Two Policy Ideas for Reviving Democracy Promotion in the Middle East Posted by Shadi Hamid

A new piece of mine on resuscitating democracy promotion from the grips of death is up at Ideas Primary, a new DLC-affiliated blog. I outline two policy ideas which, if implemented, could animate an effective post-Bush approach to supporting democratic reform in the Middle East. Read the whole thing here. To coax you, here's the intro/teaser:

Thanks to the Bush administration, the Left views any talk of “democracy promotion” with growing suspicion. This is one of the tragic consequences of the Iraq war and the incessant belligerence of an administration that has tainted everything it has touched in the Middle East. In response - and in disillusion - progressives have abandoned one of the core tenets of liberal internationalism. The task ahead of us, then, is a difficult one: reclaiming democracy promotion as our own, in a way that upholds the best of our ideals, and, at the same time, appreciates the very real limits of power and idealism.

Comments

[Jeff Demers]

Democracy promotion must be reclaimed by policymakers. It is an endlessly valuable tool (and outcome). But, we must recognize that ultimately the core paradigm of the U.S. foreign policy decision making process must change. First, we need to be willing to push for elections in places where we currently support a regime. Second, we need to accept the outcome of any such election and approach the newly elected party with an eye to a new beginning - allowing the Mayors and Mullahs alike to bear the responsibility of governance.

[Tim]

A good read. I especially liked the Democracy Journal article, which was linked through the Idea Primary piece. I agree quite a bit with your central thesis, but I had a question for you about it. You mentioned at the end of that article about the success of dealing with the AKP party in Turkey; I would argue that the EU success in dealing with the AKP party in Turkey had a lot to do with the acknowledgement by the EU Commission that democracy is not just elections. They predicate a lot of their discussions on important non-electoral aspects of democracy, like protection of minority rights, sovereignty of the people, political balance and moderation, etc. I have always thought that a main problem of democracy promotion has been that it emphasizes elections too much, and that the non-electoral aspects of real democracy are just as important. Would you say that a broader view of "democracy" is needed for a successful democracy promotion policy? You seemed to mention a few successes where Islamist parties accepted some of these principles (like the Muslim Brotherhood), but I didn't catch if you thought this was central to "living with political Islam." I view these non-electoral aspects of "democracy" as central to real democratic success, but I wanted to know your thoughts.

One of my fears of over-zealous democracy promotion is the terrible scenario of pushing for elections, having an anti-democratic party elected to power, and then trying to avert a new dictatorship emerging from the supposedly successful "democratic election." I can't think of any historical examples that aren't Hitler, but I'm sure they exist.

[Chanel Handbags]

One of my fears of over-zealous democracy promotion is the terrible scenario of pushing for elections, having an anti-democratic party elected to power, and then trying to avert a new dictatorship emerging from the supposedly successful "democratic election." I can't think of any historical examples that aren't Hitler, but I'm sure they exist.

[replica Bvlgari Necklaces]

If you have a TypeKey or TypePad account, please Sign In

[luxury watches]

I am so with you,rolex watch
luxury watch

[ugg boots sale]

UGG Boots is your best ugg boots sale online Outlet where you can buy the cheapest
Ugg Boots.