Living in Lebanon or Abroad?

Lots of people quit Lebanon. Since the end of the civil war, the immigration number just kept rising until now without stopping. Some people were cursing life abroad while others were praising it. There are three major differences between living in Lebanon and living abroad on the economical level, social level and the political level.

One of the differences between life in Lebanon and life abroad resides in the economy.  When talking economy we can state for example Jobs. There are fewer jobs in Lebanon than there is for example in the USA. Studies have shown the jobs opportunity is one of the main reasons that drive people out of Lebanon. Another economical difference is the salary. The minimum wage in Lebanon is approximately 700$, while in France, for example, it is 1500$; more than the double! This will attract people who want a better salary and a better life quality. The final economical difference between life in Lebanon and life abroad is the cost of life. In Lebanon food product are very cheap compared to what we may find abroad. However technological items are still considered luxury items in Lebanon while abroad they are everyday life items; thus cheaper.

Another difference between life in Lebanon and life abroad is on the social level. Social implies relations. For example, family relations in Lebanon are still strong; children always care about their parents and grandparents. The same works the other way, parents always look after their children even though they are grown up. However, abroad, these relations tend to disappear. Children don’t know who their grandparents are; parents “kick” their children out of home when they turn 18… Also there is other people’s attitude. Lebanese tend to be heartwarming, welcoming and always seem happy. There is always someone asking about you. On the other hand, people abroad are very cold; they don’t look or care about the other and tend to forget about their own friends as time passes. Finally, we can talk about health care. Health care system is weak, messy, disorganized, chaotic and not even free. On the contrary, in most countries abroad it is well organized, efficient and free. Everybody needs to have health care; the fact that not all of the Lebanese people can afford it is what is what is driving some out of the country.

The final difference between Lebanon and abroad is the politic. Lebanon is known to be politically unstable ever since the civil war, and the situation hasn't changed until now. This is due to massive corruption of the heads of the state. Meanwhile, most countries abroad are politically stable with a very low corruption rate. Politics also could be about military. The Lebanese army is weak. In fact it is so weak that people often have their own weapons and makes their own justice, some people also hide behind their sectarian party just in order to have some kind of protection. Also in Lebanon we notice the presence of heavy armed militia, stronger than the army. Meanwhile abroad, the army is the defender of the justice and the republic. No one can overthrow it nor even lift a single finger on it because they are strong, heavily armed and some even have a nuclear arsenal. Finally politics is about respecting the human rights. In Lebanon human rights are constantly violated. It could be by people as well as politicians who are supposed to be the one to defend it.  For example when using public transports, lots of people smoke inside the bus preventing other people to have the right to breath fresh air. Even though this is the situation in Lebanon, abroad it’s a different story. People stand for their rights, they overthrow their government if they feel like it is going astray, or taking away some of their rights. People abroad respect the law because they know the true meaning of human rights. “Your freedom ends where the other’s freedom begins”, this is a saying that people believe in and always respect.

It is up to each person’s way of life and his vision of reality to judge living where suits him the most. Living in Lebanon and abroad is different on 3 levels: Economical, social and political level.