Hazem Saghiyeh

Lebanon is witnessing nowadays a phenomenon of rare occurrence worldwide, that of the rulers’ revolutionaries. This is different from the phenomenon of revolutionary rulers who get to power upon the impulse of radical ideologies and then establish despotic and totalitarian regimes.

What is meant, in this case, are those who voice opinions and take stances in support of the current security regime in Syria, loathe the Syrian uprising, support Hezbollah’s power in Lebanon and hate the freedom to voice different opinions out loud, including the freedom to demand international justice.
However, these people remain revolutionaries, both nominally and at heart. Siding with tyranny, force and despotism against the demands and freedoms of the majority of people involved does not make them any less revolutionary.

Setting details aside, we notice that their greatest justification in their “opposition” to the United States and Israel. Their self-definition as “revolutionaries” has got absolutely nothing to do with their stance on freedom, despotism, the economy, education, health, etc.

Moreover, being a revolutionary has, over the course of history, acquired a meaning pertaining to the radical stance on religion, sex, morality and spiritual, cultural and political authorities. Our revolutionaries have got absolutely nothing to do with those as well, as they are part of the most active highly conservative forces not only in politics, but also with regard to ethics and values.

This continuous mixing of elements that cannot be mixed is made easier by the fact that the above mentioned are “opposed” to the United States and Israel. With all due respect to this opposition, it is highly questionable whether it can attain the unattainable.

Things being what they are, Arab revolutions have come to pose a serious threat to these clumsy and deceitful visions and will probably lead to their demise.

Indeed, it seems unfortunate and laughable all at once to take up the Syrian regime’s defense because it “supports the Resistance and opposes the United States and Israel,” while overlooking its stances on freedoms, the economy, education, etc., i.e. everything that politics is meant to address.
This holds true provided that we believe in the first place that this regime understands “support” and “opposition” in the same sense as the one imputed to it by the despotic rulers’ revolutionaries.