Tools designed to channel new money into Lebanon’s economy in the start of January 2022 shine in the same way as they did last year: They emit rare vibes of hopes against reason. But they do so in an uncanny semblance to the sensations which life-support machines in an intensive care unit evoke in all the unfortunate people who depend on them. This is to say that tools which keep us alive and breathing, whether financially or physically, carry the unquestioned connotation of desperate measures. As long as the ventilator works, ICU patients will not be inclined to debate about their aesthetics, design, color scheme, or even the manufacturer’s name. (Actually, if an overly image-conscious hospital administrator were to insist that only a life support machine by a leading brand manufacturer be used in a coronavirus emergency, any number of patients might expire over the debate). Infusion of finance is
