“When there is money to be made, law and order is often ignored”

NowLebanon Weighs in on the Gemmayze episode, scratching the surface to tell us what the episode says about Lebanon and the Lebanese in General:

…The problem of Gemmayzeh is in fact a Lebanese problem, and a chronic one at that. When and where there is money to be made, law and order is often ignored, swept aside or at least brought — or bought — onside. It is no secret that the double and triple parking found around Beirut’s more popular fast-food joints — Babar on Spears Street and any number of outlets on Bliss Street — are tolerated because the police turn a blind eye.

The piece argues that the residents shouldn’t have had to take matters into their own hands:

Nor, for that matter is it the responsibility of the residents to negotiate with the private sector over what are essentially legal matters pertaining to local bylaws.

While the bar and restaurant owners of Gemmayzeh, assuming their legal documents are in order, should take some responsibility for ensuring the sanity of those who live in the neighborhood, the municipality should have thought about the interests of residents before issuing licenses in the first place. Finally, the police must lead the effort in clamping down on noise pollution, drunken behavior and the mayhem caused by tip-hungry valet parkers.

But one can’t help but ask: Isn’t civil society action that forces the hand of authorities a cause for celebration in Lebanon?