WRONG AGAIN: ELITISTS ARGUE ARAB SPRING IS ECONOMIC

ELITISTS (GLENN REYNOLDS AND FOUAD AJAMI) ARE ARGUING THAT THE ARAB SPRING IS ECONOMIC - A RESULT OF THE ARAB WOLRD HAVING GONE DOWN TOO FAR ON THE ROAD TO SERFDOM.

YEAH, SURE.

AND THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION WAS A REVOLT AGAINST THE SAVAK.

THIS IS JUST WRONG.

KHOMENI WAS THEN AND THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD IS NOW MOTIVATED BY ISLAMISM AND NOTHING ELSE.

FROM JORDAN TO AFGHANISTAN AND BEYOND TO SOUTHERN THAILAND AND THE MORO ISLANDS - THE ISLAMIC RESURGENCE ACROSS HALF THE GLOBE IS NOT MOTIVATED BY A DESIRE TO BE MORE FREE OR MORE PROSPEROUS.

IT'S BASED ON A DESIRE TO BE MORE ISLAMIC. AND THEY WILL EXPLOIT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

NEED MORE PROOF?

SIMPLE:

EGYPT'S ECONOMIC GROWTH THE LAST DECADE HAS BEEN VERY GOOD BY ANY STANDARD:

Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita based on purchasing-power-parity (PPP) increased fourfold between 1981 and 2006, from US$ 1355 in 1981, to US$ 2525 in 1991, to US$ 3686 in 2001 and to an estimated US$ 4535 in 2006.

Based on national currency, GDP per capita at constant 1999 prices increased from EGP 411 in 1981, to EGP 2098 in 1991, to EGP 5493 in 2001 and to EGP 8708 in 2006.

Based on the current US$ prices, GDP per capita increased from US$ 587 in 1981, to US$ 869 in 1991, to US$ 1461 in 2001 and to an estimated US$ 1518 (which translates to less than US$ 130 per month) in 2006.

According to the World Bank Country Classification, Egypt has been promoted from the low income category to lower middle income category.

Mean wages were $2.45 per manhour in 2009.

Indicator [4]	1981	1991	2001	2005	2006
GDP (PPP) per capita, (US$)	1,354.81	2,524.99	3,685.98	4,316.59	4,534.82
GDP per capita at constant prices, (EGP)	3,121.85	4,075.47	5,138.36	5,519.09	5,692.24
GDP per capita at current prices, (EGP)	411.20	2,098.71	5,493.28	7,890.65	8,707.88
GDP per capita at current prices, (US$)	587.42	869.30	1,460.98	1,315.75	1,517.85

The reform programme is a work in progress. Noteworthy that the reform record has substantially improved since Nazif government came to power. Egypt has made substantial progress in developing its legal, tax and investment infrastructure. (See Nawar 2006) Indeed, over the past five years, Egypt has passed, amended and admitted over 15 legislative pieces. The economy is expected to grow by about 4% to 6% in 2009/2010.

STILL NEED MORE RPOOF? FINE. HERE:

PAKISTAN AND INDONESIA AND BAHRAIN AND EVEN SAUDI ARABIA HAVE ALL HAD MAJOR BATTLES - SOME STILL ON-GOING - AGAINST ISLAMIC INSURGENTS, AND NONE ARE RACKED BY INCREASING POVERTY OR SERFDOM.

THE ARAB SPRING IS CAUSED BY 2 THINGS:

• IRAN'S HEGEMONY -

• A WEAK AND APPEASING US FOREIGN POLICY LED BY THE WEAK AND APPEASING OBAMA -

IF WE WANT ARABS FROM MOROCCO TO AFGHANISTAN TO BE MORE ACCOMMODATING TO THE WEST AND MORE FREE FOR ITS PEOPLE, THEN WE NEED TO ATTACK AND OVERTHROW THE IRANIAN REGIME.

THE ROAD TO A REAL ARAB SPRING GOES THROUGH TEHRAN, NOT CHICAGO AND HAYEK.