Who of You is Willing to DIE for Lebanon?
Who of you is willing to sacrifice their life for the salvation of their country? And if not your life, are you willing to sacrifice anything for the sake of your country? Will every Lebanese citizen who visits this blog please answer this question with all the truthfulness they can gather in their hearts? Will non-lebanese visitors answer the same question with regard to their own nation?
Thank you for humoring me.
Add: The few replies I got made me realize I somewhat misstated my question. Of course it is better to live for one's country than to die for it, but what I would like to know is whether you would be ready to put your life on the line for something you believe would make a difference. And I intend it to be from a peaceful perspective, ie to die while trying to KILL the "enemy" does NOT count.
Thanks again.
posted by Fouad at 9:59 PM
25 Comments:
If I'm honest with myself, I don't think I would want to die for a nation-state, even my own. But there are some human needs or ideas I am willing to give my life for that are far more important than the state --- freedom, for example, or freeing others from oppression. I'd give up my life for my child or my parents or someone I love deeply. I would give my life to fight the spread of a government or movement that is against freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Those are some things I can wholeheartedly say I would give my life for. But the sacrificial ideology of "I would die for my country" is not only in many ways artificial, but unfair. The real and more realistic question is how much of your time would you give to your country? How much of your money, to make it better? How much of your energy would you take away from consumerism and the like and give to Lebanon?
Would I die for my country? Yes, if it actually helped or protected America in some significant way. But it's far better, I think, to live for one's country. Which helps a country more, a corpse? Or a living man or woman who can bring laughter, or bandage a cut finger, or teach, or build a bridge, or raise a child, or paint a painting, or any of the other millions of little things we do every day that make up a people?
When someone sacrifices his life, he gives up all he would ever have been, known, and done from that moment forward. You have to ask yourself if what your death would achieve, measured against that, is worth it.
I would die for my country.
But of course, I have a country worth dying for. America!
But I much rather have my enemy die for HIS COUNTRY.
But, yeah, I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees.
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Im staying here till the end. some call it career suicide. others call it death. but this is where i wish to live... and die. signed: loubnaniyah.
They wrote in the old days that it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. But in modern war, there is nothing sweet nor fitting in oyur dying. You will die like a dog for no good reason.
--Ernest Hemingway
As an "older" American, who served in US Army in Nam, of course I would fight and if needed, die for the honor and duty of my county - be it 1969 or 2006. I am greatful to had lived under our democratic system, and would offer my blood and purse to assist others to become as fortunate - because I know that would lessen the danger my kids and grandkids face from this insanity I call Islamic facism.
tuck
If I believed in the cause I would die a thousand deaths for my country. It may not be perfect I may not always agree with the policies of those in power at the moment but fundamentally I love my country. There is so much that is good and honorable about it. The good out weighs the bad. So yeah I would die for it.
Considering most countries are ran by conglomerates and corporations with governments but a surface front, the phrase "to die for one's country" is more apt to be "to die for big business".
So the ignorant line up for slaughter to protect the interests of central banking and corporate cronism. Good job you dumbasses of mammon, your proving people can't think independently to preserve the next generations future and would sell out for their mothers for fiat.
Welcome to McWorld...
Fouad~ I've always admired Che Guevara not for his politics, but for his readiness to embrace a cause he believed in and go till the end with it. He was an Argentinian doctor, who fought alongside Castro in Cuba, then Congo, and finally Bolivia where he was captured and killed for his intention of fomenting revolutions. He fought and died for causes that were not his. But ones that he deeply believed in, ones for which he was willing to risk his life.
