"We have been truly blinded. Dim the lights a bit so that we can sleep!"

Khaled Saghieh, a columnist for Al-Akhbar wrote one of the best editorials I read lately on the present situation.

Those who have followed the developments in Lebanese politics from the end of the July war till last week must have felt really anxious about seeing the national unity government become a reality on the ground. The government for which a sit-in was held in public squares for long months, for which songs and anthems were written, for which conferences and meetings were held in which representatives from all over the world participated. We are definitely waiting for the official pictures of this government to be taken. But, until that glorious moment, we can say congratulations.

Congratulations for Hezbollah for using its weapons inside Lebanon all to form a government headed by the same man who tried to exploit the Israel attack in July 2006 to disarm the resistance. Congratulations to the Prime Minister who succeeded in elevating a number of subordinate smurfs to the rank of ministers thus proving, day after day, his important and strategic role in supporting and spreading Arab moderation. Congratulations to the ministers themselves who achieved tremendous successes in their ministerial positions and thus earned the right to return to the same positions without anyone twitching an eyebrow.

Congratulations to Walid Junblatt who discovered on the eve of the parliamentary elections that the Lebanese Forces is trying to take on a role bigger than its size after he had personally helped throughout the past three years to exaggerate their size. Congratulations to the Lebanese Forces for winning the ministry of justice which suits the track record and history. Congratulations to the president for his choice of Elyas Al-Murr as defense minister following his successful political management of the Nahr Al-Barid battles. Congratulations to all the Lebanese for the finance ministry which is moving from the hands of the rightists to the hands of the extreme rightists, both protected under the cover of the "statesman" with the numerous achievements from the public debt to the taxes.

Congratulations are in order to the Lebanese because the ministry of agriculture is back in the hands of the descendant of feudal lords. Congratulations are in order to the Lebanese because of Ali Qansu. Wouldn't it have been better if he had been returned to the minister of Labor so that he could complete the efforts that he started to dismantle what remains of the syndicates and labor unions? Congratulations are in order to Bank Audi for the ministry to its owner. Congratulations are in order to the supporters of "Shi'i enlightenment". We have been truly blinded. Dim the lights a bit so that we can sleep! [Translation: mideastwire.com]

You can read it here in Arabic.