Customer Reviews

Beirut: Reviving Lebanon's Past

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First of all,one has to admit,that this book contains a huge variaty of concise and interesting backgrond information on prewar Lebanon, especially focused on socioeconomic data. Interpretation of these data by the author then seems very dated and from a clearly far left/ socialistic view point.The blame of Lebanon`s crisis is put merely to the "capitalist West" and its "undercover agents",the local Beirut based bourgeoisie.The view-point should rather be focused on the unability of lebanese (and arab in general) society to adapt to the challenges and demands of an ever changing modern world.One can adapt to new trends even as a weak multicultural and very capitalistic country,as my own one,Switzerland, demonstrates since 150 years,without turmoil and civil war.Capitalist economic policies create uneven wealth distribution all over the world-but ethnic/sectarian strive is no locical consequence of it,(i.e.Switzerland)as the civil wars in the former(communist!)Ex-Yugoslavia show us.Furthermore there has been insurrection already in the year 1958,at a time the laissez-faire economy of Lebanon has not created such huge social disparities,as they seem to have appeared in the early 70`s.So in short,even after the study of this book,the real reasons for the 1975-1990 civil war remain a mystery.