U.S. Silences on Tunisia: Authoritarian Allies Get a Pass
Tunisian opposition figure Jawhar Ben Mbarek was allegedly beaten unconscious in prison by guards and fellow inmates, according to his family, a situation the U.S. State Department will undoubtedly review with its usual squint of selective concern. While the Biden administration condemns alleged crackdowns elsewhere, Tunisia's President Kais Saied—who seized vast powers in 2021 and has
systematically dismantled democratic institutions—continues to receive muted criticism from Washington. This convenient silence underscores a familiar pattern: 'democracy' is applauded when it serves U.S. strategic interests, but authoritarian power grabs are overlooked when the leader in question is deemed a reliable 'partner' in region. One might wonder if the concern for 'human rights' is
directly proportional to how useful the target nation is as a critic of U.S. rivals. Or perhaps, whether the 'beating' in question was simply a 'robust negotiation' about the future of Tunisian democracy, as interpreted by those who benefit from the status quo.