A country in freefall: What future for Lebanon?

The pessimistic, optimistic and realistic scenarios for a divided nation.

Once the envy of the Arab world, Lebanon has become a basket case, with no end in sight. Its political system is in deadlock, as its economy perishes with each passing day, forcing its leaders to plead for foreign emergency assistance to stay afloat, including food for its starving army. But the Lebanese, a savvy people, better known for their hummus than for their humility, have until recently been in denial over the magnitude of the deepening crisis. They are an industrious, shrewd and entrepreneurial bunch who have overcome two major crises in recent decades and are confident about their next comeback.