I Wonder...

...what would have happened in the Middle East if they had gone from monarchy, directly to democracy, instead of Arab Nationalist dictatorships?

Government of Jordan Is Dismissed by the King

"In a statement announcing the change, King Abdullah said, “We have accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit, taking into consideration the views of the various sectors of society as well as a letter we have received from the parliamentary majority.”

Mr. Bakhit was seen by many as dragging his feet on political changes. His government also angered Jordanians with a new law that made it a crime, punishable by a steep fine, to falsely accuse someone of corruption. The law is seen as an infringement on the news media and free speech.

Also of concern are episodes of lawlessness, especially by groups thought to be working with the government, who have attacked opposition gatherings. The most recent example was on Saturday when an anticorruption conference, attended by opposition figures and members of four prominent tribes, was disrupted by attackers firing guns and throwing stones."

[---]

"The new prime minister is Awn Khasawneh, 61, who has been a judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague since 2000. He is also a former chief of the royal court and was a legal adviser to Jordan when it negotiated its peace treaty with Israel in 1994.

A spokesman for retired military service members, Gen. Ali Habashneh, said, “Awn Khasawneh is known for his integrity, and has no corruption issues in his past like the rest, and more importantly, he has very high legal capabilities, which is essential now in this phase of constitutional amendments, laws and legislation which will define the future of Jordan.”"

Are there better days ahead for Jordan, or is this just the same old, same old? Personally, I've always liked the Hashemite kings of Jordan. They've got a trendy website, just like the House of Windsor, and they're far more forward thinking than anything Arab Nationalism has ever produced.