"غوغل" يحتفل بالاستقلال اللبناني على "وقع الدبكة"

I mean French rule was better, but not Ottoman rule. But at that Ottoman period, people had hope for a better future, that's what I meant: having a State was a dream of being sovereign and independant and better off.

Lol, so Lebanon meant more when it was still just considered a region of Syria?

terrorist... what did Lebanon have that made it such an oasis in the middle east? The Switzerland and paris of the middle east? It didn't have oil or any natural resorces of any value, but had banking and services. The government had budget surpluses of over 5 % on average before the civil war. Unemployment was under 8%. GDP per capita was as high as western countries. It wasn't because of the ottomans or france. It was because of the agreement by the maronites to share power through democracy instead of a dictatorship. Christians and sunnis businesses flourished without discrimination. Shiites were mostly agricultural and rural. When the Palestinians came and disturbed the shiites in the south it all hit the fan. Arab nationalism and the like destroyed a great country. Now look at the result of these idiots that looked outwards instead of in! history must be taught to all Lebanese!