Reform in the Arab World

The stated goal of the Bush Administration after 9/11 has been the wholesale change of the political culture of the Arab world. It is for this reason that the US waged war in Afghanistan and especially in Iraq. The Left has advocated a different method to achieve this transformation - in effect, the continuation of policy prior to 9/11. An article in The American Thinker proposes a third way to achieve reform:

However, a third way exists and has begun to flourish. Democratic ferment is brewing on the periphery of the Arab world, in smaller states. This trend should be encouraged. Diffusion of these ideals to the wider Arab world will steadily erode the structures of Arab despotism. Percolation of these practices and philosophies can be considered the "trickle up" strategy of reform.

The point is that we can achieve reform of the Arab world by supporting the reforms of the Gulf States, and these reforms will eventually work their way into the rest of the Arab countries. Its a good idea, but incomplete. Without a doubt we should be encouraging reforms in the small sheikhdoms, unfortunately this is not enough. This kind of process is a very lengthy one, potentially a few generations long. With the current threat of terrorism, we simply do not have the luxury of waiting for so long. So while we support the small changes in the Gulf States, we also need to exert strong pressure, militarily when necessary, for much more rapid reform in the rest of the Arab world.