What is the impact of the world democracy revolution?

In Arab states, there’s been a significant change toward democratic revolution in the past two years, according to this absolutely fascinating report from a writer who visited Dubai and talked to James Zogby, a respected pollster of the Arab world.

He found that young Arabs, both men and women, in their 30s and 40s, are beginning to lose interest in a Pan-Arab identity, a dead end that has brought nothing but anguish and poverty since the post-colonial tinpot-dictator era of the 1960s. Instead, they are starting to see themselves as citizens of individual countries.

And why not? States like Kuwait and the Emirates; Bahrain, Oman and Qatar, have everything to be proud of. They are bright new Singapores with great futures emerging from a great soggy mess of self-pitying pan-Arab tyranny, into unique countries we want to trade with and see rich and full of recognizable achievements. In the latest development, Oman recently signed a free trade pact with the U.S., which was passed in U.S. Congress by a wide margin.

Arabs are taking more pride in being citizens of individual nations instead of amorphous, ill-defined pan-Arab movements, and that’s contributing to changing attitudes about women working outside homes, as well as bringing more democratic reforms. Apparently, the growing civitas is leading to a growing trust among peoples, a greater self-reliance, and a greater willingness to understand what makes life good and stand up for it. In short, greater democracy.

What that means is democratic revolution is alive and well in the Arab world, and more freedom, more individual achievement, and more real pride are on the cards for the Arab states. This is news to celebrate.

Read it here.

Hat tip: Real Clear Politics