These Are Our Allies

3 thoughts on “These Are Our Allies”

1. As I wrote over at my place a few months ago:

   Few governments have so brilliantly succeeded in snuffing out the liberties of its subjects as have the Saudis. It is a challenge to find a society more backwards than theirs.

   This includes Iran. There are few crimes the Iranians have committed that the Saudis have not matched. Human rights abuse for human rights abuse, the two stand equal by most measures of oppression.

   They are equals in barbarity, but not in standing. One is the subject of sanctions, restrictions, and ridicule. The other is the beneficiary of global goodwill. One has been completely cut away from America. The other’s diplomats are offered many a place in Washington’s smoke-filled backrooms. One is an enemy. The other is an ally. Quite curious is the United State’s foreign policy!

   America has a penchant for asking other great powers to take a firm line with illicit regimes. “If only Russia, China, and India would cooperate”, we say, “then Burma, North Korea, and Iran would never be problems.” Do we expect this rhetoric to be taken seriously? Are we so conceited as to imagine that the United States can cajole the world into pressuring rogue states who dislike America into submission while offering patronage to the oppressive regimes who seem to fancy us?

   Report

   1. My impression (from reading only; I’ve never been to either place) is that Saudi Arabia oppresses its citizens far more. Iran has a saving hypocrisy; discretion and lip service to the medieval ideals of the mullahs allow the middle class to enjoy many of the blessings of modern life. The Saudi authorities, on the other hand, are as horribly conscientious in their madness as were the Taliban.Report

2. I can think of several words but they’re inappropriate for this league and if I used them I fear that Scott would take away my monocle with his grabby Canadian moderator hands.Report

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