U.S. Policy Has Hurt Democratic Development

I believe the way in which US democracy
promotion efforts were launched and implemented after 9/11 hurt the region's
evolution into democracy. Elections (even if free and fair) cannot be the
starting point for democracy, especially in a region of the world that for
decades has been trapped between two starkly divergent options: top-down,
secular, nationalistic authoritarianism or grassroots and bottom-up, Islamic,
transnational conservatism. So when elections are held without the key elements
of democracy--rule of law, separation of powers, civil liberties, and basic
quality of life (i.e. access to food and education, safety from
terrorism/arbitrary violence)—-the result is that angry and frustrated people,
especially Islamists, will come to power. That will not bring true democracy,
but another form of repressive rule.