(New York Times) Thomas L. Friedman - In December, Egyptian President Mubarak's decision to sign a substantial trade agreement with Israel brought Egyptian workers into the streets to protest that they were not included in the new trade deal. Now, that's a new Middle East. Democracy will not just spring up in the Middle East because autocrats fall down. It will arise only if these countries develop, among other things, export-oriented private sectors, which can be the foundation for a vibrant middle class that is not dependent upon the state for contracts and has a vital interest in an open economy, a free press, and its own political parties. Free Egypt's economy and they will change the rest of the Middle East for us - for free.
2005-03-14 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive