It is likely that even a one-term Trump will go down in history as a president who (more than Obama, Bush, Clinton) symbolized a “new era” in the history of the West. The new era will last for a few decades, as the “social democratic era” lasted for three decades (1945-1975) and the “neoliberal era “ lasted for three plus decades (1980 to 2010+). It is marked by a shift in the center of gravity of western politics/policies in the direction of (1) authoritarian-nationalism and exclusionary identity politics; (2) illiberal internationalism -- including less commitment to free international trade and free international capital movements, and less support for legacy multilateral organizations, like those of the UN.

This webinar will attempt to pull back the analysis of the current crisis and delve into questions related to the legitimacy of the Lebanese state, the role of the Lebanese leaders throughout history, the current unprecedented levels of the leaders’ selfishness and ignorance, and the resulting outcomes. This analysis is crucial not only for understanding Lebanon’s trajectory but also for assessing potential future governance options for Lebanon.