After reading LOL's last editorial by Emma

Look Out Libya = LOL

This is LOL's most recent Editorial
. And before this one they published Tony's.

Both deal with a singular issue: challenges of life in Libya. And the approach that both of these editorials advocate is: life in Libya sucks, but we are barely smart enough to delude ourselves into thinking that it actually is wonderful living and working in Libya.
The implication is: the authors of these posts are so great, so positive in their internalization of what they face in Libya that they are able to turn the difficulties into nothing more than fun and fulfilling experiences. But only for them as individuals.

After her encounter with a road-blocking tent that will cause her to be late for an errand, Emma says

This was actually one of the very reasons I had fallen in love with the Libyan people. There was an occasion to be marked, be it a joyous one, or a celebration of a life that had passed on, and nothing was going to get in the way of it.

I am a selfish person, too. But I do not allow my selfishness to go as far as considering another people's chaotic and rather miserable life an adventure, so that my weak and sheltered psyche doesn't have to wrestle with the reality of those people's conditions. Being who I am, global citizenship and responsibility to me is a way of life and action, it's not something to be flaunted over Martinis....Bacon-wrapped pastries, perhaps.

Seriously, though; I know that entire generations in the post WWII world have been raised on the notion of Multiculturalism, Tolerance, civilizations are just different...etc
But that's not always true. Sometimes things ARE better and not merely different: rule of law IS better than autocracy and tribal discrimination, fairness among the sexes and family members IS better than the subjugation of women and child abuse, protection of minorities is better, 'artisan' bread and organic blueberries at 4 bucks a pound are better.....

Sometimes, we call our fear of disagreement "tolerance". Progress demands civil and intellectual confrontation. We should not feel guilty for not tolerating the intolerable.

The way of thinking that displays itself through LOL's Editorials and how those editorials acknowledge the problems, but deliberately mis-handle them is antiquated and invalid in this age. It's entertaining at best, and wasteful at worst. A disgruntled youth or an undereducated and malnourished child across the globe will, somehow, someday, have a negative effect on our lives in Colorado mountains or the south of France. This is not the world we lived in twenty, even ten years ago, so it may be hard for some people to adjust to this new world. But they must try.

To acknowledge an illness then pretend it is a strength will exacerbate it even faster than if that illness were not even noticed.

As "educated" and "civil" expats (whatever that means), Libyans look up to us and want to learn from us. Most of them do not have the humility to admit this, but it is true.When we tell them that it's ok to live in chaos and without order, that it's "romantic and joyous and lovely" to waste their days and nights sitting on street corners sipping green tea and playing cards, when we tell them that their shortcomings are "beautiful" and should be preserved, they will believe us and react accordingly.

Any athlete will tell you that improvement requires a person to get out of their comfort zone. This is applicable to all walks of life. Progress IS painful, but "we must all suffer one of two pains: the pain of discipline, or the pain of regret and disappointment."

Libya is still a relatively fresh canvas. Expats, especially English-speaking expats, have an opportunity to induce positive and constructive changes. I hope they realize this.

But if you decide that it is better to crack jokes and laugh at the irony of life without taking action or speaking out, then, sure, I can relate to that as well. I do believe that "The ugly and the stupid have the best easiest of it in this world. They can sit quietly and gape at the play."