"What one thing would you like to see happen this year?"

I was asked that question by the editors of the Guardian's Comment is Free site, along with dozens of other regular CIF contributors, on their one year anniversary.  "What is the one thing you'd like to see happen this year?"

My first thought:  a new season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer!  But what do you know, that's already happening.   (What, you didn't hear? Joss Whedon is overseeing "Buffy Season 8" in comic book form - official, canon Buffy showing what happens after the series finale.  It looks great.  And already, I've seen one of the great puzzlers of Angel's final season cleared up.)

OK, so I don't need to ask for Buffy.   Maybe I could ask for Eminem to release another album, and for it be great like The Eminem Show or the Get the Guns bootleg, and not suck like Encore?  Dang, that one's covered too! 

There's plenty of things I'd like to see happen in my own life, but I doubt anyone is interested in those (though I expect to have some interesting news some time soon).  On the Middle East, there seems little point in hoping for the Bush administration to do anything serious about Iraq or the Palestinian issue, so I shouldn't waste my wish.  And so... this is what I came up with:

Last week, upon releasing a Congressionally mandated report which graphically detailed the brutality of America's closest Arab allies, a weary-looking Condoleezza Rice declared that "we are recommitting ourselves" to supporting human rights and democracy.

At least she admits that it's necessary to "recommit". The United States has over the last year abandoned even the pretence of caring about democracy in the Arab world. Reeling from the electoral success of Hamas and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, bloodied from the Iraqi quagmire, and keen to confront Iran, the US has fallen back on all the old habits of coddling friendly dictators which Bush had once denounced.

Everyone knows it: the regimes which feel free to repress their opponents at will, and the political activists who complain about being abandoned. This administration isn't going to deal effectively with Iraq or the Palestinian issue (so I won't bother to hope), but I would like to see the United States indeed recommit itself to pushing for Arab political reform.

A principled American defence of political freedoms, human rights, and democracy wouldn't be convenient given the unpopularity of its agenda, but would strengthen moderates against rising extremists.

Two tests will be arriving soon: Egypt's planned referendum on widely criticised constitutional changes, and Jordan's scheduled parliamentary elections. Pass them.

I'm so funny.   At least we'll have Buffy and Em.

Comments

[Annaliis]

I had no idea you were into Buffy! If I had known, back in the day before I graduated, I would have invited you over for my weekly Buffy nights! The things you learn about your professors...

Wanted to also send belated congratulations and happy birthday to your little one. My husband (another Williams grad, but class of 98) and I are expecting our first in 3 weeks.

[aardvark]

Congratulations Annaliis!!! Boy, now I'm really starting to feel old... my students are having kids?

[Expat98]

Mr. Aardvark,

You wrote, "A principled American defence of political freedoms, human rights, and democracy wouldn't be convenient given the unpopularity of its agenda, but would strengthen moderates against rising extremists."

That is an interesting statement, and I would very much like to believe that it's true, but I'm not so sure that it is. Based on all I have read, greater democracy would lead to greater empowerment and institutionalization of Islamic fundamentalism in most of the Middle East, as opposed to strengthening moderate Muslims as you claim. But I would be most interested to know why you believe as you do, so if you (or any of your readers) could cite some sources to back up your claim I would really appreciate it. Thanks. (Really, if you can cite any books or other sources that support your view, I really would take the time to read them. Thanks again.)

[alle]

expat98 - well, what's the alternative?

whatever you'll say -- backing friendly secularist dictators, backing friendly non-secularist dictators, or trying to install secular democracy by force -- i'm afraid it's been tried.

[Expat98]

Hi Alle - I don't have an agenda here, and I'm not suggesting anything that the U.S. should do or not do. I was just asking about Mr. Aardvark's statement that I quoted above. Admittedly I am not an expert on the M.E., but I do read things from a wide variety of sources and viewpoints, and based on most of the things I've read, what he said is simply not true. So I was wondering if he could point me to any information to back up what he said.

[aardvark]

Hi Expat98 - I hope you don't just think I'm ducking your question, but I'm afraid that it's too big a question to deal with in a comments section.. it's an entire tutorial on Middle East politics, democratization theory, and the balance of forces in places like Egypt which I just don't have the time or energy to engage in right now. But since I've been writing on these issues for years, feel free to scan my archives on relevant topics to get many, many links to the supporting evidence.