Reminder...

Daily Star:

"...But such an explanation is also a cliché that plays into the hands of the traditional political leaders, in Lebanon and the region. Lebanon’s all too real current fractiousness and its Civil War history are being manipulated by those who have an interest in maintaining the status quo, or more accurately, who have an interest in maintaining their own status, politically and economically. With its weak state and deeply divided nature, Lebanon is a prime example of the clientelist model holding sway across the region. The traditional strongman rules his own patch and dispenses favors, contracts, jobs and money as it suits him, and the chain reaches all the way to the national and international level, hence the joint Syrian-Saudi visit. This apparent fealty to regional or international overlords leads to many misconceptions. About the only thing that unites Lebanese is a consensus that most, if not all, of their troubles are manufactured outside their own borders. It is an old and cherished myth that may have made life more tolerable in times of hardship and conflict but even inside Lebanon is starting to be challenged. Some in civil society and a few politicians claiming to represent a “third way” now hold sectarianism responsible for the country’s shortcomings, particularly the lack of national cohesion and openness to outside manipulation...."