The major candidates are:
The March 14 Alliance: generally anti-Syrian and anti-Pan-Arab
Future Movement (Harakat al-Mustaqbal): led by Sa'ad Hariri, US-backed and capitalist with strong Sunni constituency
Progressive Socialist Party: socialist and Masonic, large secular and Druze constituencies
Qornet Shehwan Gathering (comprised of)
Lebanese Forces: right-wing Nationalist Lebanese with strong Christian backing
Democratic Renewal Party: moderately leftist pro-reform party
Phalangist Party (Kata'ib Lubnaniya): ultra-right-wing Fascist party of Lebanon
National Liberal Party: moderately leftist and Christian
Independence Movement: centrist and nationalist
VS.
March 8 Alliance (Opposition): pro-Syrian and pro-Pan-Arabist
The Party of God (Hizb'allah): very left-wing progressive and generally Shi'a; led by Hassan Nasrallah; responsible for the liberation of South Lebanon in 2000 and the removal of occupying forces in 2006
The Movement of Hope (Harakat Amal): strongly Syrian-backed and very supportive of the Syrian regime
Free Patriotic Movement (al-Tayyar al-wattani al-hurr): moderately leftist, mostly Maronite party
Originally posted by scherzoThey get credit for "the removal of occupying forces in 2006" but you don't bother to mention that their reckless actions were the reason the "occupying forces" came in the first place in 2006?
The Party of God (Hizb'allah): very left-wing progressive and generally Shi'a; led by Hassan Nasrallah; responsible for the liberation of South Lebanon in 2000 and the removal of occupying forces in 2006
From the Daily Star: "Lebanon's Future is in the Hands of a Small Number of Districts."
The Christian communities may decide the outcome of this election, depending on who votes for the FPM in the Opposition and who votes for the Phalange and LF in the March 14.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=102742
Originally posted by scherzoIn what way was there a war between Israel and Lebanon before the 2006 soldier kidnappings? There was only a "war" because Hizbollah started it. Before the attack, Israel had no reason to move into South Lebanon in 2006.
It's called war. Soldiers die. It's not like they were civilians.
Originally posted by sh76Please, stop spewing out propaganda.
In what way was there a war between Israel and Lebanon before the 2006 soldier kidnappings? There was only a "war" because Hizbollah started it.
Israel remains in occupation of Lebanese territory and has invaded Lebanon several times in the last 25 years. And soldiers can't be "kidnapped" while they are engaging in military operations.
EDIT: Maybe this might help: http://www.shebaafarms.org/briefhistory.html
Originally posted by FMFOther than the three CIA agents standing behind me with their guns drawn, I am under no pressure to take any specific position.
Does sh76 feel beholden or is he sincere? I must say I have wondered. On this and most everything else. Is there a certain pressure on him that I, as a non-American, am not aware of?
There seems to have been an unprecedented high turn out. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/06/20096714241072111.html
Supporters of democracy should be cheered, though I suspect that the spruce crowd will find Lebanese democracy defective if the opposition wins.
It does seem the parliament is skewed towards the Christians; though they are only 40% of the population, they are guaranteed half the seats.
Originally posted by no1marauderWho is 'the spruce crowd'? If you talking about the Lebanese flag, that's a cedar, not a spruce.
There seems to have been an unprecedented high turn out. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/06/20096714241072111.html
Supporters of democracy should be cheered, though I suspect that the spruce crowd will find Lebanese democracy defective if the opposition wins.
It does seem the parliament is skewed toward ...[text shortened]... the Christians; though they are only 40% of the population, they are guaranteed half the seats.
In the Pine family (Pinaceae), we have:
Subfamily Pinoideae
Pinus - pines (about 115 species)
Subfamily Piceoideae
Picea - spruces (about 35 species)
Subfamily Laricoideae
Cathaya (one species)
Larix - larches (about 14 species)
Pseudotsuga - douglas-firs (five species)
Subfamily Abietoideae
Pseudolarix - golden larch (one species)
Abies - firs (about 50 species)
Cedrus - cedars (two to four species)
Keteleeria (three species)
Nothotsuga (one species)
Tsuga - hemlock (nine species)
(courtesy of wikipedia!)