Lebanon: A Moribund State

At the centre of all devastation and malice in the face of absurdity and obscurity, the Lebanese state has failed to live up to the constitution they are highly proud of and keen on defending, and have vehemently failed to establish or enact on any of the promises and plans the various governments over the past few years have preached to improve the wellbeing and increase the opportunities of growth for its people.

The 2019 revolution brought forth a wave of national social unrest and strikes against all political parties, which gave a glimmer of hope for the Lebanese people in the short run. However, with the pandemic arising and then the port explosion in Beirut sending shock waves across the country and the world, the uprising that was meant to bring down the existing oligarchy that arose as remnants of the Civil War (1975-1990), faded into obscurity. Where were the flocks and bands of people protesting and holding banners and showing support for the national cause? Where did the spirit for revolution fade? When did the slogan "kolon yani kolon" (All of them means all of them) get forgotten? Where did all the educated, creative and ambitious citizens that could have contributed to the cause disappear? All has become water under the bridge, due to a culture embedded in the "wasta" mentality, where no change nor progress can ever take place in Lebanon, without the consent of its "rightful" rulers.

Since 1990, the same faces that emerged supreme then have remained plastered on shattered walls as if their eternal souls shall guide us further down the road of destruction they helped pave. They remain, because the unique system of bigotry, corruption and deceit has been carefully crafted and divided amongst the various sects, in a way where like capitalism breeds competition, this system breeds public rivalry. The real enemy though, is not each other, it’s the people themselves. As we can see, from recent events, the Lebanese people have been deprived from everything, including their inalienable rights. Lack of electricity, clean water, proper sanitation, lack of garbage disposals that has left trash accumulating and eating up the streets, negligence towards the environment and its safety, poor infrastructure and a number of other key challenges that the state has turned a blind eye to, due to oligarchic disputes over who gets what! And when fingers begin to be pointed at those responsible, such figures throw the blame on foreign powers intervening to destroy this beautiful country. When armed militias still make military parades in refugee camps or Hezbollah remains the law and order in the South without any checks and balances on their growing power, as the excuse is that these weapons and soldiers are for the protection of the Lebanese against the Zionist state and for the eventual recapture of Jerusalem, while the state of Israel continues to grow in power and is emerging as a powerhouse on the international stage, in areas like the sciences, technology, military and societal well-being, then any rational individual must take a step back and re-evaluate all they've been taught and exposed to and come to terms that we as Lebanese have become accomplices to maintaining a lie about our heavenly conditions as a society and our superiority as a nation. Let us take an example on just how far corruption and injustice has infested the state's institutions. The port commissioners of Beirut who were held responsible for their negligence and disregard for the safety of the Lebanese people, due to the ammonium nitrate stored irresponsibly in the port that led to an explosion only outmatched by the nuclear explosions of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, have been let go, due to a weak justice system and a lack of enforcement on regulations and safety, simply because the accusation and incarceration of such figures responsible will also hurt the oligarchs clinging on to power over a country that had been bled dry by their corruption.

Infestation is hard to rid one's self from. In a house infested with termites, it becomes difficult to contain the level of damage such infestation can do to the structure of the roof over one's head. And when the foundation itself is murkier, as it is build on mud rather than concrete, the house is bound to sink. Corruption is the termite that eats through the foundation of Lebanon’s state and institutions. With many hands playing their symphonies and fingers in many pies, the state is structured like a family business where each department must be distributed amongst the members of the core political parties that hold the strings to the country, as shares are provided by a company to the highest bidders. Heated arguments and political threats are waged when a ministerial position, for instance, is not granted for a particular party, regardless of the votes, as Lebanon is a parliamentary system after all. Whatever is not settled in a civilized fashion within parliament, is usually taken out on the streets as an act of defiance, where it appears that the people are upset, when in reality their rulers are the ones agitated. Such feudal tactics has made progress on any serious matter in the country impossible, which has only decreased the legitimacy, sovereignty and authority of the "state" itself. Why would people advocate a democratic solution through elections, which seldom brings any real results or change, when they can go to one of the the oligarchs compounds to plead their case?