So to answer your question, yes, I'd be willing to give my life for my country, but only for a cause I believe in~ if ever that cause saw the day. Since even Hizbollah fighters do not die for their country but for their cause, or 'ideology', and since I do not support that ideology, I currently am NOT willing to die for my country. I refuse to be taken as a hostage against my will in my own country, I refuse to stand by and watch my country burn and my fellow citizens die, I refuse to be scared shitless by bombings at night and tremble and pray that "if I get hit, please please let it be swift and painless". I refuse to live in fear and insecurity and anger and frustration. I refuse to become forcefully unemployed and stay at home indefinitely. I was slowly but surely building a future and it was taken away from me. And I'm not just talking about myself but about the thousands of others just like me out there. I refuse to live in a war-torn country for almost half of my life. I hate Hezbollah and I hate Israel for what they are both doing to my beloved country. I dread what will happen post-war because it sure as hell ain't gonna be pretty. All I want is live in PEACE and go about my daily business and have the petty worries of my little insignificant life again... Is that too much to ask??
You know, Fouad, this is a question for a young man, or a middle-aged one. I am a middle-aged woman, a mother of two young sons. I would die for my children.
I would not die for a piece of land, even that land which my great-grandfather tilled, in MIeh-Mieh. My father is dying of cancer in America, and he wants to return to that land, his land, so he can expire there. I understand this. But I would not sacrifice my life for America or for Lebanon, or for a piece of property I own. I would become a refugee and make my children stateless, on the chance that they could grow anew in safety.
Many of us make that choice. We cannot judge another for his choice.
And again, the choice of a "sheb" is going to be different from the choice of a mother of small children.
HI, reading the answers you can easily see how the americans are more than ready to kill for their country. This kind of nationalism is abhorrent for us, europeans, we had enough blood in the name of our countries, unfortunately it's not the case for the american fellows, they need to DESTROY and KILL to feel themselves good americans, yes in the name of Democracy, that's why they destroyed Chili's democracy and support all the dictatures around the world that are in their side...
No, I don't feel like dying for my country and absolutely I don't need to kill people in the name of my country.InSpain we don't kill and we don't die; we support all the lebanese and hope this massacre ends soon. ¡Viva el Líbano!
P.D. Fouad thank you for your blog some day (near)I will go to see an independent, free and democratic Lebanon
Now that you've cleared up the question a bit, I can honestly say I would die for Lebanon or America if it were for peace. I think you are referring to, would I walk to the border as part of a march even though I knew I was risking my life? Absolutely. But I would never kill another in the name of my country, although of course many will argue there are circumstances even for that.
Interesting question. I would love to love my country enough to die for it... the fact is though that it is but a chunk of land, I would die for peace or justice. Death for equality is far more noble than for the strip mall down my street.
This quote of yours Fouad, sums up perfectly how I feel
"We don't need more Rachel Corries? Rachel Corrie died because she was by herself! She died because she stood for the rights and lives of strangers and she was forsaken by everyone else! We need to ALL be Rachel Corrie..."
Allow me to clarify your clarification if I may be so bold. I'm one that admits being willing to fight for a country's ideals and goals and as someone that served in combat in Vietnam, I serve witness to the thought that "killing" for ones country is mostly FALSE and does not occur very often. In fact it is far more likely that someone would kill for a religious belief than any other concept (excluding hate of course).
As a combat vet, people that are "in the sticks" just want to live - this includes your "enemies". Under normal circumstances enemy contact does not mean a fire fight. Each military unit has an objective to complete during a mission. If that object can be achieved without a lost of life THAT what is what a soldier wants. The reasons I have taken another's life, is very basic. 1) Their actions threaten my life, 2) Their actions threaten the life/lives of my unit, 3) Their actions threatened the live/lives of civilian non-combatants and 4) Their actions jeopardized the successful completion of our mission.
Maybe other people on this blog that have been in military combat will share their view(s) to help everyone understand just how terrible war is and why it should be avoided by our military and politican leads unless absolutely needed.
Now that a resolution has been tabled (and will likely pass 15-0), we will be able to determine the nature of the people of Lebanon.
HA will not accept the UN resolution voluntarily. Therefore, we will witness that either the citizens of the country can collectivly gather the intestinal fortitude to force HA to accept their "minority" status in the government of Lebanon, or, we will witness the demise of the elected government and the "birth" of the Dutchy of POG (Party of God).
For the citizens of Lebanon and the people of the Middle East, I hope this becomes a another shining moment in Lebanon's path to democratic ideals and not the creation of another Somalia.
my prayers are with non-islamic fascist of Lebanon
tuck
We need to ALL be Rachel Corrie...
