The "fist of the revolution," surrounded by protesters, on Oct. 26, 2019 in downtown Beirut, during the early days of the popular uprising in Lebanon. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L'Orient-Le Jour)
It was an evening in October 2019. The government of Saad Hariri was discussing new taxes to plug a gaping budget deficit. Public debt hovered around 150% of GDP. The Chouf forests were burning. One hundred separate fires, 1,200 hectares scorched, one dead, dozens injured, and a government crisis cell. We thought that was it — a country on the edge of the abyss.Life wasn’t easy for everyone, but people died less often and less violently. War was a thing of the past. “Do you remember when...?” The Lebanese Lira, pegged at 1,507.5 to the dollar since 1997, was already wavering. But the banks were open. We paid our bills, withdrew our salaries and transferred money abroad without wondering whether the banking system would survive another day.All the indicators were already flashing red, but we didn’t know it yet. A 20-cent tax on WhatsApp...
It was an evening in October 2019. The government of Saad Hariri was discussing new taxes to plug a gaping budget deficit. Public debt hovered around 150% of GDP. The Chouf forests were burning. One hundred separate fires, 1,200 hectares scorched, one dead, dozens injured, and a government crisis cell. We thought that was it — a country on the edge of the abyss.Life wasn’t easy for everyone, but people died less often and less violently. War was a thing of the past. “Do you remember when...?” The Lebanese Lira, pegged at 1,507.5 to the dollar since 1997, was already wavering. But the banks were open. We paid our bills, withdrew our salaries and transferred money abroad without wondering whether the banking system would survive another day.All the indicators were already flashing red, but we didn’t know it yet. A 20-cent tax on...