this NYT opinion piece from a few years back was impactful to my understanding about the destructive nature of such a false dichotomy - as it pertains to Lebanon

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/09/opinion/trump-beirut-poli...

Essentially that in a state of sectarian politics, everything is political.

> ..."During the course of the dinner, someone mentioned the unusual hailstorms that had pelted Beirut the previous two nights. Everyone offered an explanation for this extreme weather event, before Malcolm, tongue in cheek, asked his guests, “Do you think the Syrians did it?”...