Indeed, a recurring theme in these many contacts [in the Middle East] over 29 years is "dignity"--in Arabic, the word is karama. That is what Israeli and U.S. actions have offended, even when the two countries thought they were being generous and just. People in the Middle East want to write their own story; they don't want to submit to outside pressure, even when they know America is right. They prefer their own bad leaders to the "good" ones the United States would impose.
I don't begin my graduate studies in Jordan until next fall, but this past week I sat it on a political science class at the local university to see what I'm in for. The topic of the day was international assistance as a form of power. The evening's class consisted of the professor, two visiting professors from a local think tank, and around ten Jordanian graduate students of diverse ages and backgrounds. This small sample hardly represents the broader Middle East, and I'm too new at this game (er, a few weeks) to make sweeping observations, but the classroom discussion was illuminating in its own right.
Some facts about US assistance to Jordan should set the stage. According to USAID's Jordan website, the US has sent $3.3 billion worth of economic and humanitarian assistance to Jordan since 1997. The humanitarian assistance currently targets five sectors: 1) Water resources management 2) Economic opportunities 3) Health care services 4) Educational opportunities to meet market needs and 5) Good governance and civic participation. The US also provides Jordan with military assistance and direct cash transfers to pay down debt, which must be matched by an equal amount of spending by the Jordanian government on reform programs tied to US reform objectives.
Classroom opinion was divided, but I was surprised how much of the class resented this international assistance. A few students believed that the aid was good and that the US and Jordan have common interests. One or two students were almost hysterical in their convictions that the US has nefarious intentions--although when the professors pressed them to clearly articulate the interests the US is pursuing, they could not. Other students believed that US assistance isn't necessarily bad, but they resent how much control the US exercises over how the money is spent. They believe the aid is allocated to the wrong sectors and find the idea of Washington bureaucrats telling them how to develop their country patronizing. The devils-advocate professor silenced them when he explained that the allocation of US aid is not simply handed down from the US, but negotiated between American and Jordanian officials. In any case, I sensed that many of the students feel US assistance is an affront to their personal and national dignity--particularly when aid moves from the realm of bridges and wells into the realm of moral and cultural values like educating Jordan on how to treat women. The women in our class were the most resentful of this particular cultural intrusion.
I personally have a high view of the US relationship with Jordan and believe the two countries have much to gain from a strong partnership, but my views are not the norm here.
This leads to my most interesting observation from the class: these students were acutely aware that the US provides economic assistance not out of mere charity, but out of national interest. The power imbalance between the US and Jordan overshadowed the entire discussion. Some students believed that by accepting US aid they are wedding themselves (or selling themselves) to US interests, and then they are forced to hang on for the ride; indeed, the very process of offering and receiving aid may be coercive. These students (and professors) were also very aware that interests can change. The US is courting Jordan now, but what if its interests change? What if the window for a two-state deal in Israel and Palestine closes forever, or regional events put American and Jordanian interests into opposition? I sensed a lot of fear about that.
I will reiterate that I believe the US and Jordan have a strong relationship and much to gain from each other. I believe the classroom fears were overblown. But did these students have valid points? They're absolutely right that international assistance stems from national interests. I'll close with this graph of economic assistance from the US to Jordan between 1997 and 2007. See if you can spot the national interest.
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