---------------------------------------------- Serious satire "Humor is a funny way of being serious" -Thomas Edison -------------------- To have your emails deleted please write to me at renatoobeid@hotmail.com -------------------- Copyright© 2001-2010, Renato Obeid   Archives April 2001 May 2001 June 2001 July 2001 August 2001 September 2001 January 2002 February 2002 March 2002 June 2002 July 2002 August 2002 October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 January 2009 April 2009 October 2012 << current prequel   "Top blog/Renato Obeid's World/Today's pick: This rambling weblog is worth reading not so much for its satirical posts but more for its insight into the minutiae of life in Lebanon, including the etiquette of road accidents and how to hire a taxi.” -Jane Perrone, The Guardian my profile audio

renatoobeidsworld   Tuesday, December 25, 2007   I just read an article in the New York Times about the usual whining Lebanese expatriates visiting back home, lording it over their compatriots and criticizing their country. These people view their Lebanon-based compatriots the same way Ashkenazi Jews view Sephardic Jews and have created and propagated the myth of the ‘’brain drain’’ – Lebanon’s best and brightest being forced abroad, blah, blah, blah - but the opposite could quite easily be argued namely that they are the scattered detritus of Darwinian survival of the fittest, i.e. they couldn’t make it here in Lebanon. I’m not against people pursuing their interests but when they lord it over and demean their countrymen who chose not to abandon their country one has to react. Either way, these people have freely chosen to leave the country to further their own interests and are not the martyrs they carry-on to be. Here’s the difference - Lebanese living in Lebanon are just as intelligent and talented as Lebanese living aboard but so many factors here often stifle that intelligence and talent and prevent them from realizing their full potential. Whereas Lebanese living abroad are unencumbered by these circumstances and are thus free to become the head of Nissan or the guy pumping petrol into those cars at a petrol station in New Jersey (just like any other residents of those countries). UPDATE 5.30am Saturday 10th May 2007 "Cochrane states that in addition to the exodus of large numbers of young Christians, ‘all civilized, educated Muslims, they're all leaving. We're going to be left with the bottom of the barrel. Yes, that's the trouble’’’ - Lebanese aristocrat Lady Yvonne Cochrane to Monocle Magazine So people who chose to live in their own country are now ‘’the bottom of the barrel’’? 9:00 pm

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