One Growth Industry In Lebanon: Dark Humor

I apologize for the absence of an update yesterday. I was at the office well into the evening, trying to run down MPs who had known Walid Eido for this tribute to him. Everyone was very helpful once I got them on the phone, but many anti-Syrian politicians seem to be hiding from public view, in fear that they will be next. This doesn't go for Hariri or Jumblatt, who need to be visible, but it does seem true for the people a few rungs beneath them. Understandable, of course.

Anyway, Jeha mentioned dark humor in a comment below, just as I was trying to think of something to write. It reminded me of a discussion I had with one MP yesterday, who was very friendly with Walid Eido. "He liked me very much, and I liked him," said the politician. "We used to joke around a lot."

Of course, I asked him what they joked about. "Well, when we would hold a meeting and the cameras would be there, I would turn to the photographers and say 'take a picture of Walid, this might be the last time you see him. He might get assassinated!' And Walid would say. 'No no, take a picture of him, he might get assassinated!'"

We laughed together about that and, for a second, I forgot that I was interviewing a man about his friend's death. Which, of course, is exactly the point of Lebanon's black humor.