When I am outside Lebanon following the political trends, I do it, thinking that X event or Y incident is going to have an impact. Truth is that nothing thus far had a meaningful impact on the system as a whole. I feel Lebanon is kind of a hopeless case…
People were assassinated and for the first time ever an important percent of the population got angry and asked for change. The Syrians were kicked out, but if I look at the political scene, nothing of substance changed. Unfortunate but true. The same people, clans, families, groups most if not all protecting the individual interest, and all countries from US to Saudi Arabia to France, Russia, Egypt and so on interfere in the internal affairs.
To what end? I don't know, and I don't think they know either. In a way one understands the situation reading a report in an office in Washington DC and quite differently when you are in the country. Here too if you isolate yourself in Beirut, in the expats / Christian area, you lose the most important details. Those that give [some] sense to the events.
Long story short. The game is bigger than Lebanon, but the impact would be much reduced if they’d have a serious, nationalist political leadership.
