April 13th marked the 46th anniversary of the start of the Lebanon War, the darkest episode in the nation’s history. How could it be that a civilization renowned for its peaceful coexistence degenerate into the most tragic human act? Given the way the war was resolved, it remains paramount to construct a collective recollection of the war, so that the nation can finally move on, … Continue reading The National Reconciliation
Lebanon is going through its worst economic crisis in history. Due to the multi-faceted nature of the crisis, there remains clashing perspectives in society regarding the main factors of the crisis. In terms of economic fundamentals, the crisis was due to the accumulation of unsustainable balance of payment (BoP) deficits over 30 years, mainly attributable to the twin deficits, “trade and fiscal”. These deficits primarily … Continue reading Fundamentals of the Crisis 1) The Debt Trap
The act of scapegoating dates back thousands of years ago across human civilizations, stemming from the human nature of seeking to absolve oneself from misfortune. Spiritually, it refers to traditions of sacrifice to wash away sin from communities. In social contexts, it has grown to define the practice of disproportionately targeting the blame for a crisis on individuals or groups of people. Whether out of … Continue reading The Scapegoat Card
Taef accord interpretations. Amendment 64 vs 53. Doha Agreement. Personal tit-for-tats. Political vengeances. The ego of men continues to take center stage. As the nation continues to plunge in misery, the cartel continues its traditional modus operandi of mafia tactics and horse trading plays. When the revolution started in October 2019, many loyalists had accused the thawra of triggering uncertainty and panic, thereby causing the … Continue reading Fall of the Cartel
The accumulation of crises faced by the people continues to take its toll. Today, a large part of the Lebanese population is completely numbed and geared towards survival mode. The material, psychological, economic and social damage has affected everyone in the country. And yet against all odds, over the last couple of weeks, defiant men and women relentlessly refuse to surrender to mafia rule. “Elna, … Continue reading State of Thawra
Lebanon is going through its worst crisis in history. The destruction of public wealth and wipe out of private wealth is unprecedented in the nation’s history. The collapse never needed to be so dramatic. Deposit losses would have only been at around 20% a year ago, instead of 70% today, had the government embarked on some sort of soft landing, orderly restructuring. Instead, the Lira … Continue reading Banana Republic
The tragedy of the deadlock carries on, as the Lira surpasses 13k, its lowest level in history. The misery of the people aggravates. Shortages and supermarket fights abound. Political tensions over purchasing powers arise. Subsidy cuts in fuel and wheat seem to be coming. To top it all off, complete power blackout looms. Carriers loaded with fuel oil have not yet been able to unload … Continue reading Tragedy of the Deadlock
The fraternization of the people with the army has always been a decisive factor in successful revolutions across history. Besides sympathizing in their hearts and souls with the irrevocable legitimacy of the thawra, the army has felt disrespected for its treatment by the state. Year after year, the corrupt regime has consistently reduced its military budget and deprived the army of resources needed to protect … Continue reading Pillars of the Republic
With the idea of “neutrality” currently gaining traction in Lebanon, it remains essential that the population realizes the choice it entails. State neutrality describes a political choice of non-alignment in armed conflict. The neutral nation state obtains the right to not have its air, land, or territory violated, in exchange for not aligning with any belligerent states involved in armed conflict. Neutrality as a state … Continue reading State neutrality
In August 2015, in the midst of a presidential vacuum, less than a year after MPs unilaterally extended their terms due to “special circumstances”, the garbage crisis plunged the country into a new low. Defiant, determined, energetic men and women, across all regions of Lebanon decided to take matters into their own hands, mobilizing across Beirut to contest the mismanagement and corruption of the sectarian, … Continue reading Birth of a Nation
