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| My vote, tomorrow - artwork by Tarek Chemaly |
So after covering the elections' ads, on as much coverage as I can by tracking social media, taking photos from billboards, screen shooting whatever comes on instagram, being nudged here and there by friends and the list continues.... You want to ask: Who am I voting for?
I know the answer seems shocking.
I am not voting.
Yes, I heard it all already - I am a defeatist, every vote counts, I am being bribed, I am in the gutter and happy to remain here, voting is a moral stance, candidates are not like marriage they're just like public transport, etc....
Still, I am not voting.
Interestingly, whatever YOU stand is fine by me. You want the old bunch to come back? Good for you. You want some of those new "revolutionary" picks? Go vote for them. You no longer want to be stolen by the old bunch but want the new bunch to steal you? Again, go for it. I seriously suspended all judgement.
However, I feel the system to be so inherently broken, as in irremediably broken, voting will not bring any change no matter who gets voted. Which makes my own vote an act of hypocrisy. Not only do I not find credible candidates, but the whole electoral law, the whole social setting, the whole political ambiance makes absolutely no sense at this point.
People said, go and put a blank vote, since you don't like any candidate. No, it's not just the candidates, it's the whole system. A blank vote means I agree with the system. I don't.
Several politicians are running ads (which I will not publish for personal reasons) whereby "voting for them will bring your money back". As in - seriously? We know the money in the bank is no longer returning, we know that the whole political class evaporated all chances of Lebanon being credible in the eyes of the international community. Add to it the crisis of Ukraine where all eyes have gone, and bingo - we are not hot on anyone's list.
Long story short, I am home tomorrow. And no, I am not voting.