Bellin's article is absolutely right about illiteracy, weak institutions and the government having most control over the economy being the reasons why the MENA region us is resistant to change towards democratization. However, I think the geological location of the MENA plays the larger factor. As I believe Bellin mentioned, the MENA is so far away from any healthy model of democracy. That is why the powers they have in government have become so strong and capable of moving the people to get what they want. The Arab Spring was a complete change since it was the actual people who tried to make changes in their country, and some even succeeded. However, Bellin's arguments about the MENA region are still true because nothing of reform except for the change in elections has happened. The bad habits of the MENA region are still winning.
With that, I believe that Bellin would look at the violent actions in Egypt and Tunisia and find them to be not unusual. Because of this coerciveness of the regimes and governments that have swept through the MENA region and the region's lacking characteristics like high literacy, the MENA region is just following down the same belligerent path it always has.
I agree with you that democratization has been stalled because of illiteracy, weak institutions, and a government run economy. I am a little uneasy, however, with saying that the geological location of the MENA region has also prevent democratization from spreading in that area. Yes, the MENA region is fairly secluded from other democratic governments around the world, but I don't necessarily think it's location has stopped the spread of democracy. I think that it's up to the civil society to provoke change, and the authoritarian regimes to be willing and able to change and make reforms.
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