--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Arab monarchies, especially Jordan…" description: "\"The Arab monarchies, especially Jordan and Morocco, are more legitimate than the false republics, with their stolen elections, regime-dominated courts ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/elliott-abrams-1577_arab_the-arab-monarchies-especially-jordan-an_1094737.jpg" --- # The Arab monarchies, especially Jordan and Morocco, are… ![“The Arab monarchies, especially Jordan and Morocco, are more legitimate than the false republics, with their stolen elections, regime-dominated courts and rubber-stamp parliaments.” quote by Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/elliott-abrams-1577_arab_the-arab-monarchies-especially-jordan-an_1094737.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/elliott-abrams-1577_arab_the-arab-monarchies-especially-jordan-an_1094737.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/elliott-abrams-1577_arab_the-arab-monarchies-especially-jordan-an_1094737.jpg) > “The Arab monarchies, especially Jordan and Morocco, are more legitimate than the false republics, with their stolen elections, regime-dominated courts and rubber-stamp parliaments.” [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Some regimes claim legitimacy through tradition, while others lack genuine democratic foundations. **In simple terms:** Traditional monarchies can seem more legitimate than flawed republics. Key Takeaway Question the basis of political legitimacy. Themes politics legitimacy governance Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical political When to use this quote - policy analysis - international relations - human rights advocacy Key Concepts Democracy authoritarianism political theory Questions to Reflect On - What defines true legitimacy? - How do citizens perceive legitimacy? A Different Perspective Legitimacy can be contested and varies by perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arab/) [Courts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courts/) [Elections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elections/) [Morocco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morocco/) ## Related quotes > [The fake republics are goners; the monarchies have a fighting chance. That's my conclusion after a short visit to the Middle East and discussions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-fake-republics-are-goners-the-monarchies-have-a-fighting-chance/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [There are still to be found visionary or designing men, who stand ready to advocate the paradox of perpetual peace between the states, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/there-are-still-to-be-found-visionary-or-designing-men-who-stand/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [In the history of mankind many republics have risen, have flourished for a less or greater time, and then have fallen because their citizens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/in-the-history-of-mankind-many-republics-have-risen-have-flourished/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [“Many have imagined republics and principalities which have never been seen or known to exist in reality, for how we live is so far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/many-have-imagined-republics-and-principalities-which-have-never-been/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/i-believe-there-are-more-instances-of-the-abridgment-of-the-freedom/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [ \[A\]ll popular and well-mixed governments \[republics\] . . . are ever established by wise and good men, and can never be upheld otherwise than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-sidney/a-ll-popular-and-well-mixed-governments-republics-are-ever/) [Algernon Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-sidney/) > [Republics have a longer life and enjoy better fortune than principalities, because they can profit by their greater internal diversity. They are the better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/republics-have-a-longer-life-and-enjoy-better-fortune-than/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Royalty is a government in which the attention of the nation is concentrated on one person doing interesting actions. A Republic is a government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/royalty-is-a-government-in-which-the-attention-of-the-nation-is/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [Kings play at war unfairly with republics; they can only lose some earth, and some creatures they value as little, while republics lose in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/kings-play-at-war-unfairly-with-republics-they-can-only-lose-some/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [Like all of Latin America, Mexico after independence in 1821 turned its back on a triple heritage: on the Spanish heritage, because we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-fuentes/like-all-of-latin-america-mexico-after-independence-in-1821-turned/) [Carlos Fuentes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-fuentes/) > [It is impossible to read the history of the petty republics of Greece and Italy without feeling sensations of horror and disgust at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/it-is-impossible-to-read-the-history-of-the-petty-republics-of-greece/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [Some countries have a parliamentary republic, some are presidential republics and some are still monarchies, but no one sees them as not being democratic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/some-countries-have-a-parliamentary-republic-some-are-presidential/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Republics are brought to their ends by luxury; monarchies by poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-de-montesquieu/republics-are-brought-to-their-ends-by-luxury-monarchies-by-poverty/) [Baron de Montesquieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-de-montesquieu/) > [“The freest people, like the freest man, is always in danger of re-lapsing into servitude. Wars are almost always fatal to Republics. They create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-pike/the-freest-people-like-the-freest-man-is-always-in-danger-of-re/) [Albert Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-pike/) > [All the States and Governments by which men are or ever have been ruled, have been and are either Republics or Princedoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/all-the-states-and-governments-by-which-men-are-or-ever-have-been/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) ## More by Elliott Abrams > [President Obama has never summarized the Obama Doctrine with such clarity, but here is what it would look like: 'I will undertake any military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/president-obama-has-never-summarized-the-obama-doctrine-with-such/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The story of the Jews in the Bible is replete with incidents of their ingratitude to God for His gifts to them: incidents that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-story-of-the-jews-in-the-bible-is-replete-with-incidents-of-their/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [History may someday record that the Arab awakening that began with the Arab revolt of 1916 against the Ottomans ended about a century later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab-awakening-that-began-with/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [From its earliest days in the nineteenth century, and until the Holocaust, the Orthodox rabbinate in eastern Europe was not enthusiastic about the Zionist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/from-its-earliest-days-in-the-nineteenth-century-and-until-the/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The Pope is not a political figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-pope-is-not-a-political-figure/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Israel and the Palestinians had been at the table together for decades until the Obama/Mitchell/Rahm Emanuel decision to demand a total end to Israeli…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/israel-and-the-palestinians-had-been-at-the-table-together-for/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Pundits are used to analyzing the gap between what our ideals suggest and what our security interests require.