It is Mr. Hariri who pushed the public debt to the astronomical figure of $18 billion. This is an unquestionable fact. But it is undeniable that every member of the cabinet bears equal responsibility, or else he should have resigned in protest. It is also undeniable that Mr. Hariri got the authority to spend from the parliament, and every member of parliament who voted in favor must be equally blamed. Other Hariri excesses have been either officially condoned or conveniently ignored, both at the cabinet and the parliament levels, so long that the other "beneficiaries" to the official corruption received their allotment of the national loot.

If it is true that Mr. Hariri is the prime sinner in the orgy of bad governance and open corruption, and this is clearly with his own choice, it is also true that he has maintained a large company of sinners, many of whom have had a much longer record in sin.

When we see the occupants of the various high offices in the nation pointing their fingers on each other, let us keep in mind that they are all equally culpable in the ongoing crime being committed against Lebanon and its people. Keep in mind that Mr. Hariri, as the prime actor in this tragedy, is not the only one on stage, and that, while he must account for his prime share of the responsibility, there are numerous other culprits who must also be brought to account.