Absence of stability in political attitudes? In quest and search for identity? Let us run a quick scan

Absence of stability in political attitudes? In quest and search for identity? Let us run a quick scan

In response to the suggestive semi accusation and condemnation verdicts of instability of attitudes

On February 2022, what was expected for months, finally became to the surface, for any of the sides to claim all this was a surprise would been an act of hypocrisy, therefore as it finally announced the political Hour Zero, the political equivalent of the big bang theory (According to modern physical theories, the universe and all came to exist through a big bang, at that moment it was millisecond 0), when it started, I did not pretend or act surprised, months of maneuvers were now to step aside, and the dispute and arguments where to released, launched

But the cornerstone of the criticism, conviction, blame and condemnation was based on a single political accusation, “Lack of stability in political attitude, quest and search for identity”

Now the fact that even though we would soon would be faced in mild conflict due to conflicting and contrast positions was not a surprise, I was shocked with the absence of political memory of the accuser

That is why I must return years back and I am obliged to remind, and compare

In the year 1996, we faced each other in a debate; at the time I defended the position of the Lebanese Christian right, who demanded the Lebanese sovereignty and independent

That rises from my firm belief that Lebanon, who I consider one of my two fatherlands, is worth fighting for and defending, the country that I reside in and carry its citizenship, not only do I have the moral right but the moral national patriotic obligation and duty to stand by the forces that fight for the nations freedom, constitution, republic, democracy, independence and sovereignty

At that time I considered the Syrian Army an occupying force that must withdraw from Lebanon, I also said that since the Assad Baath totalitarian regime is a dictatorship, The Lebanese environment can never tolerate its grip which would conflict and try to undermine the Lebanese Democratic system

You on the other hand argued that the Syrian presence in Lebanon is not an occupying force but its existence is legitimate and acceptable, because the Lebanese authorities and rulers at that time ask for it, and that its presence it agreed upon among Lebanese in the Taef agreement, and you condemned the Lebanese Christian parties that demand sovereignty, describing them as extreme, you also condemned the Lebanese Forces and General Aoun, claiming that most of the supporters of General Aoun at Baabda palace before the Syrian invasion of the Lebanese presidential palace to remove General Aoun from the palace are in fact Lebanese Forces extremists

During the debate I demanded that Hizbullah be disarmed, while you defended those weapons stating that Hizbullah is a “resistance force to liberate Lebanon from Israeli occupation”

This was the year 1996

Therefore, to conclude point one, I, a Democratic Socialist had no problem to stand by the Lebanese Christian right, while you refused that approach and declared that “we as socialist must stand by the Baath Arabic Socialist party and the pro-Syrian Lebanese left”

2000

In the year 2000, our left changed course, and late Raffik Harriry approached the Christian right, while the Syrian regime was starting to pressure Harriry, who allied with Druze leader Walid Junblat, who demanded that the Syrians withdraw to the Bekaa Valley, Syrian regime allied with Harrirys opponents like president Lahoud,

At the time, I followed my principle and returned to my family, and soon Harriry approached the “meeting of Qornet Shehwan”, a Christian coalition of sovereignty powers under the umbrella of Christian Maronite Patriarch Sfeir, Qornet Shehwen demanded the Syrians pull out of Lebanon

At that time, it was not I who had started to change positions and lose “stability in attitudes”, you seemed to accept my ideas, because you stood by our left, who was now witnessing a rift with Damascus

2005

Then came the year 2005, and the Cedar Revolution, where 1.5 Million Lebanese declared that Syrian army is an occupying force and demanded its immediate withdrawal, you joined the Cedar revolution in 2005, I joined it in 1996, when I started participating in the political meetings of the Lebanese Forces and the Lebanese Phalange

In the summer of the year 2009, you said: “You were right and correct in 1996, I was wrong”

2013

The Syrian revolution started, you said in a speech in front of thousands in forum De Beirut:

“Regardless of the political slogans, we as Social Democrats can never stand with dictatorships who fight against their own people, even if they say they are socialists”

I stood firm to my political ideologies and stood by the Syrian revolution

2022

You said “I salute the comrades of the Syrian Arabic Socialist Baath party” in Aleppo

I say that regime is illegal and imposed by the Russian occupation of Syria, the Baath regime does not represent the Syrian people but the Russian occupation

2022

I said I condemn the Armenian authorities’ measures who want to impose cruel penalties on the poor Armenian working class people, who curse over the internet,

And I said that from the viewpoints and ground of “the punishment must fit the crime”, most of the people have no idea about all this, from a humanitarian, Christian and human perspective, and democratic values that are based on tolerance, forgiveness, harmony

Now that makes me a democratic socialist

You on the other hand defended those measures, by saying that, “everyone knows that no one should curse” and thus you suddenly forgot your praise of the “solidarity with the poor working class, defend the weak and the poor” thus turning to the concept and principles of “it might not be fair, but it is the law” of course the law of the capitalist

2021

I refused any alliance with the neo liberals, you agreed for years with me, then suddenly you declared admiration towards them

2022

You expressed disappointment, shock, surprise, It seems to me you faked it, when you found my alliance with the Armenian National movement, the National Democratic Alliance, the Pro western force, I cannot see why you found this strange and unfamiliar, in one of your primitive expired sentence you said : how come you declare yourself a leftist democratic socialist and go ally with the extreme right fascists” your words astonished me, how come you forgot or did not find it unfamiliar that I have always allied with the Lebanese right pro sovereign forces, who are equally pro-western and pro sovereignty in Lebanon, like the Armenian National Movment, The National Democratic Axis

And didn’t you yourself become a part of that alliance between our left and the Lebanese forces and the Phalange

Why do you pretend that this is an unexpected step from my part, one that you are unable to understand and absorb?

2022

2022

And what I can never understand is, what is the difference in your own comprehension and logic, between the National Democratic Axis, that you condemn as a movement : "so irrational, extreme, unrealistic, utopian, far from reality, ultra nationalist, pro west" and base all your assumptions on the fact that they are strongly pro-western and Anti-Russian, but yet again I saw you with my own eyes making the most intimate friendly warm gestured towards the Armenian European Party leaders, who, when it comes to the foreign policy, declare the same level of Pro-western Anti-Russian stances

Is not by you a double standard stance, and instability of political attitudes

The only difference between these 2 forces is that the NDA is an opposition to the current authorities while the European party has good relations with the authorities

Therefore I am under the impression that the criteria for you is not the position towards Russia but rather towards the authorities in Yerevan

I on the other hand, have good relations with both parties, but of course I am closer to the NDA, in harmony with my political stance, as an opposition to the neo liberal authorities, where the country suffers deep social injustice under their era  

No wonder you refused all my calls for debate, dialog

To be continued

Peter Manoukian

A Democratic National Socialist

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