Lebanon was referred to as the “Switzerland of the East” for many decades.

Lebanon earned
this title because of its free-market economy which was encouraging for the investors to take the
Lebanese market seriously. In addition to the tourism, education, and even medical sectors that helped
Lebanon to earn this tittle. Even the capital city, Beirut, was once called the “Paris of the middle east”.

However, the current situation in Lebanon is a quite different. It all has started since 1975, or
during the civil war. The Lebanese civil war lasted 15 years, from 1975 until 1990. The consequences of
this war are still present till the current time especially in the demographic distribution of people. At the
same time, Lebanon had to stand against the Israeli invasion in 1982, and the war of 2000, the Syrian
army invasion from 1976 until 2005, the war of 2006, and the assassination of Rafik Al-Hariri. Of course
not all the conflicts were mentioned, but the common thing between them all is turning Lebanon into a
boiling volcano, a battle field for many parties and countries.

On the other hand, politicians in Lebanon succeeded in destroying the Lebanese economy
through drowning it into debt. But the most critique turning point was the economic crisis that started
in 2019 and the crime on August 4, 2020 where thousands were killed as a result of corruption. These
snowball of actions got bigger and bigger, and caused a wave of anger against the government that led
to, as the politicians say, to the current crisis.

In order to regain that title, “Switzerland of the East”, Lebanese people need to focus more on
the industrial field. The Lebanese market is a top G as a consumer market where Lebanon actually
import more than 80 % of its needs of food, medicines, and supplies. Also Lebanon has a large amount
of agricultural lands that need to be invested. Preparing balanced, detailed, precise plans for industrial
and agricultural fields will be the best solution against the growing snowball of crises Lebanon is facing
and will face in the future.

From my perspective and my point of view, there is a major factor that has never changed
despite all the crises that Lebanon had suffered, is suffering, and will suffer, which is the people itself.
The solutions were always out there. Any educated and skilled person can give a solution for the fuel
crisis, but what if the nature of the people, the Lebanese people, is refusing to change? What if the
people was already totally enslaved? What if the Lebanese people has reached the maximum level of
slavery to some parties, politicians? A slave won’t be able to think, to react, right?!