When assessing nations like the US or Ukraine when it comes to their domestic and foreign problems, they seem to be dwarfed by the small geography that Lebanon occupies. Over the past three years Lebanon has endured a multitude of serious challenges that has and continues to threaten its stability and future. As the October revolution took a toll on the country, the central bank began to hoard whatever dollars it can grab on to from the influx of wealth channelled into numerous Lebanese banks the people deposited their money in, assuming it was safe and a sound investment due to the unusually high interest rates such commercial banks offered its depositors. Fearing from a flight of money from such banks to off shore accounts, the banks began blocking any attempt of withdrawals of peoples money. as a way to save the country from bankruptcy and as a supposed means of maintaining the value of the people's money by securing their deposits and savings safely in the banks. It means that whatever money or savings you had stored in these banks were gone, as a way to preserve the country's money and dollar supply. But this preservation had adverse effects that ended up reducing the lira value to almost nothing and the deposits in US dollars to only be given out at a fraction of its original value. In the following three years since the 2019 October revolution, we have witnessed the following:

• Inflation of the lira against the dollar to an all time high of above 100,000 liras to the dollar, when originally it was only around 1500 liras to the dollar.

• Corruption in every corner from the state down to the owners of generators, where gangland wars and disputes have been occurring frequently between neighbourhoods or regions, showing the lack of authority the state has over such affairs.

• Absence of a legitimate elected government. For almost a year now, Lebanon has had a provisional government that does the bare minimum to ensure to well-being of its citizens.

• Failure to unite or come to terms, with even the simplest of matters, such as two time zones in one small country, because of religious differences that is more of a political act. You read that correctly. The time difference can show an hour difference depending on which sect you're from and not based on actual time zones. This caused a huge panic for the airports and airlines, simply because the head of the provisional government, Mikati, after discussions with the approval of the speaker of parliament, Berri, decided to create such a difference during Ramadan, as a political act, driving a wedge between the Muslim and Christian communities, whom the Church found absurd and not acceptable as part international standards.

• We continue to see ever more clearly a split nation where Hezbollah rules the South and certain Christian parties dominate the central parts of Lebanon, while the north and other territories of Sunni dominated factions are embattled with the retreat or stagnation of political parties, such as the Future Movement, since Prime Minister Saad AL Hariri’s resignation and dissolvement of his government at the onset of the October Revolution.

• The central bank has been exposed as the most fraudulent institution in the country, striking the reputation of this once highly acclaimed sector that absorbed millions of dollars from foreign investors. Now, people have to literally threaten with force to "steal their own hard-earned money", simply because of the banks rejection to give depositors back their money, which they most likely barley have. Or else why would the country call on the IMF to provide it a blanket over the excessive levels of debt the country has found itself in; debt levels in Lebanon are considered to be one of the highest, if not the highest in the world.

• Increased tensions with its neighbours, such as Syria due to the almost two million Syrian refugees based in Lebanon, which is almost half of the existing Lebanese population, apart from other large refugee groups such as the Palestinians that have been militarily armed and stationed in numerous refuge camps since the Civil War. According to recent statistics, nearly 1 out of 4 Lebanese nationals are refugees, at least that which the authorities know of. Let alone the ever increasing tension with Israel, especially over the discovered gas reserves found within the depths of Lebanese shores on the Mediterranean Sea, which is still considered disputed waters between the two states; Lebanon and Israel. The disputed patch contains part of Karish, a confirmed gas field, and part of Qana, a prospective gas field. However, under former President Aoun, who recently resigned his presidency post, after firmly clinging on to it in the most troublesome years of Lebanon which he managed to do nothing major or useful in, resided over an agreement that would benefit both economies., Israel and Lebanon have signed a historic agreement setting their borders in the Mediterranean Sea, over the original disputed waters where the excessive gas fields lay. However, with the rise of Netanyahu as a far-right president of the state of Israel once again, it is fair to say that such agreements can remain murkier and unstable in the foreseeable future.

