December 9th, 2009 by Jason

In the latest issue of Democracy: A Journal of Ideas, Shadi Hamid argues the U.S. must reconsider its long-held understanding with Egypt  that “in return for supporting American interests in the region, Washington would turn a blind eye to Egypt’s authoritarian practices.”

In recent years, the U.S. has failed to rhetorically support democracy and the Obama administration has made “drastic cuts in democracy assistance to Egypt.” To pave the way for Gamal Mubarak’s succession to the presidency through “an orchestrated show of constitutionalism,” the government has embarked upon an “unprecedented crackdown on political groups” while forcing through “constitutional amendments that nullify political freedoms.” Yet, while Egypt has debatedly helped serve America’s interests, “instability in Egypt - turning it inward - will imperil any increased role it still has the potential to play.”

While President Obama has correctly emphasized the role of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict towards generating Arab anger, Hamid observes the anger also stems from the broader narrative, true or false, that the U.S. “is not a force for good, or even a burdened, yet flawed, protector of the international system, but rather an actor that has worked, in remarkably consistent fashion, to suppress and subjugate the people of the region.” Therefore, seeking to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the expense of promoting Egyptian democracy may be self-defeating.

At the same time, Hamid contends a regional peace would “facilitate internal change, and presumably democratization,” because it would limit the government’s justification for maintaining a large military apparatus and ability to scapegoat outsiders for internal problems. Therefore, instead of mulling the “false choice” between supporting democracy or supporting regional peace, the U.S. must instead consider the “complex interplay between peace and democracy [that] can help us make better choices and balance sometimes competing priorities.”

To best support democracy in Egypt, Hamid proposes the U.S. should rhetorically support democracy, provide positive incentives to the Egyptian regime to reform, and engage with Egypt’s Islamists who renounce violence and commit to democratic principles. Unlike other countries in the region, “Egypt is an intuitive candidate for a strategic reorientation in U.S. policy [because it has] an educated urban population, a degree of political institutionalization, a legacy of parliamentary politics, and an active, occasionally assertive, civil society.” Furthermore, as a regional leader, “a thriving and successful Egypt is critical to a thriving, successful Middle East.”

In the end, Hamid worries that progressives have over-learned the lessons of the Bush administration’s aborted attempts to promote democracy in the Middle East. He concludes pragmatism “is not a substitute for well-considered policy. Nor should it obscure deeply held principles and ideals, principles that, sadly, we have so often failed to uphold in the Middle East.”

Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections, Freedom, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Legislation, Mideast Peace Plan, Muslim Brotherhood, Neocons, Reform, US foreign policy |