"Liberating" gasoline in Lebanon. I was reading about the cruel economic "reform" proposal of the Lebanese government. It talked about raising the value added tax, and removing subsidies, including subsidies on agricultural products and gasoline "nahwa tahririhi" (toward liberating it). The package of reform also included various privatizations, including privatizing social security in Lebanon. It is stunning that no party in Lebanon, not the Lebanese Communist Party, and not Hizbullah, and not Tayyar, are raising a hue and cry over the proposal. But then again, why should I be surprised? The head of the labor unions in Lebanon, Ghassan Ghusn, was installed by Nabih Birri on behalf of the Syrian regime and Rafiq Hariri to tame the unions. Welcome to Lebanon: a country on the road of reform...and "liberation." And As-Safir reported that Lahhud looks favorably toward this "reform."