Lebanon stands today at a crossroads of destiny, its political reality unbearable. Leadership is absent, decisions stumble, the law is trampled, and citizens alone bear the cost. In countries that respect themselves, leaders are judged by what they build, not by what they say. In Beirut, performance is measured by submission and flattery, by hiding behind sectarianism, personal gain, thriving corruption, while justice serves influence rather than truth.

By Dr Gilbert Moujabber
The dream of neutrality is not a slogan to be tossed around at political tables; it is a test of the maturity of both the state and its people. Achieving it requires unyielding will, political awareness, and the courage to rise above narrow interests and old disputes. Every delay, hesitation, and fear is exploited to freeze reform, while every personal gain that bends before patriotism deepens the people's suffering.

Those who reduce mistakes to words, or try to oversimplify reality to cover their failures, must know this: genuine criticism and bold stances are what ignite change. The honest intellectual, the aware citizen, anyone who stands against political absurdity, is the voice that keeps justice alive amidst the roar of lies and manipulation.

Lebanon needs people who can see the difference between those who build the state and those who watch it crumble, between those who defend the land and justice and those who hide behind titles and empty slogans.

Every honest stance, every step toward neutrality, every conscious critique is a seed to rebuild a lost homeland, a homeland where victory is possible through collective effort and shared purpose.

How much longer will the political establishment allow citizens’ dignity to be sold and the land to be violated in the name of sects or selfish interests? The nation will not rise on empty words, nor will its state return to life by clinging to the past. It will increase through strength, courage, fidelity to values that still endure, and justice.

Systematic corruption
The country is sinking under a wave of systemic corruption, a full-fledged system controlled by the Shiite duo (Hezbollah and Amal) and a narrow elite sharing power and spoils. Corruption is no longer a matter of individual transgressions; it is an integrated network permeating all institutions, from the Southern Council, universities, and professional associations to the Ministry of Health and Parliament, as well as its militias.

Every institution has been subordinated to safeguard the interests of a few, at the expense of most Lebanese citizens.

The benefiting minority has monopolised gains and distributed crumbs to partial partners, while the people bear the cost: deteriorating services, disrupted justice, and a loss of trust in institutions. Lebanese citizens, including the Shiites themselves, have become victims of a corrupt system that knows nothing but protecting its interests and securing political loyalty.

This corruption is not merely administrative mistakes; it is a deliberate domination of public resources and the perpetuation of political influence at the expense of the state and its citizens. The current situation demands strict confrontation: direct accountability for the ruling elite, full exposure of corruption, and the restructuring of institutions away from any partisan or militia control.

Lebanon cannot endure more of this collapse. Whoever steals the institutions today steals the future of all Lebanese tomorrow. The country needs each of us: every heart that beats with dignity, every mind aware that the homeland is greater than all personal gains or names.

Lebanese citizens must stand firm: the homeland is not for sale, and justice cannot be silenced. Awareness and action today are the tools that will shape Lebanon's future and ensure history remembers those who oppose corruption.

Dr Gilbert Moujabber isa Lebanese researcher, critical thinker, and a former parliamentary candidate. Throughout his career, he has dedicated efforts to analysing Lebanon’s political and social landscape, focusing on exposing corruption, defending truth and conscience, and highlighting national challenges with clarity and integrity. This is his first contribution to The Liberum.