On this sad eve in our history where our own wrong doings as citizens ended us with a this presidency and government and council of ministers; I’d like to go back in time to remember periods of ultimate prosperity, real politics, nationalism and economic boom
Lebanon was created as an exclusive economic safe haven for France, built over a plot of land that engulfed diverse religious groups for sakes too long to mention here.
In no time our business ties and exclusive agencies allowed the 40 major families to accumulate instant wealth. And it showed in our currency! Our boom became too wild that we overshadowed all our neighbors and led our way into stardom.
Our Banknotes swelled when our businesses grew; and while the majority still lived on Piasters! The 40 families dealt with notes that could buy a dozen villages. Our notes grew and grew and the limited wealth grew even more
This money allowed us to expand inside and out. And out banks swelled equally to keep up with the economy. 4% became richer than anybody could have imagined and our notes grew in size to satisfy the demand.
At the same moment in time all our neighbors were experiencing reality! Scarcity of resources where the imaginary French business model could never sustain the dreams or meet the expectations.
Lebanon flourished ! We became everybody’s safe haven; we became the bankers, the hoteliers, the manufactures, the industrial farmers, and above all the exporters! We introduced the 100 lira note which virtually could buy 3 orchards in Saida with one bill!
The 100 lira is like having a 50,000$ in today’s money in your pocket ! Ordinary people however still went by with 5 piasters !
But we got by! We got by cause we were the neutral country amidst the madness. Most deposed kings and presidents from our region ran out to Lebanon where their armies took over. We sold our neutrality despite being far away from that!
Today we sleep on the last chapter of Lebanon. The system died ages ago but we kept going assuming that miracles can happen. Well my friends, it’s now over. Tomorrow we will default and attempt a run in every direction but whether we pay or not it won’t matter any longer.
We have lost our sustenance, and our final straw was killing the flow of expat cash. Beyond tomorrow there is clouds, too thick to see through and too rigid to navigate.
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