Lebanon on Life Support

“The country is experiencing the aftermath of a huge disaster that has left a devastating impact. The port of Beirut disaster resulted from deep-seated corruption and years long mismanagement. I am ready to handle the government’s responsibility for two months until political parties reach an agreement."             "Lebanon cannot rise from the current crisis without early parliamentary elections. The investigation of the Beirut port tragedy will not take long."                        Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab,

"I took to the streets yesterday because I have nothing left to keep me home. I could have died in the explosion, which is a result of the government’s corruption over 30 years."                                                                                                  "We — the people in the streets — have so much rage inside us, something I have never witnessed before. People have died because of the government’s slackening and failure to play its role after the blast."                                                             "We are protesting to ask the government to step down. I think we achieved something yesterday. We broke the taboo by hanging gallows in the square. We are back to tell the ruling class that we have not forgotten about it."                    Fatat Ayad, a protester

"[Saturday's] protest outweighed the Oct. 17 one because of protesters’ simmering, unprecedented rage since the October revolution."                                              "The main drive of yesterday’s protest was people’s deep sense of the government’s disdain for its people."                                                                         "I don’t think anything will appease the streets before taking their revenge. New, well-studied, violent and organized protests are being arranged. Many revolution groups called on people to remain in the streets. Daytime hours will have precarious calm because most of the youths work in the relief efforts, but various acts can be expected any minute."                                                                                  Ali Heidar, political activist

The huge quantity of ammonium nitrate should have been immediately moved out of the busy port after it arrived.

This composite image shows the port of Beirut before and after Tuesday's blast. (Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)

Demonstrators stand near a burning fire during a protest near parliament following Tuesday's blast in Beirut's port area. (Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)

"These resignations show the fragility of the regime at the current stage and how difficult it is to reproduce itself — after Oct. 17 and after the monetary collapse, and the economic crisis and the explosion of the port," "                                           These resignations are details. What is important are the popular movements, their organization and resistance. The wager today is that we will be able to advance and take actual steps to change the entire system."                                            Hashem Adnan, a political activist in political and social change movement  LiHaqqi Group

People make their way toward a clash happening between two separate factions of protesters during a protest at Martyrs' Square, Beirut, Lebanon, Aug. 9, 2020. Photo by Daniel Carde/Getty Images

Tear gas was fired at protesters on Sunday in Beirut in an effort to disperse the rock-throwing protesters furious with their incompetent, corrupt government when a road was blocked near parliament in a second straight day of anti-government demonstrations in response to the devastating explosion last week in Beirut's dock area killing 160 people and injuring 6,000. At an entrance to Parliament Square fire broke out while demonstrators attempted to break through a cordoned-off area. Protesters were able to break into the ministry offices of the housing and transport minister.

And amidst the accusations of incompetence and malfeasance, the fury and the blame, two government ministers resigned, agreeing that the government had indeed failed to reform. The explosion last Tuesday of over 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate focused peoples minds on the plight of the country in economic crisis caught in the grip of a menacing pathogen, massive unemployment and no end in sight of the misery people are facing, not a shred of light at the end of the tunnel of suffering and privation.

The further devastation caused by the detonation of carelessly stored explosive material when the government had turned deaf ears to imploring dock authorities anxious to have the chemicals removed, mindful of the danger it presented, was simply too much for Beirutis to bear. The government's move to disqualify itself from responsibility for the explosive event that devastated the nation's granary when the dockside silo carrying 80 percent of the nation's stored wheat blew to smithereens, made it no allies. That the government chose to arrest 16 people responsible for dock management represent a further prod to fury.

Sunday protests continued to demand the departure of the government. Environment Minister Damianos Kattar and Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad rendered their resignations, a move that failed to placate the incandescent rage of protesters. 238 people were wounded during the protests, 63 transferred to area hospitals. Treatment elsewhere was given the remaining 175 wounded. A member of the Internal Security Forces was killed during the clashes between protesters and security personnel.

