I agree that it's very important to understand how these informal systems shape, and will continue to shape, the state of Middle Eastern Politics.

But lets just take a moment and remember that we didn't exactly heed to the letter of our own constitution when we first wrote it. I believe the first modern Egyptian Constitution was ratified in 1956. That's not exceptionally young, but I should hope that a century or so from now, we can look back at these Middle-eastern documents and agree that they are more closely adhered to than they are in 2007.

Our own system of government had a great deal of informality in its beginnings, and it took generations to form a more perfect union. Heck, there's still a good deal of informal political meandering in any western democracy, and there probably always will be. But what matters is that when we take something to the courts, we demand that they uphold the letter of the written law of the land, as Formal and lifeless as it may seem. This trend has only grown stronger in western nations as time has gone by (our current administrations constitutional origami notwithstanding).

We should expect all countries to be in a relatively constant process of critical reform aimed at strengthening the rule of law, and the equitable distribution of justice. This may not always play well in informal circles, but it is foundation of any nation's stability, and a core principle of modernity.

Nicely said, but...

Formality is hardly an American hallmark. In day-to-day life, "formality", as I think you intended, has to do with shared expectations within a community. This is European. It is also true in the Muslim world, where specific salutations, gestures and protocols matter a lot. It is not really so American it it?

Please explain how the cultivation (encouragement) of self-expression (e.g., loudness, rudeness, and thoughtlessness in comportment/dress), self-indulgence, and self-pity (the victim culture) support your thesis that the ME needs to catch up. America is a great place to be an adolescent with some "imbalnces". To its credit, many Americans have more reasons to laugh during their days than in Cairo. Not all. Look at anti-depressant sales.

"Rule of law"--Please explain your horrific criminality in the US?

Would you consider political correctness, as observed at every level of American life, to be a mark of maturation for a "free" society?

The traffic looks better in the US until one considers the massive vehicles people dirve, the endless trucks and menacing vans, and the lack of public transport (not one of Cairo"s or the Middle Easts' attributes either).