USA – Primary mistakes

ENAR

As the US primary elections wind down, with some dozen left between April and June, largely absent from the debate has been the matter of democracy in the Middle East. Even the Bush administration, with democracy as its rhetoric centerpiece, has largely ignored the practical implications of this when dealing with its autocratic Arab allies. Given the rise of Iran in particular, the US has systematically played down human rights abuses and political under-representation, believing now is not the time to embarrass governments whose priority is, like Washington, containment of the Islamic Republic. Rather than focusing on democracy and how the US can spread its values overseas, the candidates, particularly the Democrats, have started from a premise that American efforts to push its values onto others has harmed America’s image overseas. So, for example, Hillary Clinton argues on her website that “America is stronger when we lead the world through