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DISCUSSION: Lebanon - the struggle continues.

Where in the world has suffered more from external interference than Lebanon?

For most of human history the Lebanon region has been a major focal point for people, war and enterprise. From this rich combination and diversity there grew a country of wealth, a country who understood the differences in culture that so deluded many other areas of the world – and used this understanding to create more wealth.

And then the extremists came.

Armed with guns from nearby states who seemingly wanted to undermine any sense of stability anywhere in the world, armed by a philosophy of destruction and hate and division, the extremists came. They came to destroy … and were outstanding in their goal to create a pile of rubble that was rich Lebanon, to create heartbreak and terror and refugees. And in keeping with all this type of extremism armed from far off places they would then claim the rest of the world was responsible for this destruction.

Lebanon had a democracy. It still has.

No democracy is perfect. Yet if it is so imperfect then why do so many people from tyrannical states seek to escape the harshness of those states and flee to a better life in the democratic world? The democratic world gives them a voice. It gives them status. It gives them security. It gives them education, health, opportunity. It is a place to grow and flourish and to develop.

Yet it is this very development, this encompassing of ideas, this diversity the extremists invariably seek to destroy because it does not fit in with their barbaric attitude of how the world moves. But that’s it – the world does move. There are many people in the world who will do anything they possibly can to halt this movement. They reach to demonic depths for the means to justify their ends – and still the world moves.

These … people … they hate development. They hate diversity. They hate new ideas. They hate anyone – anyone – who does not agree with their outdated view of the world. They relish the prospect of destruction.

They seek now to destroy the remainder of Lebanese democracy. This democracy, those people who reach for something better, have already suffered incredibly at the hands of external interference. This democracy is clinging on by its fingernails in the face of unbelievable pressure from those external states, and from the extremists armed to the teeth by those external states who should be eternally ashamed of themselves for the damage they are perpetuating.

Why is this important? Why is Lebanon, which is a small country, so important to the rest of the world? Why should the world pay attention to the undeniable plight of Lebanon?

The world should pay attention because Lebanon is so crucially placed. It is also a democracy in a region infamous for its extremist inspired instability. The murderous extremists who inspire such instability are doing everything in their considerable power to maintain and spread this instability in the sure knowledge that stability will create growth – and they themselves will not be required. The extremists live to destroy. To sustain themselves they must spread their destruction. If the brave souls of Lebanon fall … who will be next? The eyes of the extremists will then turn to those rich states on the periphery of the region – and they will strip those states bare to feed their addiction and leave such a trail of destruction that will be truly unbearable, that will be truly shameful.

Lebanon is crucial to the stability of the entire Middle East region. It is crucial to the stability of the world. This is where a stand must be taken lest the extremists, and the madmen from external states who inspire the extremists, gain too much strength, too much momentum. Lebanon may be a small country yet here is where the heart of the world will either beat strongly or will cease to beat at all. If there is a wider instability there will only be a wider destruction – and will be too much to stop.

We know from bitter experience what type of people the extremists are, what they will stoop to, what they desire above all else. And yet … what sort of people are we? Are we the type of people to yet again turn a blind eye to the plight of a besieged people, turning a blind eye to the brave and the courageous in the hope the extremism will be contained? Have we not seen enough destruction?

Democracy may not be perfect yet is far more preferable to the tyranny of others. What shame will be ours if we fail to assist those in the small country of Lebanon struggling to make their democracy survive in the face of intolerable cruelty.

The world is changing. The time has come to stand … and to make a sustainable difference – but wisely and without falling into the trap of past efforts. It’s time to work smarter not harder. Lebanon is where we will make a difference.

Written by: JAMES STUART http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesstuart - new direction and development through innovation

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