Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Read it anyway
Deacon at Powerline (I'm not sucking up, guys, really) notes the anti-Israeli tone of the third Arab Human Development Report released last week. I agree with Johan Norberg, however, that the reports by and large have been very good in emphasizing that economic freedom and democratization are far more important for the development of the Middle East.
Saddam was at least honest enough to call his country socialist. It's a sign of what's needed to turn things around. The AHDRs can serve as a blueprint to what needs to happen next.
The real problem in the Middle East, of course, is not the only democracy in the region, it�s the fact that it has been the only democracy. Don�t take my word for it. The Palestinians agree. According to the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research, 59 percent of the Palestinians think that their biggest problem is poverty/unemployment or the corruption and lack of reform of the Palestinian authority. Only 31 percent think that Israel�s occupation is the biggest problem.
Saddam was at least honest enough to call his country socialist. It's a sign of what's needed to turn things around. The AHDRs can serve as a blueprint to what needs to happen next.
