The president is set to deliver a major address today on the Middle East. Here are five things his speech must include:
1. The Obvious: America stands by people the world over who seek freedom of expression and exercise of their democratic rights.
2. Frankness: Decades of American administrations have struck Faustian bargains with despots throughout the Middle East. The quid pro quo has been American financial support — militarily and otherwise — in exchange for regional stability.
3. An Admission: This policy has run counter to America’s best ideals, and in the end, it has failed. Autocracies are inherently unstable governing systems, and oppressed peoples will sooner or later rise up to win their freedoms as is manifest in the extraordinary events of this year.
4. A Light Touch: America still has many allies across a region where democracy is not the norm. But make no mistake: While America values its relationships with our allies, we remain committed to creating democratic openings in their societies. Our allies need only to look at the events of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya to realize that continuing along the same path is a fool’s errand.
5. A Plan of Action: America knows that the region’s people will judge us by our actions, not our words. While some our diplomatic efforts with allies may occur behind closed doors, we will visibly support the advancement of democracy by putting aside a larger pot of money to build civil societies in countries where they lacking. The National Endowment of Democracy should funnel much of this money to NGOs, political parties, and free media platforms so it is not tainted by its source.
