The Teflon Nation

Qifa Nabki on why Lebanon will not have its own revolution:

At the end of the day, Lebanon is relatively inoculated from everything going on in the region precisely because of the lack of any credible center to rebel against. Who could possibly be the target of a nationwide revolt? Every political leader with enough clout to matter has his base, and the last time Lebanon successfully “revolted,” it was only because there was a (foreign) regime to revolt against.

Many Lebanese in Facebook and Twitter are excited about a “revolution against the sectarian order”. That too will fall flat on its face for a simple reason: This is not a universal objective to the Lebanese in the way freedom from repression was universal to Egyptians, Tunisians and Libyans.

That said, I’m not saying that the sectarian system is good or that it’s here to stay. I’m just saying that it’s the kind of thing that doesn’t lend itself well to “revolutions” and instead requires gradual, generational changes.

If the Lebanese are really aching for a revolution, they’ll have to search harder for a seriously nasty, universally loathed Bête noire (and please don’t say “Lebanese politicians” because that’s just empty talk)