Beirut: Anatomy of a Failed Government

Friend of Lebanon

       How bad is corruption in Lebanon?   Walk to the seaport of Beirut.   Take a good look around.  One will find the results of what happens when Hezbollah is the main influencer in local politics.  This terrorist organization has managed to lead this country into the abyss of sectarian control by corrupt individuals and corrupt organizations.   The visible results speak for themselves:  a disaster of incalculable proportions.  In addition to the 140 lives lost,  the loss of house and home to another 300,000 locals will be enough to bring the economy to its knees and has already resulted in the collapse of the government as the leader resigned as did the entire parliament.   So the scum or minders of the country are gone.   Who will manage the reconstruction of the port, the country, and the economy?
      Sadly, nobody knows who will handle the job.  If the Syrian civil war is any example, one can see that outsiders could easily fill the void.  Not only are the near neighbors willing to take over, but folks out on the periphery will be more than willing to jump in.  Look for non-state actors to attempt a takeover with promises of financial aid and material to assist in rebuilding homes and propping up the failed economy.  Estimates are that 50% of the population will slip into poverty with little ability to improve the situation on their own.   Businesses have not only failed, but their physical structures were completely destroyed in the blast.
        We know that ammonium nitrate is a fertilizer widely produced and utilized as an agricultural amendment.   The storage of 2500+ tons in a dockside warehouse for several years is a clear indication that all politicians had a hand in this disaster.   They knew, but did nothing.  They gambled and they lost.   They should all be imprisoned, but that won't happen.   Not in the Middle East, the Land That God Forgot.   The tribal sects are entrenched, and cannot agree on anything, anytime, or anywhere.   The countries involved, and we know them all, continue to leach any value from the population and the countries themselves.  For over a hundred years, since the end WW I, only turmoil and infighting has been the standard output of this region.  The prospects for change are slim(see Saudi Arabia).   Overlay the situation with the coronavirus and one can see the future of the region and its inhabitants is grim.
      Welcome to Lebanon.