From: e.d.wardini@easteur-orient.uio.no (Elie Dib Wardini)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
Subject: Re: s.c.l. poll (was Re: Bill Clinton meets with CLAO in NJ.)
Date: 6 Oct 92 09:39:51 GMT
Organization: UiO

In article <Oct05.165252.99892@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU>
bh437292@longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu (Basil Hamdan) writes:
>Given the interest in Bill Clinton's meeting with CLAO, I propose
>we hold mock presidential elections, of all scl readers,
>regardless of whether they are eligible to vote in the upcoming
>election or not.
>
>Please email me your preference to me 
>bh437292@longs.lance.colostate.edu.
>
>1. Who would you vote for today ?
>a. George Bush
>b. Bill Clinton
>c. Ross Perot
>d. Other, please specify
>e. undecided
>
>2. If you know who you would vote for, please indicate what is
>the issue that was most important to you in reaching a decision
>a. The candidate's stance on Lebanese affairs.
>b. The candidate's foreign policy toward the Middle East in general.
>c. The candidate's domestic (US) economic and social policies.
>d. A combination of the above factors.
>e. Other issues, please specify.
>
>The voting will be open for a week and results will be
>posted next week (October 12 th) in s.c.l.
>
>
>Basil
>
>My vote:
>
>1. b
>2. d
>

Basil bayk! raH itkob til-ingliize la-Hatta aSHaabna l-amirkeen ille b-kill
Tuulit beelon ba@don @am yi'ro hal-news group yifahmo!

(this article will be posted on s.c.usa)

Basil you bring up an important question up.

Personally I would not vote again for Bush (I have no right to vote, neither in
the US, nor in Lebanon!). The reason being that Mr. Bush seems to have no
morals or at least any understanding of what human rights are nor what the word
sovereignty means.

Yet does this imply that I will vote for Clinton? based on a discussion with
CLAO? No, for we really don't know what Clinton really has to say about the
Middle East! Clinton will find any excuse to attack Mr. Bush, not to make
things better in Lebanon but in order better his chances to be elected. I bet
you it would take Clinton a while before he can tell you how large Lebanon is!

Would I then vote for Perrot? neither, that is because Perrot does not give a
damn about Lebanon either.

obviously, my answer is based on the fact that I am a Lebanese and that it is
the interest of Lebanon that I am looking for.

As far as the Americans are concered, they should work and vote the interest of
their country.

The point I want to make is the following:

I deriect my wrods to american here:

Dear American citizens, you should realize that your country is a super power.
Whether you want it or not, your country is involved in much of what happens in
the world. THis is a price that super powers have to pay for being such.

Moreover, your successive adiminstrations have actively at times and less
actively at others, involved itself in the matters of other countries.

Being a super power, it is expected of the USA to get involved.

Yet, this involvement has not always been to the good. Ofcourse, every body
make mistakes, even presidents of super powers.

Yet a country like the US, who obviously has basic values that are to be
cherished, can not speak with two tongues.

One can not speak in support of democracy and support ditatorships. You can not
stop one occupation by inducing another. 

What can the average American do?

it is you, the average American who vote for your presidents and
representatives. It s therfore very important to know what they are acting and
going to act as leaders of a super power.

Americans should be lured by old cliches that presidents or presidential
candidates take out on campians.

THe USA has a responsibility, by the fact that it is a super power, to act on
international issues. It is up to you, Americans, to define your policy as a
people and hold your representives responcible if they misrpresent you in the
world.

Which ever candidate you vote for, is your own choice. But remember the
responsibility that you with your votes have. You may choose a president that
speaks of democarcy and anti-drug campains, yet supports some of the world's
most heinious dictatorships and worst drug dealers.

You may elect a president, who knowns very little about the real issues
involved and by default follow his own aims or the old routs of his
predecessors.

You have a responsibility, first and foremost to your country and its interest,
but also a responsibility as a super power, to fulfill your role in such a way
that you as Americans can be proud of.



elie wardini