As Lebanon races to enter the new oil producers club, decision-makers display a dangerous tendency to put all hopes on this uncertain sector and label it as the economic savior. Pierre Duquesne warned against the “false hope” that oil and gas extraction was a “magic remedy.”Despite—or because of—this bleak economic picture, decision-makers (government, heads of political parties, members of Parliament) are putting all bets on the oil and gas sector. The 2019 budget openly cites Lebanon’s potential oil and gas wealth as one of the reasons to not worry about the risk of default. The government is thereby implicitly dismissing the costly efforts needed to tackle the crisis, and using anticipated proceeds from oil and gas resources that are yet to be discovered in order to boost confidence. Hoping that oil and gas proceeds will cover up for these losses is at best an illusion, and at worst a crime.