You all need to die uselessly like she did? Sorry, but that's the cold hard fact of the matter. Her death accomplished nothing. It didn't save a single house, it didn't save a single life. All the people who already agreed with her raved about how 'noble' her sacrifice was, and everybody else (if they even noticed) said 'what a stupid child.'
Delerious is Lebanon,
The hizzies broke the peace (or Israel depending) and delerious will not fight the peace breakers.
Delerious will get no peace unless others give it to Delerious.
Me? US Navy 'Nam. And if they would have me I'd be glad to go to the front now. Iraq or where ever.
================== Side note:
The Jerusalem Post says Qana may have been totally staged.
It is also a story about bloggers.
Bloggers get results
Since July 12, I've received a lot of comments and phone calls telling me "Thank God you went when you went, and came back in time!" including my mom. Which brought me to thinking about what I would have done had I been in Lebanon when the attack started? Would I have contacted the Canadian Embassy asking for help to get me out? Would I have been freaking out in fear of bombs falling on our heads - which I lived through earlier in my lifetime? Would I have been worried about my parents and family in Canada being worried about me?
Let's say I got stuck in MY COUNTRY, when my country is under attack. What kind of a citizen would I be if all I worry about is my own safety, leaving cousins, friends, neighbours behind in harms way. How can I show my face again and tell them that I love them if I leave now to safety because I can and they can't?
I wouldn't have left or tried to escape in any way, had I been stuck when the war started. Ma this is my home, the one I long for, the one that means the world to me, the one I dream of every night, the one I love more than my own parents sometimes... I would have stayed and tried to help the best way I can, and if I die, then it's ok, at least I died in Lebanon, helping and caring and loving Lebanon. 19 years here and my biggest fear has been to die far away from home. If there is a need for me to go back now and help, I won't hesitate. My job here? Who cares! My parents, my brother? They know and will understand that my duty and my love are firstly to Lebanon. So yes, I am willing to die for Lebanon.
Shaykhouna wal fata 3enda sawti l watan
Ousdou ghaben mata sawaratna l fitan
NO!
Never for a country, only for a cause.
http://lemondedejimmy.blogspot.com/2006/07/symptoms-of-severe-case-of.html
My Answer.
I'm not ready to die for Lebanon, yet.
i'm with zee
i wouldn't die for a country.
for a cause, maybe, but i'd rather be alive to serve it..
in the old days they used to post "dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori" (it is sweet and fitting to die for your country" to recruit fighting manpower; i call it the Old Lie.
Country? No! I don't have a good example of a country yet. Hell I don't even have a good definition!
Cause, maybe! Perhaps if I realized I cannot serve that cause any better.
Either case, I don't think this is something I can analyze or anticipate well. One has to be in the middle of a certain concrete situation to be able to know. A moment of truth might completely change my mind ...
im thinking of it would i sacrifice my life for my people for my land for my home for my right would i sacrifice my life for others life then yes im welling to sacrifice my life.
but then i really dont know when im in such situation, in what condition ill be, if there is lives im responsible for and i have to stay safe for them,
but then again i know when im in such situations, i try my best, that best might be nothing but i did not stand still..
people might not fight,might not cry or scream or express about this war on your country our country lebanon but beleive me we(my family) had the chance to do for lebanon more than we ever did for palestine.
Before I was a mother, I was willing to die for justice. Now, I am much more cautious about my mortality. But, I am willing to and have in the past sacrificed much for the causes I believe in. First it was for Palestine and now for the liberation of Al-Ahwaz. Without martyrs we can have no justice for the opressed. Indeed we could live for our countries, but what about when you live under subjugation as in Iraq or Palestine? How do you make the most significant impact for your country? I think its a very American, living life comfortably notion to dismiss the role of those who sacrifice their lives in pursuit of a bigger idea than their own selves. We live a nice life, comfortably.. and its hard to imagine not 'living' for your cause.. but sometimes thats not possible.
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