Where there is prosperity conflict has a nasty habit of following. From the tumult of the Andalusian era in the 12th century to the present day, success has spawned evil as well as creating good. In recent Middle East history, the supreme example has been Lebanon. It had long been the gateway to the East but in the 20th century it also became the West’s portal to the Arab world and its oil. With this prosperity, it developed into an extremely potent regional hub for education, health, tourism and real estate. However, it was a boom that also created consternation among Lebanon’s neighbors, who coveted and ultimately fought over its riches. Lebanon suffered for its success. All that is gone. Not only because the Lebanese allowed their country to be subsumed by war, but also because Lebanon has failed to react to the shift in currents in the global economy.
