Since day one of the Lebanese revolution, we’ve all been reading and hearing about conspiracy theories and analyses regarding the “hidden agendas” of this revolution. The intense battle between propaganda and counterpropaganda that has been live for the past 23 days has had a significant effect on the course of the uprising.
With every political party accusing its opponents of exploiting people’s sincere cause for their own selfish interests, it’s easy to fall for the lies and take the wrong side in this finger-pointing fight.
But what’s intriguing about the whole situation is the fact that revolutionaries have not been disturbed the slightest by that verbal war waged against them. They have succeeded in remaining impassive amidst the deafening voices attacking them from every direction.
@beirutpageBut the revolutionaries have not a real representative or leader to guide them through the noises, so how do they still stand their ground? Who’s really advising on the next moves?
If you study the protesters, you’ll quickly notice that the majority of them fall in one of these two demographic cohorts: Millennials (Generation Y), and Post-Millennials (Generation Z). To save you the research, this means that this revolution is a young one; it is led by students, by the youth.
@artclublebAmong today’s youth is a high percentage of well educated, rational, and independent intellectuals who are certainly not oblivious of the reality awaiting behind the curtains of lies. These people know what they’re fighting for, they know who they’re fighting against, and most importantly, they know how to do it.
When groups of high school students refuse to go to school in favor of standing in the streets with their fellow revolutionaries, it means they know their priorities.
@the961When a 20-year-old employee lets go of his job, which he initially struggled to get and maintain in the first place, in order to stand under the scorching sun or the pouring rain, and yell his lungs out, it means he understands responsibility.
When a university graduate chooses to stay in Lebanon and fight for her rights when she has the opportunity to escape to a country that she knows guarantees and respects those rights, it means she knows she possesses the power to change.
@besanconseniors2020embedded via
And when an adolescent speaks to a news reporter with eloquence and wit worthy of embarrassing the best of those whom they oppose, and demand that their voices be heard, it means that within their young body resides a mature thinker.
@artorgismKnowing is half the battle, and that is exactly what gives Lebanon’s revolutionaries their edge. Every day, we see important social values being applied in the protests; teamwork, respect of private and public properties, compassion, peacefulness, and countless other acts of morality and civility.
Since the first day of the revolution, and to this day, revolutionaries have effectively guarded their cause and values against those who want them crushed. They have used their superior maturity and awareness to push back the aggressive threats of the mindless, and the foolish.
Led by themselves and each other, the youth of Lebanon, along with all of their fellow revolutionaries of all ages and walks of life, have collectively broken the chains that once forced them to submit, and torn through the curtains that separated them from their ambitions.
The power of this revolution lies in the uniqueness of its leadership; it is practically nonexistent, but simultaneously manifests as a strong collective authority.
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