On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 09:55:04 -0600, Dave wrote:

On Wed, 02 Mar 2005 19:45:41 -0500, thunder said:

Really?

Yes, really. Those of us who are old enough remember when Lebanon was a
relatively stable and vibrant financial center, with an effective power
sharing arrangement among the three principal religious groups, standing
in sharp contrast to most of its neighbors. The arrangement was upset as a
result of the change in its demographics following the '67 Arab-Israeli
war.

Well, I remember Eisenhower sending the Marines to Lebanon. ;-) I'm not
disputing what you are saying, but unfortunately, that was quite some time
ago. Perhaps, I overstated Lebanon's historical disarray. Then again,
those that consider Lebanon's current situation a boon for democracy, are
discarding the facts. A ex-Prime Minister's assassination, a mob in the
streets, and a Druze leader who won't leave his mountaintop for fear of
being a target, does not bode well for democracy. Having watched
Lebanon's recent history, I wish the Lebanese well, but they have a long
slog ahead of them, before they reach their former "stable and vibrant"
status.