[lbo-talk] Doug's interview with Rasha Salti

[Robert Naiman]

I really appreciated this interview. Among other things, it neatly captures
the spot secular progressives in the region find themselves in in the
context of US/Israeli/Western/Arab government political and economic
policies and the passing of the banner of opposition to Islamist groups,
amid the long crisis of the traditional left. Towards the beginning of the
interview, Salti describes as some length the many political accomplishments
of Hizbollah -- e.g. how while participating in the Lebanese parliament they
have remained apart from the endemic corruption, their social services,
their advocacy for social justice. Doug says, you seem to be taking a much
more favorable view here than you have in your blog. She laughs and says,
well, actually, I hate them.

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According to my interview with Rasha Salti <http://
www.leftbusinessobserver.com/Radio.html#060810>, that's not quite
true. She says they've adapted themselves to Lebanon's complex,
cosmopolitan political culture and are not aggressively theocratic.
She also says that as a secular democrat, she's not their biggest
fan, but even she admires the way they kicked Israel's ass. It's not
like they're about to take over the government & impose shariah.

Doug
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