Accountability

Poor Lebanon.

Economic collapse leading to food shortages and devaluation of the Lira.

Pandemic.

And now this massive explosion in Beirut which has caused some 200 deaths, destroyed 3 of their main hospitals, and brought in thousands of casualties as well as rendering over 300,000 people homeless.  And their main grain storage whole country was obliterated.  Devastation was wrought as far as 12 kilometers from Ground Zero.

What a list of hardships!  Is it any wonder the people have moved from grief and pain to anger and violence?!

The Signal interviewed a man who had spoken to protesters.  What do they want?   Vengeance.

Their politicians are not looking after them – just after each other.  The people in charge allowed 2750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate to remain in storage in a dockside warehouse next to the nation’s main grain silos for 6 years.  And now it is the people who suffer more and more.

When I talked to P about The Signal episode he said something like:

“If I was employed to manage safety at a swimming pool and somebody drowned due to negligence, I would potentially be liable for manslaughter.   Politicians are given the job of managing a whole country and CEOs manage huge companies.  But when they stuff up, there seems to be no accountability.”

A man steals $200 from a Subway and get jail time.   CEOs in the big four banks effectively steal millions of dollars from the vulnerable and get asked to resign.

Australian politicians continue to allow money and the coal lobby to dictate their decisions around climate action.  Who will suffer?  The people who lose their lives and/or homes and/or businesses in bush fires and floods.  The volunteers who lose their lives trying to save the people from the fires and floods.  The farmers who lose their livelihoods because their land turns to desert.    The people who have to move because the coastline is being eaten up by rising sea-levels.  And I can’t even begin to list the knock-on effects of all these things.

Yesterday I read that two young Australians are involved in climate litigation.  One man is suing his Superannuation company.   And a young woman seems to have taken on the government.  I will be very interested to hear the results of these cases.

Poor Lebanon.  Those sad, angry, hungry, tired people deserve better.  They deserve to make their politicians pay.  Higher standards should be expected.  I hope politicians the world over see it as a wake up call.  I hope politicians start taking their jobs more seriously.  I hope they learn the meaning of responsibility and the responsibility of power.

If a person is ruining your child’s life, do you sit back and shrug?  Of course not.  It’s untenable.

Lebanon we are thinking of you in your awful pain.