By: Kayhan Int’l Staff Writer

In today’s world it has become a fad for many demagogues and even dictators to pose as democrats in order to deceive the unsuspecting masses.
It is an undisputed fact that in the US neither the ruling Democrats nor their opponents the Republicans have any democratic features, yet they never tire to brag about democracy, even while actively supporting the most rabid despots to massacre masses demanding birthrights and democracy, such as the oppressed people of Bahrain.
In Egypt, a general who got himself elected as president through fraudulent voting after staging a coup to topple the only democratically elected government in his country’s history never calls himself the despot that he is, and presents himself as defender of the democratic rights of the people.
There are, however, unabashed despots in the Arab world, who not only have no pretensions to respect people’s rights, but hate the very concept of democracy, to the extent that they never hesitate to use their negative influence based on their ill-accumulated wealth to meddle in the internal affairs of fellow Arab states which have some form of democracy.
The case that comes to the mind is the pressure exerted on Lebanon and its democratic institutions by the region’s outrageously clannish, cultish and despotic regime, Saudi Arabia, to dismiss newly appointed Minister of Information, George Kordahi, by banning Lebanese exports to the Persian Gulf region and expelling Lebanese diplomats.
Why? Because, as a TV analyst of a popular programme, Kordahi, long before his induction into Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s interim cabinet, had spoken the plain truth by defending the rights of the people of Yemen against the Saudi-UAE aggression, and calling for end of the US-Israeli-supported inter-Arab war.
Cash-strapped democracy bowed to miserably rich despotism, which with US support holds Lebanon as hostage.
Unfortunately, except for a few truly independent politicians and segments of the press that backed Kordahi, Lebanon’s so-called free media and almost all political parties despite their claims to respect people’s rights, kowtowed to the unelected and unrepresentative rulers of Saudi Arabia.
They also forgot how Saudi Heir Apparent MBS (Mohamed bin Salman) had some years ago summoned the then Lebanese Premier, Sa’d al-Hariri, slapped him black and blue, and forced him to announce his resignation on TV.
Where is Lebanon’s democratic dignity? What is the meaning of elections, ballot boxes, political parties, people’s rights, freedom of expression, and frank and forthright analyses of current events?
Persian Gulf despotism having defeated Lebanese democracy in the Kordahi affair is now demanding more blood of the innocent.
Recently, Lebanon’s interior minister Bassam Mawlawi made a mockery of his country’s independence and sovereignty when on the orders of the repressive Aal-e Khalifa minority regime of Manama, he said members of Bahrain’s popular al-Wefaq party who have sought asylum in Lebanon following their clampdown at home for raising the democratic demand of restoration of birthrights, will be deported.
Why? Because on December 11 this oppressed group of Bahraini people believing that Lebanon has real democracy held a news conference in one of the southern cities, to air their grievances against the despotic regime of pirate origin in Manama.
Isn’t it sad that the US and Israel, along with their despotic clients in the Arab world, have made a mockery of democracy to the extent that even Lebanon, which until now had some semblance of democratic rule, has no choice but to bow to the dictates of the rootless and unrepresentative, but filthy rich regimes of the Persian Gulf region.