Lebanon Is In A Deep Social and Economic Crisis

Lebanon is in a state of deep crisis and it is very concerning to neighboring countries like Israel because of the potential proxy wars that could take place due to social unrest. Remember that countries that have undergone revolutions in the middle east have either replaced one face with another with no real changes or have removed dictators to bring in significant chaos.

One can see this in Libya, where human slave trade has made a comeback and where the nation is split into two politically, with an UN recognized leader in one region, and another leader that controls over 33% of the country on the other side. Meanwhile, Yemen has been in a civil war for over 8 years now. Egypt removed one leader and gained a military junta. Syria, has been in a civil war for more than a decade now.

Seeing all of this, countries like Israel realize that it is necessary to take a real look at the situation in Lebanon.

Here is what is happening in Lebanon.

Economic Events in Lebanon

The Lebanese nation has been having economic troubles for several years now. But the country is now seeing a significant decline in its economic activity. As such, its Prime Minister is telling the world that it needs help. The prime minister notes that the nation is noticing an unsettling level of social distress as economic issues within the country continue to grow. As the economic problems get out of hand, the prime minister sees no choice but to turn to other leaders within the world to provide it with assistance.

He noted “Lebanon is a few days away from the social explosion. The Lebanese are facing this dark fate alone.”

“I appeal through you to the kings, princes, presidents and leaders of brotherly and friendly countries, and I call upon the United Nations and all international bodies, the international community, and the global public opinion to help save the Lebanese from death and prevent the demise of Lebanon,” Diab said.

It is essential to note that Lebanon is seeing over 50% of its residents fall into a state of economic instability. They are near the poverty level or hovering above the poverty level. Further, the country is witnessing a significant decline in its currency as it has lost over 85% of its total value.

Naturally, when people have to wait in lines to purchase gasoline, or will have to work much harder to obtain food or afford their cost of living, they will get out and take action. More people in Lebanon are protesting over the state of their poor living conditions and would like to see some real change as quickly as possible.

The government has responded to this uprising by deploying troops to manage the resistance.

Reliance on the IMF and Government Incompetence

The IMF will not help Lebanon until Lebanon establishes a new government. The new government would then comply with the terms and obligations presented by Lebanon.

The current President and Prime Minister are unsure of how to distribute powers to choose representatives of their current government. This has been a problem that has been going on since last October. As these individuals have yet to come to an agreement on this basic matter, the government of Lebanon stays at a standstill. It creates even more problems from a constitutional standpoint as one would immediately wonder why something as simple as forming a government is complex.

As this debacle plays out at the highest levels of power within Lebanon, the country slips into economic darkness and cannot obtain aid from established organizations like the IMF until it is able to form a stable government.

The Lesson Here is To Focus on Critical Economic Problems Before They Become Significant

In the United States people are focused on transgender rights, the LGBT!+-%^&@$ community and other divisive aspects such as identity politics and racism instead of problems related to economics, jobs, cost-effective healthcare and education and other matters that will significantly contribute to a broader higher quality of life.

In an era of increasing power outages, droughts, and other aspects, one would think that the narrative would revolve around these pressing matters. But no, these aspects are far from being addressed as they are more difficult. It is easier to continue with identity politics and other matters as it takes little effort.

The difference between Lebanon and the United States is that the United States still has quite a bit of cachet, it has resources, and has a robust court system and other principles. Even though the United States is going through changes that may lead it down a path to serfdom, it is still seems as if everything is fine.

Meanwhile, the people of Lebanon have no choice but to focus on economic matters as they do not have the resources and political power that is present within the United States. The situation got out of hand and government’s incompetence in Lebanon has led to a dire economic state.

The United States government has its own level of incompetence and continues to spend and spend while taking on more debt to fund entitlement programs, and host of other expenditures. Its income, or tax receipts are not large enough to help its cover its debts. That is a significant problem and something to be concerned about in a world that is swimming in debt.