How bad ideas get funneled through the conservative message machine.

[marmar]

from The American Prospect's TAPPED blog:



PUT ME DOWN FOR A DOUBLE SAWSKI ON AJAMI

In a great example of how bad ideas get funneled through the neoconservative message machine and on to your breakfast table (or, more likely, discarded on the seat next to you on the subway), the NY Sun seconds Cliff May's nomination of Fouad Ajami to succeed Karen Hughes as the State Department's under secretary for public diplomacy.


"Of Professor Ajami, a Lebanese-born Shia Muslim and an American citizen who serves is the Majid Khadduri Professor of Middle East Studies at the School for Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins, Mr. May, himself president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, wrote: "No one understands the Arab and Muslim worlds better than Ajami. And no one can better explain America and this White House than Ajami."

Mr. Ajami would provide America with a spokesman with erudition and eloquence precisely in the areas most important to us right now, and it is hard to see how the Democrats could oppose him, though he was for the war in Iraq and has remained a defender. He has called the allied occupation is "The Foreigner's Gift" to the Arabs.

...

But much as the Democrats may question him on these assertions, he will be able to put them — and other critics, including in the Middle East — on the defensive themselves. Liberals, he wrote about the Iraq war, opposed the war out of "a surly belief that liberty can't be spread to Muslim lands."


Yes, because clearly what's lacking in American diplomacy right now is the ability to grapple with transparently ridiculous strawman arguments.

The assertion by Cliff May (whose right-wing astroturf "think tank" was founded as a pro-Israel p.r. firm, much like the NY Sun) that "No one understands the Arab and Muslim worlds better than Ajami" is pretty funny in light of stuff like this, which Ajami wrote on the eve of the Iraq war:


"A reforming zeal must thus be loaded up with the baggage and the gear. No great apologies ought to be made for America's "unilateralism." The region can live with and use that unilateralism. The considerable power now at America's disposal can be used by one and all as a justification for going along with American goals."


In a way, Ajami was right: The region has used that unilateralism. Iran has used it--to expand its sphere of influence into southern and central Iraq. Egypt and Saudi Arabia have used it--to justify their own authoritarianism as protection against an insurgent Iran and its clients. Muqtada al-Sadr has used it--to create Shia fundamentalist mini-state in Baghdad. And al-Qaeda has used it--to bring in thousands of new recruits and run a five-year long terrorism seminar whose graduates will probably be calling on our allies very soon. (With foresight like this, I have to ask: Why hasn't Ajami gotten his Medal of Freedom yet?)

Adam Shatz wrote this profile back in 2003 when Ajami was making the rounds as the go-to Arab apologist for Bush's adventurism. I wrote a few months ago about Ajami's special role in validating neoconservative delusions about the Middle East and the Arab mind, all of which, it should be noted, has made him quite unpopular in the region. Imagine having an ambassador from China who had spent the last decade writing about how Americans were a bunch of brutes who only understand force, and who had been a staunch defender of the Chinese invasion and occupation of Texas.

All of which is to say that I find Ajami a singularly poor choice for the job. I'd say he's a mortal lock.

--Matthew Duss

http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/tapped_archive?month=11&year=2007&base_name=the_ny_sun_apparently_on#051055

[tech3149]

1. Sorry Mr Ajami, I call BS

As a liberal I dispute your view of why I was against this war. I can't speak for the rest of the country but I was against this war because it was illegal and not needed. I don't know if democratic government is counter to Muslim beliefs, but judging by those Muslims I have known, I don't think so. I do know one thing and that is we have no right to dictate how another nation governs themselves.

Rule #1 in my world: Don't play in someone else's sandbox unless invited. When asked to leave, do so willingly.
Rule #2 It's much easier to create enemies than friends, but friends serve you better in the long run.

Erudite and eloquent? Naa just nucking futs.