The Bane Of Lebanon

There’s an article about Lebanon in the new issue of The Economist. In a neat paragraph, it summarizes our weakness as a nation:

Outside meddling certainly plays a part in Lebanon’s troubles.[..] But much of the trouble stems from internal causes. The sectarian fragmentation that makes Lebanon the Arab world’s most tolerant society also tends to generate scrappy, paranoid politics, as leaders fear that any change may favour rivals. Issues over which there is broad public consensus, such as the need to resolve political crimes, reform electoral laws and contain jihadist groups are subsumed within struggles over turf and spoils. Opposition to the current government, for instance, has been bolstered by some Christians who share the majority’s loathing for Syria, but would rather ally with Syria’s friends, including Hizbullah, than work as junior partners to the Sunni, Druze and rival Christian parties that form the present ruling coalition