The United States, the European Union and Western-led institutions such as the World Bank repeatedly ask why the Middle East can't govern itself. The question is asked honestly but without much self-awareness.
After all, the single most important impediment to good governance in the region has been its lack of self-governance: The region's political institutions have been crippled as a result of repeated U.S. and European intervention dating back to World War I, and in some places even earlier.
One century is enough. The year 2016 should mark the start of a new century of homegrown Middle Eastern politics focused urgently on the challenges of sustainable development.
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