Good job, Hillary

Posted By Blake Hounshell Thursday, January 13, 2011 - 3:46 PM Share

Hillary Clinton gave a good speech today, excoriating Arab leaders for their lousy record on reform and bluntly warning that if they don't shape up, they'll face growing extremism and alienation among their beleaguered populations.

"In too many places, in too many ways, the region’s foundations are sinking into the sand," she said. "The new and dynamic Middle East that I have seen needs firmer ground if it is to take root and grow everywhere."

And she warned that "others will fill the vacuum" if "leaders don’t offer a positive vision and give young people meaningful ways to contribute."

"Extremist elements, terrorist groups, and others who would prey on desperation and poverty are already out there, appealing for allegiance and competing for influence," she added.

Clinton's talk, at a democracy conference here in Qatar, took place against the backdrop of spiraling unrest in Tunisia, growing tension in Gaza, and the collapse of the Lebanese unity government led by Sunni billionaire Saad Hariri. She seemed fired up, perhaps because she had met earlier with civil society activists from across the region and during her previous stops in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Oman, and Yemen.

According to Stephen McInerney, head of the Project on Middle East Democracy, Clinton struck the right notes.

"Secretary Clinton's remarks today are the clearest sign yet that she understands the vital need for genuine reform and progress in the region and the dangers of maintaining the status quo," he said in an email. "I think we're seeing the impact of recent developments in Tunisia, Egypt, and elsewhere around the region, as well as the impact of the Secretary's meetings with civil society on each stop of this trip." 

Still, things are not looking good for the U.S. position in the Middle East right now. The peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians are hopelessly stalled; Lebanon is in shambles; traditional U.S. allies like Egypt and Saudi Arabia are losing influence. There's definitely growing frustration with the authoritarian order across the region, though not necessarily to America's advantage.

Improbable as it may have seemed a month ago, much depends on how events play out in Tunisia. A relatively peaceful transition of power could inspire and empower reforms across the region. An even bloodier crackdown could provoke more destructive feelings of despair and empower radicals. Or, most likely of all, the Middle East will continue to limp along as it has been, never really advancing but never really dissolving into chaos. We'll see.

 

XENOPHON

10:20 PM ET

January 13, 2011

Yeah, Good Job, Hilary!

Oh, please. I am absolutely amazed that the emissary of our corrupt financial oligarchy was in the lecture mode in the ME. (Well, not really--it's par for the course, I suppose.). The US spawns a global financial crisis--designed on Wall Street. We have rating agencies colluding with the investment banks to rate junk debt AAA. We then have self-interested former Goldman Sachs CEOs engineering taxpayer-funed bail-outs of the banks from the Treasury Department.

And, still, despite our manifest inability to fix our own corruption, we are busy as usual telling everybody else how to solve their problems--problems as defined by us, of course. It would be funny if it weren't so pathetic.

As you hint, any end to corruption in Arab countries will probably be because Islamists have taken control. Notice how much less corrupt HAMAS is than Mahmoud Abbas's sadsacks?

In any event, I doubt there was a lot of intent listening going on. More like: "Is she finally gone? Yes?? Alhamdulillah!!!"

 

HURRICANEWARNING

12:50 AM ET

January 14, 2011

uh, just because we have some

uh, just because we have some financial issues doesnt mean we stop trying to engage the world. You assume they are rolling their eyes...but you have zero evidence of this. You also have zero evidence of Hamas's lack of corruption...define corruption. Buying arms from Iran and training underage girls to be suicide bombers might not be corruption buuuuut.....

Also, when you talk about our corruption problems, they are nothing compared to what happens in most of the world. Our "corruption" is also considered illegal, and people are charged and prosecuted all the time for it. We have a functioning civilian government, many places in the mideast dont, and if you care about our national security, then the happiness and security of the mideast is in our best interest.

 

XENOPHON

10:05 AM ET

January 14, 2011

The Real Deal

HW,

We have more than “issues”. We have a banker kleptocracy that has defrauded the American taxpayer to the tune of many billions of dollars and triggered follow-on crises world-wide. Do you not understand that this corruption dwarfs the sum of all the pathetic little kings and dictators in the Middle East?

You say that our corruption problems are nothing compared to what happens in the rest of the world. That’s only because it’s psychologically more difficult to link US-style corruption with its sources. We have trouble thinking of Hank Paulson lobbying successfully for increased leverage on mortage-backed securities for the banks and THEN extorting huge sums from the taxpayer to bail out the same banks. Of course, he wears a three-piece suit, so it can’t really be corruption!
The best part is that many of the costs of US-style corruption are born by the people we are lecturing in the ME and elsewhere. We let our financial oligarchs ride the wave of easy money from the Fed and now that it has resulted in a huge crash, we are trying to make up for the corrupt self-dealing that led to the crash by reinflating the economy using the Fed’s money printing, ie QE1 and QE2.

Other countries like China are doing likewise to maintain the Yuan’s peg to the Dollar. What does all that extra money in the global economy do? It drives up the price of commodities, food and energy.

So then--and this is the best part--when food riots start as in Algeria and Tunisia, Hilary helpfully shows up to counsel them to end corruption. We generate the conditions that lead to their riots and then propose a solution which has little to do with the problem. Because God forbid they should link the spike in food prices back to its actual cause!

 

NICOLAS19

10:53 AM ET

January 14, 2011

awful job, Hillary

The speech was exactly the kind of self-righteous hypocrisy that drives the hostility against the US. Clinton is in no position to lecture anyone, yet she acts as an idiotic kindergarten teacher who enjoys humiliating the children, because if they would talk back, she could label them ignorant. Similarly, should any of the Arab states reject Clinton's lectures, the American media would be swarming with the word "terrorist".
- Reform: how did the US reform itself exactly? Did it end any of its wars? Did it close Guantanamo? So much for preaching about "shaping up".
- Extremism: shootout and mass-murder in a political rally. I'd definitely call this extremism, yet Hillary finds time to lecture other states about that.
- Influence: the influence of some authoritarian regimes, outright dictatorships in the region - like Saudi Arabia or Tunisia - is fading. I'd call it a good thing. Ooops, my bad, they're American allies, which means they should just revert to dictatorship in the name of democracy and to please Clinton. I know that SA is losing influence to Iran which isn't necessarily a good thing, but condemning the change in Tunisia because it isn't to the US's liking is pure reactionary.

So, what exactly is that great about the Hillary speech? There is nothing new in it, nothing constructive, just some meaningless lectures and blunt threats. Are they a sign of a capable Secretary? Hardly. I understand that the government is your feeding hand, so you have to lick their boots a few times every now and then, but this outright smoozing isn't compatible with FP's best traditions.

 

MODERATEWINGER

11:40 AM ET

January 14, 2011

Good speech Hillary

Too bad, they won't take what she said to heart.

 

NSC LOS ANGELES

3:54 PM ET

January 14, 2011

Agreed the lecture was a bit ridiculous

But also agree that the degree of "corruption" in the US versus virtually any Arab country is so miniscule that barely a comparison can be made unless you're a frothing-at-the-mouth hardcore lefty like Xenophon (and by the way, he was a wonderful thinker and horseman, please don't sully his name by attaching your silly, ultra-liberal, catastrophizing views to it).

Nicolas19's assertion this lecture was little more than hot air coming from the H-Dogg certainly rings true for me. Is a safe, secure Arab world A) even possible (unlikely) and B) in our best interests? Not really.

 

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