Barry Rubin at Politics and Prose

My Monday Night at Politics and Prose this week led me to hear Barry Rubin speak about his new book on the prospects for democracy in the Middle East. I am not sure how many books Rubin has written over the past thirty years. Based on his presentation, it must be thousands. No matter what question was asked him, he answer was "I did not deal with that subject in this book. But I have written two others concentrating on the point."

Any insights? Two items of importance that I picked up. First, that Rubin thinks that democracy will come to the Arab Middle East, but that it might take another millenium or two. Second, that what the United States does in the Middle East has limited effects on what happens there. In other words, we may be disrupting Iraq with our presence, but are we really changing Iraq? Probably not -- stick around another millenium or two and see.