While proponents assert that the spread of democracy is essential to peace, two allied democracies—the United States and Israel—are engaged in wars being exacerbated by their electoral politics.

From the beginning, in the American mind, democracy has been seen as more than just a form of governance. Both Liberals and Conservatives idealise and elevate the idea of democracy into the equivalent of religious doctrine, making exaggerated claims about the benefits that accrue to democratic societies. We’ve been told that democratically elected governments are more tolerant, more respectful of minority rights, more accountable for their actions, and less likely to start wars. Several US administrations have made the spread of democracy a foreign policy priority, arguing that it’s essential for world peace.

While the US and some allies flaunt these attributes, boasting that their democracies place them above societies with other forms of governance, in reality, their claims of purity and adherence to ideals don’t hold up to scrutiny.

The glaring contradiction between the values espoused and........

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