The Right (or Privilege) to Vote: Bestowed on September 26

The Arab World Revolutions: probably one of the more significant events that we are able to see unfold in our lifetimes. It's something that truly doesn't happen; the French Revolution only happened once, the Revolutions of 1848 lasted at most 3 years, and a repeat of the Russian Revolution probably won't happen either. It's as if the former generations are not only setting the course of a government straight for themselves, but inevitably, the many generations who will come after them.

Saudi Arabia now joins the rank of Jordan, Libya, Egypt, and many others. To King Abdullah's fortune, this revolution hasn't been violent; if anything, it's progressive evolution. Women now bear enfranchisement privileges.

Forget the fact that one of the world's most oppressive religious theocracies rarely has elections and that it will still take several years for women to practice this newly bestowed right; rather, celebrate. Personally, it seems like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is trying to avoid foreign intervention and a violent coup d'etat like has happened elsewhere. Women, for example, were detained for rebelling against the government earlier this year by driving cars, something not permitted under Saudi Arabia's strict legal code. Initially, I was surprised that the arrests did not instigate any foreign intervention, but the Wall Street Journal quickly reminded me of Persian Gulf oil wells.

Nonetheless, the fact that women can vote is progress, and it likely avoided bloodshed seen in other Middle Eastern countries. Some say it's not enough progress, but in a country that still uses sharia in its legal system, you can't ask for much more this year.

Now I'm just pondering whether voting is a right or a privilege; is it something we take for granted in the West? I guess that answer can be found during the next Saudi elections after 2015 where we can see if women exercise their new voting powers. [Actually, even if the rest of the world is indifferent to voting, we won't really know if this is the case in Saudi Arabia, because I would assume that women would be too afraid to vote for the first time for fear of what the government may do.]

By the way, when are the next elections King Abdullah?