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/pundits-are-used-to-analyzing-the-gap-between-what-our-ideals-suggest/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The Egyptian military and the government of Israel have long had a common interest in maintaining order and fighting terrorism in Sinai.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-egyptian-military-and-the-government-of-israel-have-long-had-a/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [In 2007, early in the improbable presidential candidacy of Barack Obama, the young first-term senator began a series of foreign-policy speeches that seemed too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/in-2007-early-in-the-improbable-presidential-candidacy-of-barack/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Terrorists that kill Americans don't get released.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/terrorists-that-kill-americans-don-t-get-released/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Refusing to lift sanctions and adopting tougher rhetoric toward Iran would not be partisan issues. Plenty of Democrats think that those actions are both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/refusing-to-lift-sanctions-and-adopting-tougher-rhetoric-toward-iran/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [At the height of the Cold War, when Ronald Reagan was president, the Soviets and their allies and satellites did not shirk human rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/at-the-height-of-the-cold-war-when-ronald-reagan-was-president-the/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [I personally would not talk to a Jew for Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/i-personally-would-not-talk-to-a-jew-for-jesus/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [When freedom of the press is threatened, the United States should be leading efforts to protect it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/when-freedom-of-the-press-is-threatened-the-united-states-should-be/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Israel bombed the Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007. What the Syrians did in response, nothing. Israel has killed a number of terrorist leaders in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/israel-bombed-the-syrian-nuclear-reactor-in-2007-what-the-syrians-did/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) [Explore all 226 Elliott Abrams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) ## More Arab quotes > [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [Preemptive war is what Israel did in '67 with Arab armies on its borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/preemptive-war-is-what-israel-did-in-67-with-arab-armies-on-its/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [The majority of Arab people would side with Russia and China, not with the West. And they'd throw their 'elites' groomed in and by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-vltchek/the-majority-of-arab-people-would-side-with-russia-and-china-not-with/) [Andre Vltchek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-vltchek/) > [“For the Arab, the past does not merely live. The past defines the present.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davis-bunn/for-the-arab-the-past-does-not-merely-live-the-past-defines-the/) [Davis Bunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davis-bunn/) > [Al Jazeera is a representation of, you know, diversity in the Arab world. In our newsroom, we have every single nationality, we have every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wadah-khanfar/al-jazeera-is-a-representation-of-you-know-diversity-in-the-arab/) [Wadah Khanfar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wadah-khanfar/) > [The twin causes Bin Laden invokes are Islam and Arab self-determination, and armies rise to serve him. No need to convert or dogmatize. Believers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/the-twin-causes-bin-laden-invokes-are-islam-and-arab-self/) [Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/) > [Arab youth are taught to wonder, 'Since the Holocaust was a European affair, why are the Palestinians being forced to pay for the creation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-bronfman-sr/arab-youth-are-taught-to-wonder-since-the-holocaust-was-a-european/) [Edgar Bronfman, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-bronfman-sr/) > [The majority of Arab people see the United States and Israel (definitely not Iran or Syria) as the greatest danger to the world. Could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-vltchek/the-majority-of-arab-people-see-the-united-states-and-israel/) [Andre Vltchek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-vltchek/) > [I'm called a terrorist in the Arab media still today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yitzhak-shamir/i-m-called-a-terrorist-in-the-arab-media-still-today/) [Yitzhak Shamir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yitzhak-shamir/) > [I have been to Burj-Al-Arab. And I visit Dubai quite often, I really like the place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-dhupia/i-have-been-to-burj-al-arab-and-i-visit-dubai-quite-often-i-really/) [Neha Dhupia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-dhupia/) > [History may someday record that the Arab awakening that began with the Arab revolt of 1916 against the Ottomans ended about a century later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab-awakening-that-began-with/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [None of us is certain about the outcome of the Arab Spring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/none-of-us-is-certain-about-the-outcome-of-the-arab-spring/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) > [As you know with the Arab Spring, there were no dividends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/najib-razak/as-you-know-with-the-arab-spring-there-were-no-dividends/) [Najib Razak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/najib-razak/) > [ \[Arab peoples\] are stuck back thousands of years and they think they're going to get out with a TV set. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/arab-peoples-are-stuck-back-thousands-of-years-and-they-think-they-re/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [I was one of the first people in the Palestinian world, in the late 1970s, to say that there is no military option, either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/i-was-one-of-the-first-people-in-the-palestinian-world-in-the-late/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) [Browse all 310 Arab quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arab/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Arab monarchies, especially Jordan and Morocco, are more legitimate than the false republics, with their stolen elections, regime-dominated courts and rubber-stamp parliaments.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elliott Abrams" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-arab-monarchies-especially-jordan-and-morocco-are-more-legitimate/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arab" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-arab-monarchies-especially-jordan-and-morocco-are-more-legitimate/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/elliott-abrams-1577_arab_the-arab-monarchies-especially-jordan-an_1094737.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/elliott-abrams-1577_arab_the-arab-monarchies-especially-jordan-an_1094737.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/elliott-abrams-1577_arab_the-arab-monarchies-especially-jordan-an_1094737.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Arab monarchies, especially Jordan and Morocco, are more legitimate than the false republics, with their…” — Elliott Abrams", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Elliott Abrams", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The Arab monarchies, especially Jordan and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-arab-monarchies-especially-jordan-and-morocco-are-more-legitimate/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-arab-monarchies-especially-jordan-and-morocco-are-more-legitimate/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```