Saudi Arabia - whats going on there?

[Delphic Oracle]

Sorry, I got the discussion mixed up at some point. However, I would not take the revolution to imply any large shift in religious practice in general.

Nor would I. I think the war is when the hardliners were able to get into the heads of the public. Like many harsh regimes, their greatest enemy is their greatest asset. A U.S.-backed strongman hurling chemical weapons at them while Saudi Wahhabists set up camp all over the ME, central Asia, and Africa makes for quite a set of boogeymen to juxtapose against.

 

[TubbaBlubba]

Nor would I. I think the war is when the hardliners were able to get into the heads of the public. Like many harsh regimes, their greatest enemy is their greatest asset. A U.S.-backed strongman hurling chemical weapons at them while Saudi Wahhabists set up camp all over the ME, central Asia, and Africa makes for quite a set of boogeymen to juxtapose against.

I unfortunately don't know the post-revolution history in detail as well as I'd like. I do know that Khomeini seizing control of the army during the war was chief in securing his assertion of authority. I know a few Iranian expats; though they are quite urban, liberal and irreligious, most of them seem to feel that the government holds a fair degree of legitimacy, but that the authority of the supreme leader is dubious to illegitimate. They do take their elections very seriously (Comparisons between Trump and Ahmadinejad were aplenty last year). I've very often gotten the impression that they feel that the current government is a temporary state of affairs.

 

[Delphic Oracle]

I unfortunately don't know the post-revolution history in detail as well as I'd like. I do know that Khomeini seizing control of the army during the war was chief in securing his assertion of authority. I know a few Iranian expats; though they are quite urban, liberal and irreligious, most of them seem to feel that the government holds a fair degree of legitimacy, but that the authority of the supreme leader is dubious to illegitimate. They do take their elections very seriously (Comparisons between Trump and Ahmadinejad were aplenty last year). I've very often gotten the impression that they feel that the current government is a temporary state of affairs.

That's a very Iranian way of looking at it.

 

[Childlike Empress]

So Hariri missed a deadline he set hinself to return to Lebanon. French president Micron, sorry Macron, returned from an emergency visit to KSA sent home without meeting either the King or the Lebanese PM. Now word according to Reuters citing unnamed French government officials is that Hariri will travel to France soon.

 

[Childlike Empress]

In other news the Saudi savages have, following the attack on Riyadh airport with a Buscan missile admittedly manufactured by Yemen, not Iran, escalated the blockade of Yemen where now according to the UN 900,000 people have caught cholera, many millions are seriously starving while 70,000 civilians have already died, and Al Qaeda/ISIS is stronger than ever before. With direct complicity of the US and UK. Podcast with Nasser Arrabyee, a Yemeni journalist who used to write for the NYT.

 

[Delphic Oracle]

In other news the Saudi savages have, following the attack on Riyadh airport with a Buscan missile admittedly manufactured by Yemen, not Iran, escalated the blockade of Yemen where now according to the UN 900,000 people have caught cholera, many millions are seriously starving while 70,000 civilians have already died, and Al Qaeda/ISIS is stronger than ever before. With direct complicity of the US and UK. Podcast with Nasser Arrabyee, a Yemeni journalist who used to write for the NYT.

Stopped reading there.

 

[theprestige]

Stopped reading there.

Hey, at least you made it past "Micron".

 

[Childlike Empress]

Stopped reading there.

Who cares?

 

[JJM 777]

The situation in Saudi Arabia causes mixed feelings. But predominantly positive. The methods used look dictatorial, hmm what is the term for a dictator limiting the dictatorship of his fellow dictators? But the objectives look mostly very positive from a western viewpoint. More moderate Islam? Yes please. Driving license to women? Yes please. That is why the west is so calm, I guess, they are happy with the objectives, even though they would normally be very much upset with the used methods.

 

[Eddie Dane]

I'm interested and fascinated despite being totally confused.

No wonder I'm a David Lynch fan.

ETA:

This is nothing compared to Syria, of course. where groups who are enemies in front A are buddies on front B and merging with groups whose objectives align in some areas until those objectives are almost reached and they turn on each other. And several more layers of crazy.

 

[Childlike Empress]

So Hariri is back in Lebanon after a visit to France, and he's also kind of back as Prime Minister, because the President asked him kindly. Two of his kids are still in KSA, though.

 

[JJM 777]

What did the French PM do there anyway? Try to actually prevent wrongdoing, or simply give advice how to make the wrongdoing look less evident in public.

 

[Eddie Dane]

What did the French PM do there anyway? Try to actually prevent wrongdoing, or simply give advice how to make the wrongdoing look less evident in public.

Judging by his track record, he probably looked presidential, wore a well-cut blue suit and was completely ineffective. Then he waved at people.

 

[Childlike Empress]

Judging by his track record, he probably looked presidential, wore a well-cut blue suit and was completely ineffective. Then he waved at people.

He was sent home without seeing either Hariri or the King. Only the clown prince gave him a couple of minutes. Well, the French still kind of think Lebanon and Syria are their business. Sykes-Picot and stuff, n'est-ce pas?

 

[Childlike Empress]

Just in the news: The clown prince has literally called Khamenei "the new Hitler" now. What a fool. And meanwhile the Yemeni children keep dying like flies from starvation, cholera and bombs.

 

[Mycroft]

Just in the news: The clown prince has literally called Khamenei "the new Hitler" now. What a fool. And meanwhile the Yemeni children keep dying like flies from starvation, cholera and bombs.

All Yemen needs to do is to declare itself a socialist state and you won't be able to see the hunger there anymore.

 

[Childlike Empress]

Nice one

 

[Mycroft]

[qimg]https://i.imgur.com/acycT7V.jpg[/qimg]

More importantly, Iran is more in the sphere of Russian influence, and Saudi Arabia is closer to the United States.

You can't pretend anything else is important to you.

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

 

[Childlike Empress]

^most important to me is that you keep smearing your whiny junk under my posts. Keeps me going.

 

[Oystein]

More importantly, Iran is more in the sphere of Russian influence, and Saudi Arabia is closer to the United States.

You can't pretend anything else is important to you.

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

Until they change allegiance. Why should Saudi Arabia not choose to align its policies with China any day now? It would be the smart move.

Current proximity to murderous dictatorships is "important" only for very shallow meanings of the word.