It is often said that Lebanon makes no sense. It is the kind of line that we like to throw out when the chaos overflows, but in reality there is no mystery or enigma to Lebanon. It is a crude entity; a mini-state controlled by local chiefs whose grip — either religious or geographic — more often than not defines national allegiances. The government is a shell. To get things done in Lebanon, you don’t go to your member of Parliament or the ministry; you go to your chief, who milks the public sector in his area and then has the gall to complain that government isn’t doing enough. But in reality, there is no desire to see a strong government; this would mean a level of accountability and this would not work for the chiefs. And yet we have economic growth. Lebanon has a private sector that has learned
