He wrote a book...errr...the Lexus and the Olive Tree. In it, he points out that he's a social liberal but very much believes in a free market hence is (and my abhorrance of welfare for the corporations). In his latest articles, he's been anything but a typical left-winger. He claims the "Arab Street" is something he's never seen although he has extensive ties to the mideast, meaning that people who claim the Arab Street is against us do not know how to define it. He also is pretty adamant about not stopping for Ramadan, and for killing bin Laden and the Taliban quickly as the only way the U.S. will get any respect in the Arab world. Those strike me as not being particularly left-wing of the Misty Eyed, One Worlders.

My own take is that he's a throwback to a 1950's liberal, and he's very clear-headed and no-nonsense when it comes to American foreign policy. He's been one of the first media people (although I think of him as more of a political scientist) to express the notion that we should be exporting the American Revolution to Arab countries regardless of the short term consequences. I think he's right. The Arab countries that wish to live under Shar'ia Law deserve to (and I particularly wish it on the stupid Saudis, bin Laden putting the royals up against the wall wouldn't be all bad). The ones that do not, will do better economically.

Incidently, Thursday's Wall Street Journal had an article on Bahrain. They are a majority Shi'ite pop. ruled by Sunnis. Iran has at various times claimed it. During the 1990's, they had a rebellion by Muslim radicals and put it down with some killing. In 1999, the Top Banana got called called home to Allah and one of his relatives took over. That fellow released all the political prisoners, and started giving the Shi'ites more political control. They have a way to go yet but the Shi'ites are now not so radical, they have a large American base on the Isle, and they have Eastern European waitresses in skimpy clothes. I think any Arab country that allows Eastern European waitresses in skimpy clothes is an Arab country on its way to True Enlightenment. So there is hope for the Arabs...at least the rich ones. How that would work in Egypt is anyone's guess.

He's not an instant expert. He covers economic matters, but those invariably lead to political ones. His book, The Lexus and the Olive Tree, is an examination of the tension between globalization (in economic terms) and local customs. Most nations want global markets and global trade. What they do not necessarily want is the foreign intrusion on local customs. But one cannot have one without the other. This (he considers) is the central tension between the West and the Emerging Economies (to be PC or not to be PC? What the hell have they done to my brain?). How a nation answers this central dilemma orients the nation with respect to the West which is hell bent on globalism.