On the reactionary Democratic Leftist Movement

Lately, wherever I go or with whoever I talk to, the DLM have been used as an example of the "brainwashed" or the question pops out: "Why the DLM have the word leftist in their name, they are everything but that." To be exact, this is true, they are simply the coffee bearers for their masters within the 14th of March block (Pro-American & Anti-Syrian). They are Lebanese nationalists to the extent that Lebanon First logo reminds us of Sadat's logo: Egypt First.

The majority of the members do not believe in class struggle, actually few of their members (that could be allocated) argue they are not leftists but secular who want to see the Maronite - Durzi - Sunni alliance crush the Syrian Shiites (how secular). Through out the July war they remained attacking Syria rather denounce the on-going Israeli massacres. In the end, wherever they are present, if that unit is not a 14th of March, the brain-washed DLMers would leave because this unit is not leftist according to them. Hence I wonder where the name "Democratic" fits in. No one recognizes them as leftists except each other. They sold out their entire leftist heritage for a chair because Saad el Harriri's block wanted to dominate the list of the recent martyrs. (actually prior to Samir Qassir's assasination, the ever-drunk Elias Attallah was running against Walid Junblatt...imagine that!).

The DLM were not supposed to have a president but ended to have one anyways two days before their general assembly to start. Their ex-stalinist leader (a one man show) Elias Attallah also dominates the entire movement as he sees fit. Actually, last year I heard that Elias wanted in person to manage also the student section.

Arrogance has already been their downfall, for almost all the ones I knew who were DLM have resigned with few members remaining because they want power. Actually it is through their never ending cabinet positions that they recruited, rather on the principles of the left. This is not surprising, everyone has the title Executive Committee title within the DLM, and now they had to invent a central committee for the Executive Committee.

Any person who is 100% pro-14th of March is not leftist, according to them. Actually, to go more, 90% of them believe that Marx or Rosa are out-dated. Only the books of their newly created God, the brave respectable Samir Qassir, are to be conisdered as leftist texts.

They adopted Stalin's way of re-writing history, same as imposed by Annahar (the leading newspaper) in Lebanon. The Annahar published an article on Bashir Gemayil (the fascist right-winger President who wanted a Maronite Lebanon as well as the same person who invited the Israelis & Syrians to enter Lebanon) debating that it was Bashir Gemayel and Kamal Junblatt who sacrificed their lives to pave way for 14th of March. The newspaper does not mention how Bashir Gemayil invited the Israelis to invade, nor how Bashir Gemayil was the head of the Lebanese front facing Kamal Junblatt's National Movement, but now the DLMers adopt it (knowing in fact that Elias Attallah was supposed to be a co-founder of the Resistance front in face of the Lebanese Front and the Israelis) as well as Olmert quoted Elias Attallah as a great MP (well done Elias). They even accepted how Jaajaa entered a whole war, and lived over a decade in prison to bring forth 14th of March.

Seniora government wants to intigrate Lebanon to the WTO, and they defend Seniora 100%. They may argue that they have certain "preservations" on WTO, but overall the WTO is good to face the Syrians (go figure that out as well).

Scandals about the DLM are rising left and right. Elias Khoury wants to leave (as well as sending them a threatening message on the Assafir newspaper during the war) for adopting a US stand, while Ziad Majed is fluctuating between both Elias to see where he gains more power. I anticipate it that Elias Khoury is going to leave very soon, then according to him he would be an 8th of March in defecto (since anyone who is not of them is a traitor and an 8th of March).

They are also fascists. Remember dear readers Fascism = Extreme Nationalism + Socialism. Well probably not really fascists because they lack the latter part within the formula, but they do claim leftism which no one else adopts it. Heck, some of their members even go as far as calling Tony Blair as comrade and others argue that true leftism is 100% elitest since emancipation from above (ie alliance with the right-wing) is the only path to leftism (spare me).

Whoever major leftist figure came to Lebanon during the July war, they all by-passed Elias Attallah and prefered the Stalinist Khaled Hdaidi. Their right-winged attitude made the stalinist appear leftist. Members from the International Socialist Organization (ISO), Committee for the Workers' International (CWI), Democracy Now, Socialist Wokers' Party, .... (way others) all agreed that "these are not leftists, they are right-winged freaks." Elias Attallah promised change, he ended up not voting for the chair of the MPs, rather voting against (that what he said, although suspicions go that he voted yes to a chairman breaking a record being the head of the Lebanese parliament).

They want peace with Israel since it is impossible to defeat the zionists, and welcomed Rice with flowers. If you tell them class struggle or Internatonalism, they would reply Lebanon first and let us have a strong nation first. To them they want a strong nation to grab hold of Hezbollah and block the Syrian regime from intervening, that way they can establish peace with a nation that is slaughtering the Palestinians on daily basis. Actually some of their members said: "First build a nation, then be leftist." Excuse me, I thought being a leftist (well in my case Marxist) being active 24/7 if not a way of life in itself.

Moving on, they tend to abuse anything that comes into their hands. LADE (which is supposed to be a non-political affiliated organization that observes elections) is a major instrument in their hands.

During the war, their "leftism" appeared for reality. They wanted to hold Hezbollah 100% accountable for the war and wanted to go into a demonstration with other progressive grassroots organizations. Only difference in all the meetings they were present, they refuted to denounce the United States and Britain (afterall Attallah is a puppy for al-Harriri Jr. and welcomed Rice with open arms) and lowered the ceiling of offence on Israel (in a middle of slaughter house party done by the Israelis on the Lebanese). Actually, they were kicked out of a demonstration because they were raising banners of UN resolution 1559. Come to think of it, I remember recieving reports that Elias Attallah was kicked out of refugee schools whenever he visited the displaced.

Hence I have one and only one question to the DLMers: Why you call yourselves Democratic (since Elias Attallah manages it as a one man show and refutes to accept that the real leftists are those who do not belong to either 14th or 8th of March) and why Leftist since you got neither activities nor leftist thought? Actually a 4 people from their side told me that you can be Pro-WTO & World Bank and be Leftist (heck where are you Von Hayek?).

The only war I see is a war of classes, not war of the bourgeoisie and nationalists (not to forget racism when it comes to the Palestinians, Syrians, and Iraqis).

MFL