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Lama Hajj

The U.S Might Have A Female President, But Will Lebanon Have One At All?

I remember around two years ago when the fact that we didn’t have a president was really funny. Our state was headless, our republic somehow even less functional than it already was. We were all brimming with jokes and satire, it was hilarious. But now? Not so cute.

Browsing through Twitter and Facebook, I am almost envious of Americans who will soon practice their right of choosing where their country goes for the next four years. Who will represent them in international crises, who they’ll rely on for policy.

Turn on any Lebanese news station and you’ll likely see the same old tired faces our parents had to put up with. Spewing the same bullshit about not having reached an agreement, and amending laws to satisfy their seemingly endless need for power and cash.

I think that’s why so many of my Lebanese friends have become so invested in the American election; they’re almost living vicariously through their election. They get into heated debates and arguments amongst each other, arguing about Clinton’s qualifications and Bernie’s ideas. It’s like, you live in Jal el-Dib, what’s the connection here?

A few months ago, we were all amped, primed, and ready for change. Where has all that gone? Where is our frustration?

In 1920, the US congress passed an amendment which allowed women to vote; almost 100 years later, there might be a woman in the White House to celebrate that anniversary. So America might have its first female president, and Lebanon still has no president at all.

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