Lebanon's Sticky Politicians

So you think Lebanese politics -- based on a sectarian system of 17 recognized religious groups with ever-shifting alliances and antagonisms -- are confusing? Well so do the Lebanese. Which is perhaps one reason why a collectible sticker album launched last month called "Parties and Colors" has become so popular. Supposedly aimed at educating young Lebanese about their government, the album has pages devoted to each of the country's 14 main political parties -- from Iranian supported Hizballah to the American supported Future Movement -- with space reserved for adhesive portraits of their leaders and founders.

Though it's billed as a civics lesson, "Parties and Colors" is also another example of Lebanese entrepreneurial brilliance. The country is in the midst of a six-month political crisis that could lead to the creation of two rival governments, financial collapse, and perhaps a regional war, but someone here sensed a marketing opportunity. The sticker albums are reasonably priced at two dollars each. But naturally the stickers are sold separately, 50 cents for a packet of three or four. And like baseball cards, you can't tell which one's you are buying until you open the package, and there are over 200 different stickers. I spent about $10 before I gave up trying to find Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

And despite the fact that the sticker packets don't contain bubble gum, one wonders how healthy they are for Lebanese kids. Politics get ugly here. Lebanon fought a 15-year civil war that ended in 1990, and may be on the verge of another. The recent political past is still so divisive here that Lebanon has yet to produce a national history textbook for use in public schools. "Parties and Colors" avoids all this by giving as little information as possible about the various groups and people. For example, you won't see any categories for which leaders have been accused of war crimes, and which ones have faced corruption charges, or which ones are on the payrolls of foreign powers. But it would be well worth the 50 cents to show Lebanese kids what a pack of rascals their leaders really are.

--Andrew Lee Butters/Beirut