Is the rule of sectarian taïfas eternal?

As Lebanon slipped into a violent civil war, sectarian taïfas became more powerful while the opportunity for establishing a state faded. The dynamics of this conflict were not initially sectarian, but it brought to the forefront new warlords, and armed militias further institutionalized sectarian taïfas. As the civil war ended through a multinational settlement these warlords transitioned into civilian sectarian taïfa leaders with political roles. From then on, they competed for authority and influence over the battered remains of the state, eventually leading to total collapse. Sectarian taïfa authority ebbs and flows and is not eternal. It tends to grow as the state vanishes and to shrink with the rise of a powerful state.