...of those of Lebanese
descent in America
by Ben Tanosborn
 Among the many ethnic groups that
have found fertile ground for success in America, few
have achieved the degree of proportional prominence of
the Lebanese-Americans. In most cases, their fellow
Americans [non-Lebs] are unaware of that fact since these
Lebanese-Americans go about their lives without
broadcasting the heritage of which they are so
proud. Many of us, at least those who are boomers
or older, do remember Danny Thomas, Casey Kasem, Neil
Sedaka, Paul Anka and Tiny Tim… and the occasional
reference to their ethnicity. But outside of the
entertainment world, such reference was seldom made.
 Not in my case. I have come to know
many Lebs, mostly entrepreneurial types, both overseas
and stateside. In California, in the Pacific Northwest,
and specially in Kansas where their influence in Wichita
had extended for over a century, the Jabara family name
in the most prominent light. [Col. James Jabara was America’s
first triple jet ace in the Korean War; and there were
other Jabaras in the academic and business worlds.]
I am also well aware that success of Lebanese in America
extends to all confines of society: the arts;
entertainment; writing; engineering; the sciences; the
military; education; business… and, yes, politics
– local, state and national elective and
non-elective positions. Then, there is my favorite,
and controversial, advocate for true democracy: Ralph
Nader.
 Why am I
bringing this point of pride with people of Lebanese
descent? Does it have any connection with
what’s happening in Lebanon today or… should it
have?
 Of the
twenty-five thousand Americans in Lebanon [mostly
Lebanese-Americans] when Israel started its
defensive-offense, or offensive-defense, there is little
question that many, if not most, felt upset, if not
outright betrayed, by how their government – the US
government – was reacting to the situation.
Not many images of those feelings were shown in the
American media, but much of the international press was
able to capture the anger and the despair they felt.
It was only logical that here in the
US the Lebanese-American community would be up in arms in
response to both Israel’s actions and America’s
cheerleading of those such actions – to the point
where it became irrelevant whether the policy that
brought about this conflict had originated in Tel Aviv or
in Washington. Conversations between Lebs in situ and
their families in the States crossed the T’s and
dotted the I’s as to the reality that was taking
place… never mind Hezbollah and the rest.
Informally, without resorting to a
high level of networking, the Lebanese-American people
let those assumed to have power and influence, and in
accord with their views, know how they felt. Except
that at the end of the day those people in Congress had
very little power and, on an issue involving Israel, zero
influence. They were put in the embarrassing position of
having to deny their own feelings, forced to lend their
voices to the rest of the choir lauding Israel’s
actions. It was either that or else. Else,
one asks? Can anyone fathom the repercussions for
straying on this support vote for Israel by condemning or
even appearing lukewarm to Israel’s actions? Forget
about reelection!
Whether there is a parasitic or a
symbiotic relationship between the United States and Israel,
the bottom line is that the existing alliance is enmeshed
in such a way that the fate of one nation is tied to the
fate of the other. And that to think for a moment
that any group, other than the Israel “lobby,”
can exert any influence on America’s political
behavior is like subscribing to the existence of a
make-believe world. Yet, Americans prefer to remain in
denial.
Power and influence in matters of
foreign relations in the United States are an “all
or nothing” situation when Israel is involved.
You either possess all the influence, or you have
none. And to make matters worse, things have
changed very little in the two millennia since Tacitus
told us that “In times of tumult and discord bad men
have most power.” Bad men… not in terms of
“good and evil” as Bush simplistically would
have Americans believe. The battle for peace is not
between good and evil, but between “the purveyors of
suffering and those who suffer.” Indeed, the
purveyors of suffering are the bad men who have most
power.
At this point the situation in Lebanon
is quickly becoming a lost game… with just a few
seconds left in the political clock, and the Peace team
having the ball deep in its own territory. Peace is
certainly in need of another football hero like Doug
Flutie (a Leb, of course) to save the day with a
Hail-Mary pass… but, although we know that Bush has
the arm to throw the pass and save the day, he is
unfortunately playing for the other team, not the Peace
team.
Meantime, while Lebanon is
being severely punished, death and destruction mounts
elsewhere in the Middle East, from Gaza to Iraq.
Everything is interconnected; and that goes for Syria and
Iran. But doesn’t this situation create the
perfect opportunity to have a cease fire everywhere and
set up a round table to sit everyone, e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e,
and try to mend the thousand broken fences? If
synergy has proved to work in biology and in
business… why not give it a try in diplomacy,
relations between nations and peoples?
 Ralph Nader
In truth, the catalyst needed for
the process to take place would require Bush switching
to, and quarterbacking, the Peace team. He will
never have a better opportunity to clean up the mess he
inherited, and the one of his own making.
Unfortunately, the chance of that
happening is probably one in a million.
© 2006 Ben Tanosborn
ben@tanosborn.com
www.tanosborn.com
www.alhewar.com
JULY 27th
2006:Lebanese American, Fatimah Tahfi, from Los Angeles,
and her son Hussain are still trapped in Tyre, south
Lebanon, together with many American citizens who are
almost abandoned by the Bush administration. Why doesn't
the Bush administration demand that Israeli terrorists
stop their air raids on Tyre and other villages where
there are Americans? Why aren't the US marines dispatched
to rescue Americans from the ongoing Israeli savagery?
(AP, 7/27/06).
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