The dawn of a New Year was barely more subdued than usual in Lebanon. “Dular aw lubnani?” (a US dollar or a Lebanese lira) joked a young man in a barber’s shop, echoing a common refrain as Lebanese joie de vivre tickles the teeth of uncertainty. For 22 years, US dollars and Lebanese lira were interchangeable in streets and shops at an unvarying rate. Since the Banque du Liban — ...
