Nations should embrace the aesthetics of pride, but they must also move beyond products to reflect the deeper, more complex realities of the country. Patriotism should not be measured by the number of flags or decorations one owns.

This is not a new phenomenon. Indeed, the myth of a “new era” persists in Lebanon’s political vocabulary. It is recycled every few years by the same elites who have no intention of changing the system that keeps them in power and keeps the people’s sense of identity divided. This language of rebirth has come to feel like denial. It is impossible to inaugurate a new era when the same oppressive political structures are completely intact.