Damaged buildings in Beirut, Lebanon, on 10 August after a massive chemical blast at the port last week. Photograph: APAImages/Rex/Shutterstock

Carrying batons, riot police in body armour clashed with demonstrators, thousands of whom had converted on Parliament Square and Martyrs' Square nearby. "We gave these leaders so many chances to help us and they always failed. We want them all out, especially Hezbollah, because it's a militia and just intimidates people with its weapons", unemployed demonstrator Walid Jamal said. Hezbollah is not merely a militia, a protegee of the al-Quds force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, it is Lebanon's unofficial military, acting independently with separate munitions depots, to the nation's military.

The weekend's protests were scenes of violence in central Beirut, representing the largest protests to take place since October when back then thousands demanded an end to corruption, mismanagement and bad government. "The resignation of an MP or a minister is not enough ... the whole government should resign as it is unable to help the country recover", said Christian Maronite cleric Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai; the cabinet must resign having proven it cannot "change the way it governs".

Martyrs' Square had been transformed into a battle zone between police and protesters trying to break down a barrier with some demonstrators storming government ministries and the Association of Lebanese Banks. The very same banks refusing to release cash funds to people who bank with them. "The police fired at me. But that won't stop us from demonstrating until we change the government from top to bottom", retired army officer Younis Playti,55, declared on Sunday. "Every leader who oppresses us should be hanged", charged mechanic Sabir Jamali, sitting beside a noose attached to a wood frame.

The government responded by reiterating its determination to hold those responsible for the blast to account. They certainly don't mean themselves. Nor do they mean Hezbollah and its chief Nasrallah whose storage of munitions zealously collected in Hezbollah depots over the years, planning with Iran in preparation of a massive launch to be executed against Israel, would have been the likeliest target of 'those responsible'. Instead, public attention is meant to be deflected by arresting port authorities. For of course Hezbollah is an integral part of Lebanon's government....

The image above is a damage proxy map created by scientists affiliated with NASA’s Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) team and the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS). Dark red pixels represent the most severe damage, while orange and yellow areas are moderately or partially damaged. Each colored pixel represents an area of 30 square meters (about the size of a baseball diamond).

For The Greater Good

"Anger and frustration due to the University's refusal to remove the statue has been building in our community for some time."

"In June of this year, almost ten thousand people signed a petition by a Ryerson student calling for the statue to be taken down."

"These community members, Indigenous students, faculty, and staff must finally be heard."

Continuing Education Students at Ryerson (CESAR) petition

"For years, students, staff, and faculty of our university have been advocating for the removal of the statue of Egerton Ryerson, a key architect of the residential school system that caused the deaths and traumatization of generations of Indigenous people."

Corey Scott, executive director, CESAR

Students petition to remove Egerton Ryerson statue on campus (again) Campus News

"At the end of the day, I think it's because these are people who know they'll never do anything great enough to have a statue erected of themselves."

"And so they holler and whine and stomp about until statues of people they disagree with politically and who did great things and built this country and our institutions are erased from the face of our country."

"He is in large part responsible for the wonderful institution of public education that we enjoy today as Canadians. That's something worthy of honour and reverence."

Marshall Darbyshire, president, Ryerson Campus Conservatives

"Many children did not complete even primary school, as schools were not available everywhere, teacher training was spotty at best, and education was not valued by parents of children who were going to work the farm, become a tradesman, or were going to get married and look after the house."

"Ryerson introduced a common curriculum, common textbooks, teacher training, and ultimately required attendance, in order to create a literate population, which he believed necessary for the development of the colony, later the province."

Ron Stagg, history professor, Ryerson University

Egerton Ryerson was chief superintendent of education for Canada West, a man who instituted huge advances in the public system of education in the geographic area of a nascent Province of Ontario. In 1948, Ryerson Technical Institute, later to become Ryerson University in Toronto was named after Egerton Ryerson in recognition of his educational achievements, most particularly his establishing of the public education system in the province. A statue was erected of Egerton Ryerson to stand in proud recognition of his accomplishments.

Three members of Black Lives Matter protesters took it upon themselves to show their disdain for a man they deride as having been a racist, by vandalizing the statue, covering it in pink paint. Because Black Lives Matter has made such waves in the news, and society in general appears to be genuflecting to its  purported cause in support of Black equality, dignity and opportunity, there were presumably no charges laid and a metaphorical shrug ensued, leading to a second vandalization when green paint was splashed on the statue.

