Republics describe forms of government in which power is held by the people and their elected representatives. They constitute a form of indirect democracy. As its Latin origin “res publica” implies, in republics, countries are considered a public matter, not a private concern or property of a ruler. While many democratic principles are derived from Ancient Greece, Rome is the first ever state recognized to … Continue reading History of Republics
One of the top 3 worst economic crises of the last 200 years, the 3rd largest non-nuclear explosion in history, a worldwide pandemic. One could say that the Lebanese suffered one of the worst humanitarian disasters in history. Most countries in the world rarely see more then 3 months of negotiations for coalition governments to be formed. And yet, despite the current conditions, it took … Continue reading Critical Juncture
Relationships between vassals and stronger states have been around since the early development of state relations. The stronger state typically agrees to provide military support and any other existential support to keep the vassal state afloat in times of crisis. In return, the dominant state receives commercial, military or tributary (taxes) privileges. Vassal states typically agree to the deal out of a combination of consent … Continue reading History of vassal states
Derived from the Latin term “superanus”, meaning “chief”, or “principal”, sovereignty is a key aspect of states and describes supreme legitimate authority over a territory. Sovereignty involves a local aspect, whereby the state must be able to legitimately provide law and order in a society via its monopoly over the use of force. It also entails international recognition and respect by foreign governments of the … Continue reading Foundations of Sovereignty
It is sometimes argued that there is no clear evidence of continuity between Ancient Lebanon (Phoenicia) and modern-day Lebanon. In fact, the reality is that there exists no sign of discontinuity. A civilization is continuous so long as there has not been any major exodus from the land and emergence of new settlements into the land, which would trigger a discontinuity in cultural evolution, governance … Continue reading A 5,000 year-old civilization
If freedom is humans’ ultimate purpose, how could it be that individuals are born into a system in which they willingly submit their freedoms to a state? For most of history, all humans were nomadic hunter-gatherers. Agricultural communities developed about 10,000 years ago when humans began domesticating plants and animals, enabled by technological revolutions and favorable climate. Trade ties began increasing, and the first advanced … Continue reading Origins of Political Order
The misery of the nation aggravates, as fuel, electricity, food and medicine shortages bring the country to new lows. Justice is yet nowhere to be found. Services considered basic essentials in most countries have turned into rare commodities. And yet, obsolete mafias continue to waste time, “celebrating” to the press days of “positive negotiations”, as if the people had any time left to wait. Dollar … Continue reading The game of chicken
Narratives around the history of our nation have been hijacked by one-dimensional stories promoted by sectarian ideologues. There are few more anti-intellectual settings then hearing discussions about the nature of the Lebanese identity. The presence of clashing views is inevitable when one enters into such debates without first defining whether the identity is based on religious, linguistic, ethnic grounds or on the continuity of statehood … Continue reading 18 tribes, one civilization
For the past 30 years, executive positions have been held by about a dozen parties, while many more parties have had some level of influence in Parliament. However, the parties of the club of the 6 most influential parties have been responsible for over 80% of executive decisions for the past 30 years, and were the dominant legislative force while Parliament governed without a budget … Continue reading Kelon ya3ne kelon 2) The club
The momentum of the thawra continues to build, following last week’s historic triumph over the sulta in the elections of the Engineers’ Syndicate. Engineers related to the thawra or running as independents secured over two-thirds of positions across the different categories of engineering sectors. This has built on previous wins in the Beirut Bar Association, and across many university elections. The elections also witnessed the … Continue reading Kelon ya3ne kelon 1) context and interpretations
