Bangladesh, Jan. 22 -- Nothing is more dangerous to a state than a temporary economic crisis-except the moment when the rule of law ceases to function as a binding authority and becomes a selective, negotiable concept. When truth is replaced by slander, accountability by defamation, and institutions by noise, the damage extends far beyond balance sheets and market confidence. At that point, the very idea of the state begins to unravel. What Lebanon is experiencing today is not a media dispute, a personal controversy, or an isolated failure of governance. It is a decisive test of whether the rule of law still exists as a living principle or has collapsed into symbolism.

Lebanons crisis has often been framed in economic terms: currency col...