Deception of Democracy By: Alan Hafeza.

Beirut, Lebanon - Why do some very intelligent and well-meaning people fail to understand the true meaning of Democracy, freedom of speech, and freedom of expression?

It is sad how words such as “Democracy” and “Democratic” are misinterpreted - purposely or otherwise - redefined and cheaply thrown around by the militia politicos in Lebanon to justify aggressive actions to paralyze this limping country. Since when was it democratic to occupy public and private property? And by whose definition is it democratic to close public access and strangle the economy of a country?

Nonetheless, I’ve come to accept this self-serving behavior from Hezbollah’s politicians, whom I foolishly admired just few years ago, only to be greatly disillusioned by their militancy and intransigence. And, most certainly I’ve come to accept this behavior from Michel Aoun, who, biting on a rose, would tango with the devil if it helps him realize his political ambitions. No… Their malleable definition of “Democracy” isn’t surprising. It is consistent with other mislabels they’ve included in their lexicon, such as: “Resistance”, “Divine”, “corruption”, “peace”, “coexistence”, … oh, and let’s not forget the biggest mislabel of all: “Victory!”

These word games don’t bother me too much, because I’ve been jaded by keeping up with Hezbollah politics on my semi-reliable satellite television in California. Whereas, similar comments from seemingly reliable sources, such as Marcel Ghanem - the moderator of one of my favorite programs, Kalam El Nas - did bother me greatly.

During a recent episode while he was interviewing Minister Azour, the moderator indicated that the actions of the militants, including closing airport roads and seaport roads, occupying public and private properties are “Democratic, and similar to actions taken in other Democratic countries such as in Europe.”

Not true. The sacred principles of freedom of speech, public gathering, political affiliation, and protests are fully recognized in the West. That is as long as they don’t encroach upon public and private interests. Having participated in protest rallies on several occasions in the United States, I’m aware of these freedoms and their limits. When you protest, you must obtain an authorization from the local government. You file a protest plan showing the details of your march, including date and location. The authorities then temporarily block these roads and may provide police escort for the duration of the protest. The protest must stay within the protest plan, or it will be considered illegal.

It is unheard of in civilized countries to have protestors illegally and endlessly close roads, erect structures on private and public properties, conduct military style sound/light warfare against government institutions, and prevent average citizens from earning their livelihood. In the 1980’s, when the Air Traffic Controllers went on an illegal strike, threatening to close airports in the United States, the government fired them and hired replacements to insure the health of U.S. businesses and economy. The strike was illegal because it would have had a catastrophic effect on people and their lives. In all healthy democracies, the government vigorously deals with illegal actions, be it an illegal protest or a strike (baggage handling aside!).

We must all understand the true meaning of freedom of speech and democratic principles, as they are essential to healthy governments. No one wants a ruler that does not answer to the public through democratic institutions and legal methods. We must feel empowered to criticize our rulers to insure they are doing the right things for the country so long as we do it within the framework of lawful institutions. If someone with such widespread influence as Marcel Ghanem preaches otherwise, then we have a long way to go in Lebanon.