The worst ache is the present ache

NY Dispatch Day 146: Six years ago 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate—used for fertilizer and homemade bombs—was confiscated by the Lebanese government. It was improperly stored on a pier in Beirut. Although there were several warnings about the risks the neglected material posed, the government chose not to take action. On August 4th it exploded, killing 154 people, injuring more than 5,000, and leaving 300,000 people displaced. Lebanon is no stranger to turmoil. Once known as the Paris of the Mi...