ABSTRACT
It is a complex matter to appraise the state in the Middle East at this stage in world history, and it is equally difficult to evaluate the Middle East as a region of the world system as the 20th century draws to a close. These regional concerns are set in a broader sweep of macro-historical developments that are changing the overall interaction between market forces, governmental authority, and the peoples of the world. Among many trends that of economic integration is among the most significant, especially to the extent that it is being shaped by the ascendancy of neo-liberal ideas about state/society relations. In this chapter, against the background of these concerns, a general assessment will be made, followed by some specific remarks directed at the specific circumstances of the Middle East. It should be appreciated that despite the effort at an overview, the unevenness of conditions throughout the world, on a state-by-state and region-by-region basis both make generalization necessary and hazardous.
