Lebanon is not a pathetic country. American people are pathetics,they're ignorants and empty.Look at your sheety president before critisizing other people or country.
Ask youself why NOBODY likes you, you're a strong country rules by brainless people.Don't compare civilization to barbarism, Don't forget that America is so young.Talk of civilization is may be a mistake or perhaps ignorance. France can talk about civilization, the "old continent" too.
Lebanon for sure.
I hate people like you,i can't even have any consideration for you.You make feel very angry.I was traumatized by what happened on the 11.09, i was so sad,i felt so close to americans by when i read ugly people full of hatred i'm desapointed and i understand why NOBODY LIKES YOU.Any way, i'm sure that you have a lot of common points with islamists(and not muslims): The intolerance, the stupidity, the ignorance,...
Or may be when u talk about about barbarism, u mean Israel? then u're right

Wow, Laurence Simon. That's quite of list of thoughts on a day like this.

And to the above poster, if you're in the US and whereever you're from, go home.

"The intolerance, the stupidity, the ignorance,..." Well, at least he got THAT right.

Well done, Lair.

Those on the other side can kiss my hairy American ass.

First poster needs to realize something, namely age does not mean civilization, accomplishment in the arts and humanities, in science and all the other endeavors of an advanced society does. By that measure America is more "civilized" than almost any other nation on earth, and the only reason for the caveat of "almost" is my respect for my ancestral homeland.

My response to first poster: Egypt has been around for thousands of years.

So, how many clitorectomies are performed in Egypt every year? And how many girls/women die from this barbaric mutulation?

"I don't need 72 virgins. Just give me four hotties in bikinis playing beach volleyball on ESPN2. And some cheese fries."

Lair, you're like the brother I never had.

As much as I agree with most of your points, you got the first one wrong. Jesus gave up his life for all the past and future sins of man. That He had such love for us is beyond human comprehension, as I too would find it hard to give my life for this world.

To the first poster. North America maybe be young by European or middle east standards. But the middle east has not evolved culturally, economically or scientifically since the inception of islam. All great leaps forward in science, technology, agriculture, culture, economics and freedom have either come from Europe or North America. Nothing has come from the middle east for at least 1400 yrs except what we gave them(oil). The great culture, technology and science from the middle east can from cults and religions prior to the arrival of Islam and nothing since, so don't take credit for something you and your religion had no part in.

"I don't need 72 virgins. Just give me four hotties in bikinis playing beach volleyball on ESPN2. And some cheese fries."

How about 2 teams of 4 each (all brunettes) and in HD, bacon on the cheese fries, a tall cold beer... and a recliner....

Ever notice when foreigners talk about why they hate America, it's always *feelings* (lefty bullshit)? It's about how Americans are "arrogant" or "stupid" or "empty" or "superficial" or whatever. But when we (Americans) hate a group of people, it's for concrete actions, like killing civilians or inciting violence or trying to destroy a sovereign ally (i.e. Israel) or (as Larry mentioned) genital mutilations or other barbaric shit. What I'm saying is, objectively speaking, the reasons people hate America are irrational/subjective, while the only people Americans hate (on the whole), we hate for rational/objective reasons.

Hi poster #1

Lebanon is not a pathetic country but has been getting there with the help of Islamists. It used to the "Paris of the Middle East" but thanks to Mo and his friends is closer to Detroit. By the way you mentionIsrael as "barbaric". hmmm..1/5th of Israel is Arabs yet the 21 Arabic nations are pretty much jew-free. Why do Palestinians run to the Hadassah Hospital near Jerusalem instead of in Ramallah ? I feel sorry for the Palestinians because they remind me of contestants on the game show "Lets Make a Deal" and that they always throughout history have always chosen the door with the porcelin pig instead of the cadillac.

You should stop watching Al-Jazeera as your outlook and info is pretty much like a blind man with glasses

I didn't even realize you posted today (too busy to keep much a watch of my own site). Great thoughts -- I'd love more in the future.

Thanks to the hairy american ass,i'm allergic to hair and to silicon also.wow, i'm happy, i made u feel bad, i offended u cause i critisize ur country.
It was just an experience, a succesful one.Next time u critize the other put yourselves in their place.
Al jazeera is not my cup of tea. It's important not to think(like)al jazeera,not to be narrow-minded,and blind.
good night

To the 1st poster:

This is what we get for not following our first instinct and blowing your third-world shit-hole of a country into a sea of molten, radioactive glass on 9/12.

Go hump your sheep- it's LONELY without you.

It's never too late Bile, Snark and Sneer. We still could. I rather liked that old "Bag-o-glass" skit on SNL year ago. "So Barbi gets cut a little." Remember that one? I can laugh thinking about it.

Love your site.

Very Smart comments.
Passez une bonne journée

It's interesting that there are some people who just can't get the drift of "If you don't like (A): go back from whence you came
turn off the TV, radio, computer et al.
get another job, spouse, partner
cancel the paper, magazine or e-mail
vote the blighters out

Life is about choices. It's your choice to ingest what ever tripe you choose. It's my choice to listen to your whining or tell you to shut up and take your sorry butt back to the 14th century where you and your ilk are more comfortable. (which of course I would never do, I'd want to, but I wouldn't)

It's also my choice to say, Have a blessed day.

For all their wealth, the Saudi Royal Family and Rafik Hariri's family didn't get their medical services from their home countries.

Both tended to hop on planes and come to Houston, TX.

In America.

Kinda shows how much faith they have in their own societies for the basic services of life, despite spending millions and billions on basic social services and education.

Ponder than when you watch Al-Manar, wave Hezbollah's banner around, and call them wonderful social services providers to the masses.

Laurence Simon u have caca merde in ur eyes and ur mind(if u have one), u don't know anything about hariri's country so just shut up.
IGNORANT and probablement a big,fat and discusting thing.U so frustrated. J'ai pitié pour vous. Allez!!!lisez un peu,instuisez vous, peut être qu'un jour vous deviendrez un être humain.
Ciao

Yeah yeah yeah... typical French, thinking Juifs are subhuman.

So, are you one of those "immigrant" French that go around burning cars all night, or do your roots go far enough back to the days when your grandparents willingly handed Jews over to the Nazis while those that fled your perfidy ended up forming the French Resistance to help the Allies drive them off?

Trolls, trolls, trolls too bad they don't have real meaningful activities in which to dissipate their vitriol.

Or in trollspeak too bad they ain't got nothing better to do, so they don't sound so stupid and mean.

Good column Laurence.

I'm reading this late but I have to say that this is excellent.

italic
bold
strike through
underline