Madeline Albright Weighs In
10 May 2006

In a May 8th Washington Post op-ed, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright weighs in on the debate over democracy promotion in the Middle East.  She frames the debate as one between idealists, who argue for democracy promotion, and realists, who worry that democracy promotion in the Middle East is “naïve” and “will do less to extinguish terror, as President Bush predicts, than to ignite it.”

Albright contends that the realist alternative necessitates “backing governments that lack the blessing of their own people. That approach confuses the appearance of stability with the reality, betrays Arab democrats and smells of hypocrisy.”

While Albright argues that the United State must go forward with its democracy promotion strategies, it must be realistic in recognizing what the characteristics of a democratic Middle East might be.  She writes,

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice argues that the democratic transformation of the Middle East is the only way to guarantee that men do not fly airplanes into buildings. Such rhetoric is overblown. Just because the denial of political freedom is bad, that doesn't mean that the exercise of freedom will always be to our liking. Democracy is a form of government; it is not a ticket to some heavenly kingdom where all evil is vanquished and everyone agrees with us.

Albright cautions that what she describes as the “misguided” invasion of Iraq “cannot be used to indict the promotion of democracy.”  She maintains that “a too-fervent commitment to democracy,” was not a “failure” in Iraq.

“The debate between idealism and realism in foreign affairs goes back and forth… neither extreme is sustainable”, Albright suggests. “To restore America’s reputation as a supporter of (and observer) of international law and human rights,” Albright calls for “a reaffirmation of America's commitment to liberty and respect for the dignity of every human being,” regardless of which party is in power.   “Without such a commitment,” she writes, “all else will be in vain.”