Before there was terrorism, or fascism, or communism, this country was dedicated to the proposition that monarchies are illegitimate and inherently tyrannical. Since then, monarchies have mostly disappeared in the West and Far East. Where they have remained, they have turned all but ceremonial power over to popularly elected governing bodies. This was the most successful legacy of U.S. foreign policy and influence. In the Middle East, however, democracy didn’t take hold and monarchies (or emirates) have remained common. The alternative has been outright military dictatorships that have some pretenses of being republics. Neither the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia nor the fascist Ba’athist parties of Syria and Iraq had (or have) any more legitimacy that the rule of King George III over the American colonies. But the Washington Post has given space to Eliott Abrams, who wants you to believe otherwise. For him, the faux-republics are illegitimate but the kingdoms and emirates have the capacity to evolve into European monarchies like those in Spain, Denmark, and the United Kingdom.
The Arab monarchies, especially Jordan and Morocco, are more legitimate than the false republics, with their stolen elections, regime-dominated courts and rubber-stamp parliaments. Unlike the “republics,” the monarchies do not have histories of bloody repression and jails filled with political prisoners. The question is whether the kings, emirs and sheiks will end their corruption and shift toward genuine constitutional monarchies in which power is shared between throne and people.
It’s not that Fred Hiatt doesn’t know history, it’s that he wants to protect our allies (the monarchs) while rallying us against the republics (Syria), so he’s happy to let Abrams spew crap all over his paper. It’s sensible foreign policy, but it’s horrible history. And it isn’t really consistent with core American values. We can do business and form alliances with monarchs and despots, but we should never get too close to any of them. They’re no better than communists, fascists, or the kings of yore. So, yes, we’ll overlook the flaws in Jordan while seizing on every weakness in Syria. But let’s not pretend we’re operating according to some high principle, Fred. You know? Edit your pages.