• The impact of the Iranian and Saudi ceasefire and their closer ties on the country's stability. Initially the Gulf stated pulled off their generous support from Lebanon, which helped fill the central banks coffers immensely, due to the rising influence of Iran backed Hezbollah and the inability for the leading Sunni faction, the Future Movement, to engaged directly to curb their growing influence in the state. But, with the help of Chinese diplomacy, the two regional powers seem to have found some common ground, for now. This in itself is problematic, for only with the easing of tensions between these two regional powers that have launched a proxy war against one another for the past decade almost, did the economy begin to show signs of recovery or possible hope. This means Lebanon is more of a "vassal state" than an actual independent sovereign state, as the people believe it to be.

• Crime and theft is on all-time high, which many Lebanese are hindered and astonished by, as such matters were not common in the past. While parallel to such domestic issues, religious and ethnic divisions are more pronounced since the Civil War.

And yet, the country still seems to be surviving, while some segments even thriving like the tourism sector, which shows a paradox in the making. As there is a huge inflow of "fresh money" as it is known on the streets, coming into the country from at least the approximately 15 million Lebanese citizens that have been based and living abroad for generations; something that helped Lebanon wither through the storm during the 2008 recession. You roam around the streets and you still see them bustling with people, while restaurants, pubs and clubs are always full! A paradox truly, but it shows the resilience of the Lebanese and at the same time their dismissal of their immediate realities how badly hurt and how much their country's stance has degraded over a few short years.

What is the solution to the myriad of problems Lebanon has succumbed to? Lebanon is in dire need of new, young and vibrant leaders. A group of rulers that are not a part of any ethnic group nor engaged with any religious sect, but a group of bright minded and focused individuals that are set on repairing this broken system. Leadership is about not being eager to rule but being more eager to aid and develop your surroundings and the people within such surroundings to become more than what has been bestowed upon them.

Our leaders must be encouraging and bold figures that focus on educating the masses and accepting criticisms and objections by the masses in an intellectual way. The spirit of democracy can only be carried through by the Lebanese people through listening more than talking to one another, communicating rather than objecting and defying at evert turn of events, creating and maintaining channels for new knowledge or ideas to see the light of day, showing respect for all types of people and opinions to be held as a paramount principle, while establishing a rule of law where the ruler is more prone to be punished than the average citizen for breaking the rules and regulations simply because they are the enforcers and defenders of the constitution embedded in the state.

The spirit of democracy starts with the spirit of friendship, which can only be based on the establishment of a parliament that accepts all views and considers all opinions and passes through all legislation that is first and foremost adherent and tailored for the people and not for a particular sect, group or ruler. Real rulers or leaders do not ask "what do I gain from this position" but instead ask "what I can offer through this position". Rulers must rule for the sake of their subjects and not to rule over them for their own sake. For the purpose of rule is first and foremost to serve. A concept that has been lost in translation over time in countries with a doomed fate like Lebanon.

To witness real change in Lebanon, our understanding and vocabulary must change in its meaning and purpose. Like a company that changes direction based on a clear and well entrenched mission statement, the state should embed and strictly adopt and apply the social contract that is designed to help shield the people from their governments, while also giving the necessary powers and authority for governments to apply the necessary measures to protect the people. A balance is what is missing in a country that has become extreme in every sense of the word. And the way we create such balance lies within changing our views of the very rulers that have failed us time and time again. Either the people revolt in the name of something feasible and glorious or they remain content with the humiliation that is currently being handled by the majority.

The next content of this series, I shall be delivering a more coherent article on a set of scenarios that Lebanon can embrace, as a real form of change, if the country seeks to overcome the many obstacles its is dwelling in. Is there hope? Of course? What is the cost of such change? Huge! Is it worth the hassle for the people to undergo? Definitely! There is no other way but to walk the hard terrain and narrow dark path ahead, to witness a better set of conditions to take place for this beloved country of ours. It all depends on the choices we make and the sacrifice we are willing to take for the vision we wish to realize ahead.