Middle East Temper Tantrum

Victor Davis Hanson writes with his usual authority in this essay in which he looks at some of the root causes of Arab societal failure in the Middle East.

Failed societies don't end up that way by chance. Just as there are laws of physics, chemistry and electromagnetism, so are there laws of societal organization and human action. We humans did not invent these laws. Rather, they are ingrained in the universe in which we live. They are part of the fabric of the world and they are no more under our control than the weather. The success of the West can be explained by the fact that over the centuries we have learned more and more about how these laws work. Thus we have been able to order our society and culture to take advantage of these laws for our own benefit. Freedom, individualism and capitalism are not just lifestyle choices; they are how a human society must be organized if it is to function and move forward.

But the Arabs, and much of the rest of the world have yet to adopt these underlying principles that allow development and progress. Until they do, they are doomed to live lives which are poor, nasty, brutish and short.

Here's why much of the region is so unhinged - and it's not because of our policy in Palestine or our efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

First, thanks to Western inventions and Chinese manufactured goods, Middle Easterners can now access the non-Muslim world cheaply and vicariously. To millions of Muslims, the planet appears - on the Internet, DVDs and satellite television - to be growing rich as most of their world stays poor.

Second, the Middle East either will not or cannot make the changes necessary to catch up with what they see in the rest of the world. Tribalism - loyalty only to kin rather than to society at large - impedes merit and thus progress. So does gender apartheid. Who knows how many would-be Margaret Thatchers or Sandra Day O'Connors remain veiled in the kitchen?

Religious fundamentalism translates into rote prayers in madrassas while those outside the Middle East master science and engineering. Without a transparent capitalist system - antithetical to both sharia (Muslim law) and state-run economies - initiative is never rewarded. Corruption is.

Meanwhile, mere discussion in much of the region of what is wrong can mean execution by a militia, government thug or religious vigilante.

So, Middle Easterners are left with the old frustration of wanting the good life of Western society but lacking either the ability or willingness to change the status quo to get it.

Instead, we get monotonous scapegoating. Blaming America or Israel - "Those sneaky Jews did it!" - has become a regional pastime.