Sore throat?.. So what!..

Why on Earth am I blogging?...
What can I say about the current events in Lebanon that has not already been said time over time??.. and far more eloquently than I can ever say it?..
I really do not have anything new to say.. and even if I did, I ask you, who is actually reading this or paying any attention?..
Is anyone reading this able to do ANYTHING to stop the ongoing destruction?.. Even more, would the collective action of all those reading this blog, posting on their own blogs, or commenting on other blogs, result in saving a single road from destruction?.. a single house from demolition?.. even a single child from being blown up to bits?... I put it to you, my friends, that the answer is a resounding 'NO'!...
I am not, by nature, a defeatist.. but I am so, so frustrated.. so overwhelmed by an overpowering sense of futility and irrelevance.. A beautiful country that I have lived in, loved and still love, is being destroyed.. its infrastructure decimated, and its people killed, maimed and displaced.. and all I can do is BLOG???...
Well.. I have, in fact, tried other things.. like writing to my MP (the Right Honourable Jack Straw, no less!..).. like trying to get colleagues and work-mates to do the same.. like canvassing support and starting petitions at my workplace.. and some good did all that do, I hear you say!!!...
A few days ago, I had a very heated discussion with a very good friend of mine.. She is a highly intelligent, very articulate, and extremely well-read (not to mention beautiful and charming!..) lady.. And what was the discussion about?.. Well, you guessed it!.. Lebanon, Israel, Hizbullah, and the God-almighty mess they have got themselves into!!..
Although she concedes that the Israeli actions are disproportionate, she is of the view that Hizbullah have brought this onto themselves and Lebanon.. She argues vociferously that Hizbullah have shown no respect for the lives of their own people and followers by mixing with civilians, and, consequently, they bear the responsibility for the killings...
Now, I am not a fan of Hizbullah or Nassrallah.. In fact, I am not a fan of any religious organization that proclaims political aspirations.. I firmly believe that God and politics should not mix.. but surely, this is a bit more than just a school yard tussle.. I really do not care, at this point at least, as to 'who started it?'... For me, the important thing at the moment is to stop the killing and the destruction.. on both sides.. and whether or not Hizbullah fighters are hiding amongst civilians, at the end of the day, it is the Israeli bombs that are killing the children by the dozens..
The argument branched into all sorts of other issues, such as religion and its role in politics in the Middle East, the love/hate relationship between East and West (I actually maintain that it is between North and South.. but I digress!..), not to mention women's rights and race relations within the UK.. amongst other hot potatoes..
I came out of that discussion with a few conclusions...

Conclusion #1:
It is very difficult to change someone's opinions. People make up their own minds and set their own views, based on their experiences, readings, exposures, culture, and background.. Even when you offer what you believe to be blinding evidence, they will probably retort with what they see as equally blinding evidence in favour of the opposite view!..

Conclusion #2:
Our ability, as Arabs, to argue our position is very severely hamstrung by the fact that our own rulers, singularly and without exception, are corrupt, oppressive and authoritarian.. These rulers and regimes (please don't call them Governments.. that term implies the existence of systems and methods and rules and regulations.. those people do not deserve that title!.. but I digress again..).. where was I?.. yes.. these rulers and regimes will hijack any cause that stirs the masses, and use it to strengthen their hold, and tighten the noose around our collective neck.. And trust me, those whom you engage in a discussion can see it, too!.. and they will use that fact to undermine your argument..

Conclusion #3:
Our ability to argue any position is hampered even more by the fact that our society is full of hypocrisy and contradictions, and until we look inwards and examine our inner selves, we are going nowhere.. We cannot blame all our ills on the regimes and rulers.. We must take some responsibility for our collective destiny...

Conclusion #4
A corollary to Conclusion #3, I think that our problem lies, partly at least, in our inability to accept that there is room for more than one view.. some of us want to impose their own opinion on everybody else.. by force.. brutal force, if necessary.. It seems to me that, deep inside, some of us cannot accept diversity in our ranks.. and one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel.. Democracy and pluralism will only work if we all respect one another's right to freedom of belief and expression.. We have to agree to differ... Surely, we can accept that others are also entitled to their own opinion?..

Conclusion #5:
Once upon a time, I was an optimist...

Nevertheless, despite becoming an old cynic, and for what it's worth, I will not stop arguing my case.. or shouting against injustice.. knowing fully well that all I will get out of it is probably a hoarse voice and a sore throat..