Salvatore Is The Man

Kudos to Salvatore J. Bommarito.

First, he managed to published a letter in the New York Times (unlike me).

Second, it contained this on the issue of democracy in the Middle East:

A true democratic constitution must treat each citizen equally. This is impossible in the Middle East because of the 1,300-year-old rift between the Sunnis and the Shiites, the two major religious groups that populate the area. Worsening the problem is that Iran and Saudi Arabia are rabid supporters of Shiite and Sunni interests, respectively.

The response by new governments, like the one in Egypt, is totalitarian rule; the military must bring order to the chaos created by dissenters, terrorists and insurgents.

The American vision of spreading democracy throughout the Middle East is a pipe dream that will not come to fruition in the foreseeable future because of religious differences and the role that the military must play to keep order. The regimes in Iran and Saudi Arabia will ensure this outcome by sabotaging American efforts in this regard.

Third, the letter is quite contrary to the NYT editorial line. 

Seems he's an author, a former investment banker and financial officer. He graduated the University of Notre Dame and Fordham University. And admits to being contentious.

^