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Lebanese/Lebanon is like any government building. 10% are good hearted honest people. 90% are jackasses with a wasta and are scum of the earth, corrupt, lying, and should be executed.

What I do hate right now, since you are in Canada (and so am I, only lived in Lebanon 9 years out of 40). I see a lot of new Lebanese people who carry this stupid mentality with them overseas. If you are proud to be Lebanese, that's great, these are your roots. But do not trash talk Canadians, Canada, or the city where you escaped to. I've run into a lot of people and people have asked me to show people the city and when I hear them whining and complaining (Canadians are dumb, this city is boring, what's so special about Canada) I just say to myself "If it's so great, just move back there, you're not tied down here"

It's really disgusting. I really hope everyone on this forum leaves Lebanon and assimilates to whatever culture and country they move to. You can keep your roots, no one is saying to change them. Just don't belittle where you moved to and act like Lebanon is the prize at the end of the rainbow. It's not, it never will be. We need to accept it.
@LifeEngineer, while I do agree that most people living in Lebanon are corrupt I have to insist that there are still a lot of individuals who embrace integrity and honesty as core values.
It is specifically to those that I wrote my message as they do not deserve to reap what others sowed.

@nuclearcat, I hear you. The unfortunate reality is that ruling politicians will not execute / carry out any project that will not / cannot be used to fill their own pockets. We should have public transportation. I am not talking about the ridiculous bus system actually in place but about a proper train / subway track or even maritime system (since Lebanon is a coastal country). What about a proper waste management plan, efficient medical care, old age pension, better faster Internet, 24/7 electricity, etc...
The truth is, things are the way they are because they benefit the ruling elite (ex: we have generators because the mafia can make more money from that compared to fixing the electrical network in the country).

@jsaade, at this stage I sadly encourage everyone and anyone who can leave to do so. One can always come back when/if things are finally fixed but there's no point in staying there if you can get out, even if it means having to restart from scratch. At any rate, starting over in a new country will hardly be more challenging than surviving in Lebanon.

@beezer, I agree... absolutely. The way I see it is Lebanon being my blood (it runs through my veins from head to toe) and Canada being my heart (the force that moves this blood in order to allow me to live). I said it in my previous message: Lebanon will always have a piece of my soul but I also cannot / will not deny what Canada is offering (a new start, stability, respect for human beings, better job opportunities, etc...)
I should have come back to Canada much earlier but my faith in Lebanon and the credulous hope that things would ultimately improve caused me to delay my decision for many years.
Good for you, DG. I got out a few years ago and haven't looked back. Up until September 2019 I think all of us still had a glimmer of hope for Lebanon and still somewhat trusted the institutions there, but all of that is gone now. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and move forward towards something better for you and your loved ones.
we have been in this vicious circle for decades, something has to be done.

sectarian system and sectarian leaders have caused a lot of pain and harm. this should be over.

we can't just keep running away, we are sick of running away
Change happens slowly, instant change brings chaos. There is hope since most of the work unions in Lebanon are now not linked to anyone. But even those unions are corrupt.

Hope for the best this election.
3 months later
It's too late to save Lebanon. Think about saving yourselves and immigrate.
a month later
@DG thank you for sharing, I can feel your pain (& homesickness) reading your words, but more so, I can feel the hopelessness and submission of ambitious young people that are still here, oh boy we are burned real good.

Here's the thing about leaving here if you don't have citizenship: I managed to get 2 job offers in Europe and if you take taxes and the high rent from the salary, I will be left with less than I get paid here, perhaps 50%.
Sometimes I bite the bullet and convince myself to stay, other days, I curse my life on this land.
Not so many good options for my generation (Generation Screwed that is): Live with anxiety and no civil rights, or leave and be poor in a new land.
12 days later
Guitaret wrote Here's the thing about leaving here if you don't have citizenship: I managed to get 2 job offers in Europe and if you take taxes and the high rent from the salary, I will be left with less than I get paid here, perhaps 50%.
Sometimes I bite the bullet and convince myself to stay, other days, I curse my life on this land.
Not so many good options for my generation (Generation Screwed that is): Live with anxiety and no civil rights, or leave and be poor in a new land.
Good for you that you have a well paying job.

Life is hard in Lebanon. In Germany there are other advantages to factor in. You do what's best for you.
In a couple of weeks, the few of us who ate still here will leave because $ will reach very high summits. The revolution was our only hope but instead of pursuing till the end they abandoned it for elections that will definitely bring some new good deputies but it won't be enough to end the nightmare we live in
Lebanon has been always like that since thirty years. War lords took seats in the wagon after the "Taif" constitutional agreement , and since then, they have total control on main country pillars like EDL , Central Bank , banking system etc.. Change is very hard to happen anytime soon and is not imminent due to many brained washed followers who are totally submissive for an everlasting favor for a job and/or a nepotism out there.

On the flip, Lebanon is a fertile land of opportunities , if you are an entrepreneur mindset , you can find opportunities in all circumstances and be adaptable. I am able to survive , at least for now, and not thinking to leave this country anytime soon. Many may disagree or agree, but I rather be contempt of what I have achieved with a stable stream of revenue and probing new opportunities here rather taking risk to moving to the "unknown" since every country has its downs and ups.
Tech Guru wrote On the flip, Lebanon is a fertile land of opportunities , if you are an entrepreneur mindset , you can find opportunities in all circumstances and be adaptable. I am able to survive , at least for now, and not thinking to leave this country anytime soon. Many may disagree or agree, but I rather be contempt of what I have achieved with a stable stream of revenue and probing new opportunities here rather taking risk to moving to the "unknown" since every country has its downs and ups.
I have had the same conversation with many young people here in the last year, it is true that we can still make it in Lebanon, we can even find ways to invest and perhaps live a middle-class life (financially speaking) but here are the things you need to take into account:
- My mental health (and most probably all people living here) has been declining in the last 2 years (more stress, anxiety, and as a result less IQ) and this is all due to the instability and the daily struggle we are going through just to survive.
This had an enormous impact on my career, I cannot even summon the motivation and peace to read as I used to do. I am proud of myself that I am aware of this, but this environment is toxic for people who have ambition. I mean you can still have a great life here if you remove your ambition and live for the day, but this is not for me, I am still young and full of hopes and dreams.
- My future: can you imagine this crisis happening to you if you are 70 years old, how can you bounce back? Will you be able to wait in line or survive without medicine? Be humiliated in the bank? What if you have no kids, can you survive Lebanon in your 70s?
- As someone who works in software, I am denied many opportunities just because my passport is bad, 2 weeks ago I lost an amazing job opportunity in a big tech company in Ireland just because of Visa crap. Having a good passport is the way to a great career.
Believe it or not, tech companies pay you based on the country. Example: The same software engineer gets paid 4 times in the USA than in Spain (for instance).

My goal is to get citizenship in a decent country, and after that, I can go wherever I want.