After increasing petrol prices in Kuwait, all social media networks roared with jokes and comments about the matter. Some offered a donkey for sale to be used instead of vehicles, others offered a horse-drawn wagon. Some were looking for bicycles for sale and some kept talking about the benefits of walking as a sport.

Many remarks and comments were made expressing anger and dissatisfaction with the decision. Some even confused between the government and the state that they thought does not protect the poor. Some remarks even forgot all about welfare both citizens and expats enjoy thanks to Kuwait.

Like very time, government decisions turn into tales and exotic exaggerations, especially with the approach of parliamentary elections and the flourish of ‘speeches’, when everybody turns into courageous opposition members, who without knowledge or wisdom, contribute in turning social media networks into ‘talking platforms’ against Kuwait, providing international media with very negative images.

The media then rephrases these impressions in ways that match their political wishes, like when using headlines like “Public Anger in Kuwait”, for instance.

The petrol price increases in Kuwait is a chance to consider what is even more important than petrol and its prices. We have to consider the matter of owning a vehicle, which is easily available for all citizens, who unlike people in other societies, misuse them.

In other societies, vehicles are linked to work and people use them as a means to do something. This is absolutely the opposite of our concept about vehicles that are mainly associated with lack of work and having nothing to do.

Here, we always find youth driving their vehicles back and forth without any real aim, goal or destination. Driving a vehicle is merely done as a pastime because in repressed societies, vehicles are considered means of both recreation and transport!

— Translated by Kuwait Times

By Salah Al-Sayer