Sectarian staging and human life is the cost in Lebanon
Over the past two years, the minimum wage in Lebanon has fallen by 84% due to the devaluation of the Lebanese pound. The country has been facing an economic crisis, which could rank in the top three most severe crises episodes globally since the mid-nineteenth century. The crisis has left almost three-quarters of the population below the national poverty line. Nevertheless, the corrupt political regime deemed it insufficient to starve more than half of the population to death. Today, on top of medicine and gas shortage, electricity cuts and constant uncertainty, the Lebanese starve for justice.
Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Divisive Politics of Welfare
Despite differences between Saudi Arabia and Israel in political, cultural and economic terms, both countries are characterised by an extensive and highly discriminatory welfare system, which enables the state to exert considerable power over society. Although the allocative state system is waning, the usage of welfare is still a powerful political tool, as it significantly aids the state in its capacity to both gain consensus and prevent waves of insurgency.
The Fall of ISIS and the Future of Counterterrorism Operations
There is an old saying about counterterrorism: it is like mowing the grass in your front lawn. It needs to be a consistent process, even though sometimes you do not know exactly where the enemy is. The future of counterterrorism operations lies in better cooperation among Western nation-states.
