Shadi Hamid on Democracy, Liberalism, and the Middle East
Oct 17, 2023
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Shadi Hamid, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and columnist at The Washington Post, discusses the challenges of democracy in the Middle East, the rise of Islamist parties, the fallacy of supporting strongman rulers, the pitfalls of autocracy in China, and the challenges of US policy in the Middle East.
Autocracy as we understand it today is a modern creation with limited success in sustaining itself.
The US's lack of support for democracy in the Middle East has hindered progress and undermined its own interests.
Deep dives
The Problem of Democracy and the Middle East
The podcast explores the challenge of democracy and the Middle East, discussing the rise of autocracies and the dilemma of democratic outcomes. It highlights the importance of accepting and adapting strategies around bad outcomes in democracies, emphasizing that bad outcomes are not a reason to support authoritarian rulers. The podcast also delves into the complexities of Islamist parties and their beliefs, addressing misconceptions about their ideologies. It argues that democracies should focus on the means of democratic processes, such as fair competition and the right to make the wrong choice, rather than imposing particular values or outcomes. Finally, it criticizes the lack of support for democracy by the US in the Middle East and calls for a more proactive role in promoting democracy and building sustainable institutions in the region.
Autocracy in the Modern Era
The podcast discusses how autocracy as we understand it today is a modern creation and explores the challenges faced by modern autocracies in sustaining themselves. It highlights the limitations of autocratic leaders and the potential for corruption and short-term political considerations in their decision-making. It also questions the effectiveness of autocratic models, such as the case of Singapore, emphasizing the difficulty of replicating such models in larger and more diverse countries. Furthermore, it compares autocracies to democracies in terms of the alignment with human nature, arguing that the autocratic control over citizens' lives distorts human motivations and creates moral hazards. It concludes by asserting the resilience and moral and political superiority of democracies.
The Need for US Support of Democracy in the Middle East
The podcast criticizes the US for its lack of support for democracy in the Middle East, particularly during the Arab Spring. It argues that the US's fear of democratic outcomes and its preference for secular-leaning dictators have hindered the progress of democracy in the region. It highlights the negative consequences of relying on autocratic regimes that strengthen relationships with countries like China and Russia, ultimately undermining US interests. It calls for a change in US policy towards the Middle East and emphasizes the importance of promoting democracy, building sustainable institutions, and maintaining leverage over the ruling parties in the region.
The Tragedy of the Middle East and the Quest for Something Better
The podcast reflects on the tragic state of the Middle East and the need for change. It expresses disappointment over missed opportunities for democratic progress in the region and criticizes the autocratic regimes that prioritize short-term political considerations over the long-term interests of their countries. It questions the moral stain created by the US's support for dictators and highlights the parasitic nature of relationships with autocratic regimes. The podcast concludes with a call to contend with the current state of the Middle East and asks listeners to consider whether they are satisfied with the status quo.
Autocracy as we understand it today is a modern creation. I think there we see very few successful examples of modern autocracies that are able to sustain themselves.
