We may never know what was the ultimate goal in the grand plan that killed Hariri. He wanted to created a boutique nation into whose coffers would flow the riches of those who sought out its delights, but where his dream would have taken us, only he knew.
What we do know is that Hariri was a big man who dreamt big and that the driver of these dreams was private enterprise existing in a sound, and free business environment, fed by stability and security and backed up by solid national infrastructure.
When his labors began to bear fruit – as we saw in the 2004 – this environment needed to expand. The economic reality of modern Lebanon had broken out of its political cage, hungry for more.
Those who killed him sought to end his influence but they could not quell his very essence. He had become a phenomenon. He nourished people with an unquenchable entrepreneurial drive and belief in what they could achieve. This was reflected in part by the shock and anger at his passing.
It is because of this, that we can be confident of the future. There is no immediate alternative to Rafik Hariri and there may never be one. However, his mission is done. He had set an example.
We wished for better communication that might have conveyed his dream more eloquently to a nation often bewildered and intimidated by the Hariri factor, but today we are beginning to understand his reticence to share his vision, now that we have seen the depths to which his political enemies will descend.
But that is in the past. The reaction to his death made us realize that we appreciate what he did. We now know that we can go on to get better results and work with the same positive attitude to create a better and more prosperous nation.
We at EXECUTIVE will miss his wry smile and crafty grin when ever we challenged his policies and ideas. He was not fazed. He was confident in his mission and as such he relished the cut and thrust of intelligent debate.
We will miss him even as his legacy lives on.
