NEW YORK — After watching the collapse of Lebanon's government, it is hard not to think about efforts to build a stable Iraq. The two countries have so much in common.
Both are volatile democracies where any political question can provoke not just intense debate, but also the threat of violence.
Both countries have relative freedom of speech, at least relative to their Arab neighbors, and a multitude of political parties that are always ready to use it. Each faces a greater risk of manipulation by outsiders than other countries in the region.