``...given half a chance, populaces in the Middle East flock to illiberal, anti-imperialist Islamists rather than nice liberal democrats...'' Yoshie
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I think that is the wrong conclusion. What I think is going on is a western assault on traditional social systems that are deeply intwined with religious and social structures that compose an `identity', an Islamic identity (for want of a better word.) While patriarchy is certainly a corner stone, the `dictatorial' illiberalism of some traditional Islamic societies is more of by-product that many may dislike, but manage to swallow for the sake of maintaining their traditional identities.
The real over-determined enthusiasm of the west isn't its love of democracy, but its own love affair with its image of itself as a liberatory society---which in fact it isn't. Also an `identity' complex.
Taking the two together, at a popular level we have a clash of identity movements intermixed with both secular and religious systems that are more or less incompatible---except within an open and reasonably tolerant society, say like Lebanon.
CG