Thread by @shadihamid

In Tunisia, male president stages a coup and appoints first ever female prime minister in Arab world, in apparent attempt to confuse Western observers who prioritize liberalism over democracy

We fall for this every time. That's what happens when you prioritize liberal values over democratic legitimacy, and I suppose it's something we'll continue falling for, since we don't think Arabs are ready for democracy (in part because they're not liberal yet)

As a matter of policy, the U.S. should prioritize democracy over liberalism whenever the two are in tension. We're a long way from that, however

The propaganda is already working. I would hope that those working on Tunisia in the Biden administration resist this silliness and instead stand up for democratic values—which they haven't thus far

For people who ask me why I go out of my way to distinguish "democracy" and "liberalism," this is precisely why. If we don't distinguish between them, we'll continue letting autocrats trick us about how autocracy is good for women and minorities

The UAE's entire (and rather successful) propaganda effort in Washington, DC is basically about telling gullible US officials that the UAE promotes interfaith dialogue, women's rights, and "tolerance." So clearly it works!

Nearly every single Arab dictator weaponizes Western concerns around gender equality and minority rights to justify dictatorship

The lesson is (or should be) this: whenever an Arab autocrat goes on about religious minorities or women's rights, call their bluff and ignore whatever they happen to be saying. I mean, seriously, come on. It's all so transparent. If we don't learn this now, then when?

For anyone looking for a full-throated argument on why we should ignore autocrats' claims that they're good for women and religious minorities, here's my essay on precisely that question: providencemag.com/2019/09/author…

On why the U.S. should promote democracy over liberalism when the two are in conflict:

wisdomofcrowds.live/democracy-abro…

On how a preoccupation with gender equality and minority rights has distorted U.S. foreign policy, including in Afghanistan, here's my recent @TheAtlantic essay: theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…