Bread, Circuses, Stick Shifts

Matt Welch | January 22, 2008

A rare nudge toward liberalism in Saudi Arabia:

Saudi Arabia is to lift its ban on women drivers in an attempt to stem a rising suffragette-style movement in the deeply conservative state. [...]

The move is designed to forestall campaigns for greater freedom by women, which have recently included protesters driving cars through the Islamic state in defiance of a threat of detention and loss of livelihoods.

Whole thing here; link via Rick Davis.