Erik, you make a great point here. Foreign influence can be very important, but in order for lasting change to take effect, it needs to be spearheaded by those who are on the ground and directly involved. I think that there is a lot of value in equipping the state to run well through policy initiatives like what Malik suggests in the reading. At the same time, those initiatives should be designed without a direct dependency on the West in order to create a truly pluralistic, independent Lebanon.
