Thursday, March 08, 2007

Past the Noise and Bullets - Opportunity

Past the Noise and Bullets - Opportunity.

We are anchored to certain a priori principles at this center, two of which are self evident: 1) that individuals will always and everywhere select the option to sculpt their own destiny through the governing process of mutual consent versus dictate and 2) that the spawning of these infant consensual arrangements is in the direct commercial and security interest of the United States. Naturally the transition from tyranny to a democracy is treacherous and messy (as we know by experience, even many of the Founders nearly gave up, see previous sketch), there is no quick fix, naturally the spirit of compromise and cooperation, the rule of law is in short supply early on. Still, once the oppressed sense a change, even if a token reform tied for example to US pressure, the process is set. We can, should and must use every opportunity and every lever available to us as Americans to further this process.
The Reagan administration and now the Bush administration made the promotion of democracy and the empowerment of reformists a policy priority. But this policy must be refined and focused and adopted no longer as party platform, but as American creed. We have the opportunity of a generation. Past the noise and bullets, past the car bombings, past the complicity of so-called allies in fueling the engines of thugs and dictatorships the greatest opportunity of all does indeed reside squarely in the region of the world regarded by most as the least likely to embrace reform and democracy - the Middle East.
We have allies everywhere in this effort. They are those who live under tyranny, in Iran for example where millions are moved to anger and demonstration (and at great personal risk) as their "elected" leader rants incessantly and champions the destruction of free and prosperous Western society while they see nothing free or prosperous at all about life in a failed theocracy, where the rule of law is non existent, the economy morbid, where cars don’t run, where there is, curiously, a shortage of gas, and where every college student with a computer can only dream of the abundance just a free-market step away.
And so, if with Syria or Iran, even North Korea, as our negotiators sit down yet one more time, this time let us not dignify tyrants as anything more than the troglodytes they are by simply exchanging food for one less centrifuge; let us instead bring to bear that great lever only the US can claim - our economic locomotive but to demand not just a change in international conduct, but internal reform, political reform.
We are calling for a radical change in method - target societies not governments. Yes, here are trade preferences but first, grant the free and uncensored creation of political parties. You desire grain, machine oil, a channel to America’s appetite for your dates? Then improve your track record in regard to human rights violations, free speech and association, public criticisms of your government. We will be watching. We want to build a bridge with that Iranian college student who knows most certainly that economic benefits - more trade with the US, can come when he or she has a say in the future of their country.
We know some Arab governments still lack a real commitment to change yet most receive American economic and military assistance and trade privileges; rarely are there demands for domestic liberalization as part of the bargain. Let’s change that. For example, the American Free Trade Agreements with Jordan, Bahrain, Morocco and Oman should be amended to include provisions linking the progress of political, economic and administrative reforms with access to our markets.
Is it chimerical to even entertain such a notion as we have at this center? Can the West monitor compliance even if we do change our dialogue and targeting in negotiations? How can we ensure protocol, endurance of agreement? This discussion is for another venue, but can it be done? Of course. Naturally it can be done but a thorough and radical change in the very heart of our diplomatic community is needed. This will be driven only if others like us, idealists to be sure, not affected Powell-like with the fetish of appeasement, gather as a chorus.
Robert Craven