United by farce

Optimists have lauded the sight of Lebanon’s politicians playing a game of football together, under the banner “we are one,” as a sign of good faith to mark the 35th anniversary of the Civil War.  But for those of us less buoyant in nature, the sight was a slap in the face. We would rather see our public figures stop playing games and start getting serious about governing the country. The players — a mixture of ministers, members of parliament and members of the Lebanese Football Association — managed to muster “unity” for a full 30 minutes, the duration of the match. However, once the final whistle was blown — much to the relief of Lebanon’s heavier public figures — the youngest player and only goal scorer, Phalange MP Sami Gemayel, did little to contain his contempt for the opposing team’s captain, Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar. “It seems that Ali Ammar’s