A general, universal sweep of historical figures reveal them to have been socially and politically representative of the tenor of their times. People of extraordinary foresight and public service were being scrutinized to discover whether any possible bigoted taint lurked in their personal backgrounds. And much was unearthed to detail issues of the time generally accepted in society as a given, when these individuals of social, political, historical standing supported the generally accepted attitudes then prevailing, and now condemned as unacceptable, abusive of human rights and equality.

Egerton Ryerson was a man of many parts, a Methodist minister, an author, an editor, and an education revolutionary of the 19th century. So it made good sense that a statue would be erected to his honour to commemorate his historical contributions to the province and its future that so greatly benefited from his presence, to stand before the university that bears his name. This was also a man who had involved himself as one of the architects of the now-disgraced residential school system.

This was a network of residential schools operated mostly by religious groups in collaboration with government agencies, where Indigenous children were involuntarily taken from their homes to live in residence where they were taught to be 'civilized', to become model citizens of the future. Where, instead of growing within the tribal structure and inherited culture of the reserve system they were meant to receive a well rounded education to prepare them for their futures.

In many instances, children were taken from dysfunctional families, while in many others children were scooped from their parental homes simply because they were identified as Aboriginal and needful of a white man's education; the 'white man's burden of obligation to those less fortunate'. They were taught discipline and how to care for themselves, along with the 'three Rs' of reading, w/riting and 'rithmatic. They were not permitted to speak their ancestral language. They were homesick.

But out of the experience of emotional deprivation in removal from the family hearth, they also received an education that would otherwise not have been theirs, and many among them were later grateful for the opportunity. They became the quiet, then the silent voices throughout the upheaval of vocal and very loud and florid accusations of white men depriving Indigenous children of their heritage -- and claims of mistreatment were rampant.

The vandalized statue of Egerton Ryerson. Ernest Doroszuk/Postmedia

Now that Black Lives Matter has arisen putting the spotlight on a social boil to be lanced only by the degrading of 'white' and the elevation of 'black', a social alliance between Black and Indigenous has resulted. And Egerton Ryerson has become one of the current-day victims, despised by his detractors as a racist bigot. When he was a man concerned that all children receive an education to prepare them for their future, among them Aboriginal children.

The petition that the group CESAR presented to the University calls on Ryerson president Mohamed Lachemi to end "the glorification and whitewashing of our colonial history", by ordering that the statue be removed from public view. An estimated 150,000 Indigenous children were held to have attended residential schools across the country. Many claimed to have been the victims of physical, verbal and sexual abuse. Somewhat like the British aristocracy sending their offspring to 'public schools', live-in, costly private academies for a formal education which often included physical, verbal and sexual abuse.

Egerton Ryerson's ideas were influential in the establishment of the residential schools. And his ideas which were so valuable across the board in creating excellence in the school system of the fledgling province were valuable to the residential schools as well, ensuring a practical curriculum in a setting that provided for the health and nutritional needs of growing children. From a large constituency of tribal people who resented being patronized and the forced parting with their children.

In 2018, a plaque was attached to Egerton Ryerson's statue, in acknowledgement of his role in residential schools; an effort to bring perspective to his presence. That will not satisfy his impassioned detractors. "I believe it is an incredibly valuable attribute of any university that controversial subjects are discussed publicly, attitudes are challenged, and alternatives are suggested and considered -- sometimes this involves protests like the one we experienced this weekend", read a statement issued by university president Mohamed Lachemi.

Which sounds suspiciously like a preamble to a craven decision forced by the temper of the times.

Photo by Alan L Brown

Quite The Achievement, Justin Trudeau!

"If the frustration and alienation in Alberta continues to mount, it will pose a very serious challenge to national unity."
"This relationship needs some good faith from Ottawa, and if it doesn't get that I feel that alienation is going to go in a very problematic direction."
"We're not going to get one inch closer to a pipeline by closing in on ourselves as a landlocked jurisdiction."
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney

"The path our federal government has been on the last four years has divided our nation."
"Last night's[Monday, October 21] election results showed the sense of frustration and alienation in
Saskatchewan is now greater than it has been at any point in my lifetime."
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe

"Canadians woke up this morning to a more divided country."
"Tonight, Conservatives have put Justin Trudeau on notice, and Mr. Trudeau, when your government falls, Conservatives will be there and we will win."
Conservative Party of Canada Leader Andrew Scheer

"I've heard your frustration and I want to be there to support you."
"To those who did not vote for us, know that we will work every single day for you, we will govern for everyone."
"Regardless of how you cast your ballot, ours is a team that will fight for all Canadians ... To Canadians in Alberta and Saskatchewan know that you are an essential part of our great country."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaking in Ottawa Wednesday

"I want to congratulate the prime minister on his re-election."

