September was a silent month. For days on end the Lebanese sat glued to their televisions waiting for the seemingly inevitable American strike against Syria. Daily life hardly seemed relevant in the face of the impending threat and fear of how such a move could turn the region upside down. The worst part was knowing that the decision that would so deeply affect us was not ours to make. As those in Moscow, Washington, London and Beijing debated our future, we were powerless to do anything but sit silently and wait. In the end a deal was reached to allow all sides to walk away claiming victory, but this sense of helplessness has permeated Lebanese society in so many ways. Take the country’s offshore oil and gas, which is likely to fundamentally transform the country. Whether it brings about the healthy, wealthy society we want to see or leads us
