Lets see.
US - civil war to regain the second republic
Closed Japan- Democracy straight away
UK- Centuries to develop quasi democracy. Still closed in many ways
Afghan - Democracy straight away
Kuwait - Now quietly democratic
Germany. Weimar Replubic then Hitler, then democracy
As we can see ms Noonan this messy business. But even coutries who have trouble in their first 50 years (US, France) can sometimes get it right. And it sure beats nuking Mecca, does it not?
As you say, it's the alternative to nuking Mecca.