"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter," the great Winston Churchill once said. This statement has been proven yet again by the US Congress acting on behalf of the American people and overriding President Obama's veto of JASTA.
However, while an educated voter would examine details prior to deciding how to vote, most of us are victims of self-serving politicians and behavior which may not serve the people's interest, despite attractive and convincing names.
After all, how could anyone NOT support a bill which carries a "feel-good" name like the "Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act" (JASTA)? Or reject a bill marketed as a way to stand by the casualties of the atrocious Sept. 11 terror attacks?
Of course, this is not the first time US voters have been convinced to make decisions which were made to sound as one thing, but ended up being about something completely different.
Remember the P.A.T.R.I.O.T. (Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) Act of 2001? This cleverly branded bill got Americans to willingly allow US government agencies to intercept their communications and share their data -- all without any legal barriers.
What did it end up doing? One has only to read the revelations made available by famous NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden in order to understand how the act ended up being abused and infringing on the privacy of many innocent Americans.
The Masses Are Ignorant
But we can't blame the masses, as they -- perhaps since the times of the Romans -- have always been categorized as ignorant, particularly by slick politicians with their own interests foremost.
Indeed, JASTA is the result of a long-lasting Arab and Muslim failure to effectively lobby inside the US. Yes, we -- collectively -- have failed to understand that facts -- such as the famous and overhyped "28 pages" which were recently declassified and vindicated Saudi Arabia -- DO NOT usually speak for themselves, and require efforts to spread them and counter popular narratives which are usually inaccurate due to ignorance or influence by parties who have opposing agendas.
For too long, regional leaders have relied on their personal relations for serving presidents and elected officials to foster relations, forgetting that these leaders can only act within the jurisdiction granted by their voters. This is why initiatives such as the recently announced Washington-based Saudi Arabian Public Relations Affairs Committee (SAPRAC) are crucial; unfortunately it arrived too late and is still too young to have been able to educate and influence the US public.
What is worth noting here is that President Obama certainly did not oppose JASTA because of a positive personal relationship with Saudi Arabia, but due to his genuine belief that the controversial bill actually damages American interests.
After all, anyone who has been closely following US-Saudi relations over the past eight years knows that they have often been unpleasant, with many serious disagreements on a number of serious fronts.
Yet, President Obama -- with his access to confidential security files -- knows far too well what Riyadh brings to the table in terms of security cooperation, and how dangerous the world would have been had it not been for the efforts it has made in the fight against global terrorism. He is also aware of the huge -- local and global -- financial implications JASTA might have if the Saudis felt their investments and interests were at risk.
Let us also not forget the fact that it sets an alarming precedent and opens the door for many Arab and Muslim countries to do the same against the US itself.
Most importantly, by targeting a country which is committed to the stability of the region and the fight against terrorism, JASTA only empowers the real "sponsors of terrorism," namely Daesh and Iran which, according NOT to Saudi but to US government reports, has harbored Al-Qaeda leaders and facilities and financed terrorist activities throughout the region.
*This column was originally published on September 30, 2016 in Arab News, the leading Middle East English language daily.