Man, get your ’80s pop culture heroes straight!

Loved it.

Several subjects that have been touched off in this discussion are interconnected, and basically lead to the debate of whether or not to migrate to a secular governing platform.

I think this debate is healthy, especially if it is carried out in good faith among the various parties with the objective of having a better governing system, where a citizen will have allegiance to the state instead of to a sect. To get there genuine fears and assurances have to be addressed.

Now as far as lowering the voting age, I think it’s a good idea, especially if things went secular, as it gives the young folks a mechanism to participate in the system (empowerment).

On the metgharbeen being able to vote or not, I’m with Ghassan on this, there should be a distinction between an expat working overseas and an immigrant who swore allegiant to another country.

The real debate here is why are christians (Maronites in particular) opposed to the change. Two things come to mind.

One is fear of loosing the alloted Taef distribution for economic (government jobs) and political representation reasons. Heck, some are still hoping to restore the old formula, and decrying Taef.

Second, is the fear of ending up as a very marginalized and persecuted minority, as has happened in other ME countries. These fears are genuine and need to be addressed in a forcefull way in the transition process and any revamped constitution. Lebanese christians look accross the ME and they don’t like what they see, and for a good reason. They need solid assurances that they can carry on with there own way of life. Bottom line, these fears should be addressed.

Thank you for framing the argument correctly. No other country frames it any differently especially when in the special case of Lebanon offering the vote to 11 million who live abroad will in effect disenfranchise those that live at home

I repeat, the Lebanese politicians are not as concerned about the vote as they are about the relative proportion of the number of Lebanese in each sect. This is the last hurrah for the extremely disappointing and bigoted Chrisyian Lebanese church and political leaders. They are simply interested in adding say six million Christians to the rolls irrespective of whether there is a mechanism to make that vote a reality or not. Remember that a 100 consulates cannot handle more than potentially a hundred thousand votes abyway and Lebanon is not about to have electronic voting. It is all such a cynical political ploy by the leaders of the church and their political minions. When would the Christian Lebanese ever realize that their salvation is not to create barriers and ploys to show that they are an imaginary majority but to shed sectarianism.

Now, it is you who have stated (and I quote) . . .

“You should be worried with those that live in Lebanon, they are the ones who are making it what it is today.

Let the people choose what they want after all that is how things works in a democracy…”

It is percisely those who LIVE in Lebanon that I worry about and it is THOSE same people who should have the sole right to make decisions that impact their day-to-day lives . . . NOT people like you who are 2 generations removed from the land and have no other impact on their lives other than the occassional visit to a few cousins every few years.

That, my friend is the difference. Your cousins and my in-laws who actually live there have to deal with the everyday . . . so what right should YOU have to make any impact on the lives of MY family, through your political voice when you don’t even live there and probably can’t even properly greet them an Arabic let alone have any clue as to what hardships they face.

You cannot possibly put yourself on the same level as your cousins, or my in-laws or my husband for that matter. By your own admission, your own father didn’t care enough about his country to persue his own citizenship – you had to do it for him and he certainly didn’t care enough to take you back home on his own. Therefore, what makes you think you should be afforded the same rights as your cousins who were born & raised in Lebanon and continue to live there? Or my husband who continues to contribute to the country in every aspect?

What am I afraid of? Here goes . . . people like YOU having a voice in the lives of the people that matter most . . . those who actually LIVE and work there. It is THOSE people who have to deal with any half assed vote you cast from a few thousand miles away . . . a vote that has ZERO impact on your own life but every possible impact on the lives of those who I hold dear – those that actually LIVE there. It is you who said “Let the people choose . . .”; therefore why should you have a choice or impact in THEIR lives?

Now, what is it that YOU fear?

brazilians can vote for president while abroad.

I have some interests in Lebanon, mainly relatives, that is enough for me to care.

I didn’t know I could throw my citizenship away. I am aware of everything that comes with it.

You should be worried with those that live in Lebanon, they are the ones who are making it what it is today.

Let the people choose what they want after all that is how things works in a democracy…

One thing is not clear on your posts, You think we couldn’t vote at all? we can be called to fight in a war but we cannot vote whether in Lebanon or not. It doesn’t looks fair.

Again, What are you afraid of?

saudações

Keep in mind also that there is a big difference between giving someone the right to vote and actually putting in place the required structure to allow one to exercise that vote.