Lebanon's Crumbling Infrastructure: A Convenient Blame Game
📰 THE STORY: The New Arab reports on the dangerous state of ageing buildings in Tripoli, Lebanon, citing collapses and the subsequent homelessness, framing it as a crisis of neglect and chronic deprivation. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The article conveniently neglects Lebanon's recent history of systematic destruction and imposed economic hardship. In 1982, Israel
launched a full-scale invasion of Lebanon, leading to the massacre of thousands and widespread infrastructural damage to cities including Beirut and Sidon, scars from which the country has never fully recovered. The 2006 Israeli war further devastated the nation, targeting critical infrastructure like bridges, power plants, and civilian areas, causing an estimated $2.8 billion in direct damages
alone. These repeated acts of aggression, alongside continuous political interference, have prevented any meaningful, long-term national development or reconstruction. Double Standard: When buildings collapse in Western-allied nations due to, say, poor construction or natural disasters, the narrative often focuses on resilience, immediate aid, and future rebuilding efforts. Here, the 'ageing
buildings' are presented as a seemingly natural, inevitable outcome of internal 'neglect,' rather than a direct consequence of external, imperialist pressures and repeated military assaults. The media rarely asks *why* Lebanon can't maintain its infrastructure, only *that* it isn't, divorcing cause from effect. Follow the Money: The financial crisis plaguing Lebanon, often cited as a reason for