"Our government hopes the federal government will join us in making life easier and more affordable for Ontarians and Canadians alike."

"Ontarians need and expect our governments to work with our municipal partners to build new and needed hospital infrastructure, create long-term care beds for our aging population, address gridlock and congestion on our roads and to build affordable housing for young people and families."

Ontario Premier Doug Ford

The Ontario Premier was the principal dragon that Justin Trudeau repeatedly invoked on the campaign trail, whipping out his blunt-edged sword to slay the man in his promises to the voters of Ontario that he would save them from -- the services-cutting slashes of the provincial Conservative government. Premier Ford distinguished himself with the grace of his congratulatory message to the returning prime minister, after having absented himself during the course of the campaign, not wishing to distract from the potential fortunes of the federal Conservative Party which Trudeau repeatedly linked to Premier Ford's.

In stark contrast, the man whose warped policies and vapid, continual invocations of Conservative malice against the electorate, distinguished himself yet again, as a master of deception and ill manners when he deliberately upstaged second-place Andrew Scheer and the Conservative Party of Canada, during Mr. Scheer's concession speech, a gracious yet stern message of acceptance. Just as Mr. Scheer began his opening remarks Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launched into his victory speech, belying honourable tradition, another first of its kind in Canada.

This was, in any event, a first-ever federal election in Canada, its 43th, and nastiest on record for the low level of its efforts to discredit opposition. Although the Liberals managed to save themselves by achieving a minority government, after losing 27 seats of their previous majority government, it was the Conservatives who actually won the popular vote, not the Liberals. The Conservative Party of Canada swept the western provinces, while the Liberals took major cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

After four years in office, an inauspicious time for Canada internally and globally, Justin Trudeau, teetering on the bare edge of a minority government has suddenly sobered, stating that regardless of how any Canadians vote, he's their man, he'll look to their interests, he has respect for all Canadians irrespective of their political allegiance though they were the objects of his sneering contempt for four years. This isn't quite 'sunny ways' Trudeau who had four years to demonstrate to all of Canada that he administered the affairs of the country with equal regard to all its component parts, and who failed miserably, and not because he made the attempt.

With an overall turnout vote among the electorate of around 60 percent, one in five Canadians eligible to vote decided to give the Liberal Party and its leader a second four-year mandate. If the second time around even barely resembles the first, a complete shambles in every metric that counts, there will be nothing left of this country to govern, its confederated cohesiveness lost to history. He heard the nation's frustrations loud and clear the past four years, and did nothing to mediate or remediate. His agenda failed to respect the population's concerns.

Now that the West is grumbling about a possible 'Wexit' and expressing its frustration over federal efforts to contain its natural resource aspirations through a slow death due to neglect and pretense, and petty, harmful legislation, and Quebec is once again flirting with the separatist Bloc Quebecois, the country after the most wretched election campaign in its history is shattered. An Angus Reid poll found 72 percent of Western Canadians back in January believe they are not "treated fairly" by Ottawa, and that belief is well grounded.

He can now say "Let's work hard to keep our country together", but what is it worth? It's a reiteration of the very same statement heard in 2015. Canada is at yet another crossroads, one where Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet has made it clear that his party is interested in only one thing: Quebec. The rest of Canada is entirely irrelevant to their interests other than that they will not tolerate an oil pipeline bringing Alberta crude through the province. 

"If what is proposed is good for Quebec, you can count on us". But if not, "the Bloc will stand in the way"; presumably of any other province asserting an advantage not shared by Quebec, while Quebec continues to placidly feel entitled to vacuum up the major share of the federal taxation distribution system of "equalization" payments, primarily provided through tax transfers emanating from Alberta. As far as cynicism goes, the Bloc is now the third leading party in Parliament, an alienated separatist enclave, for whom Confederation is a trivial thing to be dismissed.