Executive Insight – S2C

ENAR

Flying insults, throwing water, swinging chairs — spectacles more befitting a wrestling match or an episode of Jerry Springer than a political talk show. While arguably no longer a novelty, the scene that unfolded live in front of thousands of viewers on a Lebanese television channel is symptomatic of the level of discourse (or lack of it) between politicians, not only in Lebanon but across the region as well. Indeed, a similar fistfight erupted on Jordanian television in the same week over opposing views regarding the situation in Syria. In developed countries around the world, such behavior would almost certainly have ended their careers or relegated them to secondary roles. The fact that the two feuding Lebanese politicians were lauded (or at least not condemned) by many of their peers and a significant segment of the population shows how far the country is from reaching political maturity. It is time