Media outlets can promote political narratives at will and tell a hand-picked story prepped the night before if they deem necessary.
But when we talk about October 17, and the events that have unfolded since, “disappointment” is a word from the early days-one we’ve long evolved past.
Yes, October 17 brought some disappointments. It gave us a fragmented bloc of representatives who many hoped would come together and didn’t. That’s true.
But it also gave us fierce, vocal MPs-ones who broke the mold, disrupted the system, and offered a glimpse of what a better future for Lebanese politics could look like.
It reignited political engagement. It inspired many-us included-to step back into the ring of decision-making.
It marked a rare and precious turning point. A moment that birthed a story still reshaping Lebanon’s political and cultural landscape, and threatening its old guard – from the battle to defend the Serial from the likes of Mikati, to this week’s hard-won financial reforms.
October 17 flung open the doors of Lebanese politics-an arena once reserved for the well-connected and the privileged-and said: come in.
That moment is bigger than the political compromises of today. October 17 is an access point. A new story. An invitation to lead and to serve.
And that is absolutely worth defending.