to defend (?) the “interests” of their electorate. Yet telling the truth – whole truth, nothing but the truth, or even just part of it, however dull, painful, or hard to swallow – does not seem to be part of their creed. But is that really surprising? And should we expect anything better?

For three days, we were treated to a performance utterly ludicrous, absurd, grotesque, even shameful – at times verging on a full-blown brawl. No, this was not a Feydeau-style comedy; it was the parliamentary debates over the 2026 budget. Characters spouted platitudes, lies, inaccuracies, and half-truths; others, either to appease the justifiable anger of protesters at the gates of Parliament or to win a few more votes in the next election, proposed without any prior study to raise the salaries of army retirees. And, of course, there were the moralists who seized the floor to declaim nonsense, and those who simply accepted a poorly crafted, unfair, and downright absurd budget, even when their government representatives opposed it. Go figure.

All of this unfolded in a barnyard-like chaos, with hens squabbing and clucking while the rooster on his perch seemed utterly overwhelmed – so much so that he ordered the television broadcast cut immediately, either to spare the coop even further humiliation in the eyes of the world, or to slip unpopular decisions through under the radar.

In short, it was a veritable cacophony, with everyone clamoring for attention, feigning outrage, gesticulating loudly, and protest vehemently, while the people suffer, bear the brunt, and remain largely silent. “When truth is costly, falsehood becomes effective,” as Plato once said of democracy. Our Parliament of Shame stands as a stark, undeniable proof.

An Absurd Spectacle

Should we have believed in Santa Claus when the chief of the army arrived in Washington? Or was the mission he was entrusted with doomed from the start, destined to flounder on the banks of the Potomac? Was it a matter of poor preparation, psychological misjudgment, or naïveté on his part – or was it simply a trap into which Heykal fell? Is the Army General Staff so thoroughly infiltrated by Hezbollah, and does any real will to finally stand up to the militia actually exist?

There is no doubt that the commander-in-chief’s response to Senator Graham’s question will be subject to multiple interpretations and generate much commentary. Yet, regrettably, it may also pave the way for new problems and serious complications that our country can ill afford.

We therefore have the right – if not the duty – to ask ourselves these questions, in light not only of the army’s urgent needs, the credibility and authority of the state, but above all the hope that every sincere Lebanese placed in the success of this mission, which I hope will not end in disappointment.

“When someone desires health, one must first ask whether they are ready to remove the causes of their illness,” Hippocrates once said. When seeking the help of others, one cannot afford to be picky or try to outsmart them. A truth as plain as day. Was Graham, in fact, sending a clear message to the Lebanese state through its representative?

It would, however, have been easy for the general to respond with tact and skill – several acceptable answers were possible – rather than reacting reflexively to the senator’s trap question, whose position on Israel is well known, a conviction he makes no effort to conceal. Even Darin Lahoud, a congressman of Lebanese origin with Lebanon close to his heart, had been very clear in his remarks regarding Hezbollah. And yet… disaster struck!

It is obvious that we have once again missed a golden opportunity to wipe the slate clean, assert our genuine will to take our destiny into our own hands, and thus open a more promising new chapter. One can only hope that this surreal spectacle we have witnessed will not have harmful repercussions for all of us. The stakes are nothing less than the fate of a country where corruption and inequality reign, and a population that is impoverished, exhausted, despairing, and at the end of its tether. Skepticism, therefore, remains the order of the day – until further notice.

The Tripoli Tragedy

What kind of jungle are we living in? Admittedly, we ask ourselves this question every day, but what recently unfolded in Tripoli is not only a human catastrophe – it is above all the result of criminal negligence and rampant corruption at every level. A calamity of this magnitude would have cost many heads in a country that respects itself. Some of our ministers and senior officials should have resigned; others should have been thrown in prison. A sorrowful scene that reflects the country’s profound decay, systemic disintegration, and rampant injustice.

Cioran once remarked, with caustic wit, that “what is unfortunate about public misfortunes is that anyone considers themselves competent enough to comment on them.” The city’s MPs are all too quick to take the spotlight, appear on the airwaves, puff out their chests, and accuse the state of negligence. But where were they when tragedy first struck the northern capital a few weeks ago? The same goes for the state itself.

The Tripoli millionaires who could have contributed to rehabilitating at-risk buildings were also conspicuously absent. Despite red flags being raised and the looming threat of dozens of houses collapsing, no serious action was taken to address the problem. Nobody lifted a finger. And once again, the city was struck by tragedy on 8 February. Today, the death toll and the number of injured continue to rise, all victims of the irresponsibility and indifference of a sclerotic, rotten administration.

At the risk of upsetting all Hezbollah die-hard supporters, it is not enough to appease the inhabitants of the South at the expense of the rest of the country. Certainly, this part of the country, ravaged by the armed militia’s irresponsibility, deserves the state’s attention – but not at the cost of other disaster-stricken regions that also urgently require funds, serious assistance, protection, and governmental care. Tripoli is just one example. Urgency is pressing at the doorstep, and the risks of popular unset, with unpredictable consequences, could soon take the authorities by surprise. Anger is brewing, and this city – long abandoned and deliberately left to its fate – has its voice. Mending the cracks or relying on stopgap measures will longer suffice. A state of emergency and a serious rescue plan to avert the worst are urgently required.

Voltaire once considered that “politics is the means by which men and women without principles govern men and women without memory.” I cautiously subscribe to the first part of his observation, while remaining convinced that principled and well-intentioned individuals do exist among us. As for the rest of his insight, I am inclined to agree. Our current political situation provides a perfect illustration: to this day, we keep recycling the same people and starting over.

Are we truly so subjugated – or so forgetful? Has the ceaseless desire of our local buffoons to toy with us not already revealed its limits? Isn’t their disastrous performance a matter of reflection? Are we, then, doomed to fall eternally from Scylla into Charybdis? Food for thought.