Capitalism from Marxist eyes

BEIRUT - Tarek Hashem

January/February 2006

Someone suggested to me lately that the real contradiction that currently governs Lebanese politics is between two opposing politico-economical projects. That person explained that the contradiction lies between supporters of the American project for the Middle East and supporters of backwardness and forced subordination of Lebanon to its Arab surrounding.

While I agree that Hariri's project, from his class position, fits into globalization, and not the American project for the area, I do not view, in what was stated above as the opposing project, I do not view in it an economical project.

I suggest, thus, in a very classical Marxian analysis, that the economical project of mainly Hizbullah and Amal lies in keeping the status quo which allows Berri to build his clientele base through give-outs to Shiites and Hizbullah to build their clientele base through maintaining their autonomy in their strongholds and thus the dependency of the residents of Dahieh on them economically. Therefore, they have a direct motivation to oppose all the political and economical reforms of the Siniora government as well as any attempt to build a state.

However, this Marxian explanation, while explaining the positions of most forces, falls short of explaining Jumblatt's attitude, whose class nature should lead him to oppose building a state, while the fact is that he is a major ally of Hariri. Here maybe, there is a need to add dimensions other than the class nature and economical projects in order to have a full picture.

On the other hand, the Hariri project – the project of driving Lebanon into globalization, the project of economical liberalism, call it whatever you like – this project, by its own nature, requires state-building. In order to attract foreign direct investments, to have a liberal capital market, and to engage in free trade of goods and services, a state needs to be stable and secure; it also needs to have few bureaucratic obstacles and a fair and swift judiciary system. Therefore, the Hariri project strives for a state that controls its borders and provides security; it also calls for reforms of the judicial system, for extending sovereignty to the entire country and for establishing some kind of democracy.

While the above-mentioned project is not the ideal project especially that it lacks the social and secular dimensions that I strive for; it still is a project for a unified state and consists of a major improvement from the situation that governed Lebanon since the end of the civil war. The bourgeois revolution of 2005 has a project and this project, if applied, consists a step towards a civil and modern state.

Therefore, I call all those who want to see a civil and modern state to start taking shape to rally behind Siniora's project and behind the forces of the parliament majority. At least for the time being.

Tarek Hashem is a member of the Democratic Left Movement. He wrote this article for Alternative