Yes there is a significant “resistance” to the resistance. And your right in regards to blaming Hezbollah for the war. I compare the matter to a parent collectively punishing all of their children for one’s fault, and so all siblings would dislike the one at fault instead of the parent’s action. Except in reality the parent is a genocidal entity with which we had past experiences.

The opposition is not fond of zionists per se, but rather it is against any intervention in Lebanon’s affairs, be it the Unites States or Russia or any other state. This is their official stance, but one cannot be sure what their real intentions are because there is a stigma in the arab world attached to normalisation with the entity.

This is an alt account. I come from another instance. Your recent integration into the fediverse is a blessing :)

Ideally overthrowing the bourgeoisie in the West ;)

Any contribution for the anticolonial cause, be it material or immaterial, is cherished. I am afraid I cannot as of now recommend any organisation to donate to for aiding refugees (maybe the red cross and red cresent??) but I will look into it. And thank you for your wishes.

Wallah shu! Then you are my neighbours. May Allah protect everyone. (From the way you wrote your comment I assume you live abroad?)

The soviet union is rarely mentioned nowadays, be it positively or negatively. I presume this is because the union wasn’t directly involved in the domestic affairs of the country, not even during the civil war. Some old people, usually muslims, have good impressions because they studied in soviet universities by means of scholarships. However the common talking points about soviet tyranny are prevalent here like in any capitalist society. Most true leftists I know defend the union or at least have sympathies towards it.

Opinions on the current Russian administration are mixed. Unsurprisingly the orthodox community is supportive of Russia. People’s opinion also depends on how they view the Assadist regime in Syria, because Russia has been Syria’s biggest ally since the eruption of the civil war. Sometimes you can see pro-Ruasian posters on advertisement signs. I also remember that Russia donated a remarkable quantity of wheat to Lebanon during the crisis.

Thank you for all your wishes, comrade. I dearly hope that your country one day regains its communist ways and surpasses its past glory.

Mujaddara!

No optimism in sight. The Zionist entity is far from collapsing anytime in the foreseeable future considering all the funding it gets from the West. I think its destiny is connected with that of the United States. Keep in mind that this is not our first war with the entity.

From the Lebanese point of view, the curewnt zeitgeist is a pessimistic one, almost to a numbing effect. In 2019, mass protests occured against the sectarian establishment. In 2020, the economic crisis happened. Also 2020 vovid happened and has only died down (or given less attention) in late 2023. And now the Israeli invasion.

As a leftist, I look at the issues from the feasibility of a proletarian revolution which had looked hopeful prior to 7 october with how the economy was moving. But the working class is still divided by culture wars and strategies employed by the sectarian bourgeoisie. In 2022-23 a surge against syrian refugees and immigrants took place, officials here like in Europe claim that the immigrants are the reason for the economic crisis to alleviate their responsibility from the mess they created since the 90s due to neoliberal austerity measures. Anyways I am digressing. Point is, we need rebuild the political left as well as the labor movement. These opinions do not reflect those of the average Lebanese.

The Prime Minister has been calling for a ceasefire and the application of resolution 1701 (which on the one handdefunds hezbollah and replaces it with the Lebanese army, and on the other hand forces Israel to withdraw from the south). Of course, the resolution is unfeasible but that’s a whole different matter.

From the humanitarian aspect, the government is employing a support plan in cooperation with NGOs and the UN to help and accommodate refugees. The state’s treasury is dry so most assistance depends on donations.

For context: the cabinet was officially dissolved in late 2022 but was not replaced since we still await the election of a new president. In other words the current government is effectively useless.

Fawwaz Traboulsi is Marxist Historian and political scientist, definitely worth checking out.

Ussama Makdisi is Palestinian but wrote in depth about religious sectarianism in Lebanon.

Also check out kotobli which is a cool website to discover Arabic literature outside the framework of Anglo-American hegemony.

Will definitely do so, comrade.

Oh that was a common concern. Especially directly after the incident, there was a lot of fear mongering being perpetuated. Some claimed that the batteries of phones and laptops were also rigged or, worse, lithium batteries connected to solar panels were going to explode (FYI, the majority of households use solar energy and virtually every roof has at least one station).

Also, you reminded me of this

Lebanese cuisine conquering the world is the only imperialist endeavour I approve 😎

It’s very interesting because many of our dishes we share with the neighbouring countries due to cultural and historical ties. One factor could be that the Lebanese among the arab nations were the first to immigrate (circa 1840’s) to the west. They were mostly christian minorities who fled and were very successful in establishing themselves abroad. This could also be a case of xenophobia and islamophobia. But I am no expert.

Also, the food tastes even better if you visit the country.

Hasbara and liberal, disconnected expats. They never reflected the political culture and now more than ever. And they always spoke in English. Lebanese have a severe case of westoxication.

I didn’t understand your first question. Can you perhaps reformulate it?

The lebanese army is powerless from a political and technical standpoint. It’s extremely underfunded and, more flagrantly, its biggest funder is the United States: a fat conflict of interests. There were for example propositions to receive funds and new equipment from Russia but the US threatened to pull the plug on its funding.

if it and the various faction militias banded together.

That is an interesting point. The mainstream narrative has always put Hezbollah’s militia as an antagonist to the army.