ElPrimo writes:
"SA has a corrupt regime..... I think you may have agreed here but just can't get over the hump to do so in the open..."
I agreed that Saudi Arabia's ruling regime is REPRESSIVE. Not everyone does, but I certainly do. They are not "corrupt", though. There is no need for them to be corrupt, since they already hold absolute political power and can do whatever they want within the existing political framework. A "corrupt" politician is one who can be bribed to subvert the existing political process, or one who commits crimes. The repression the Saudis carry out is sanctioned by their political system (Absolute Monarchy) already, and their actions are therefore not considered by them to be criminal, since they (the Royal House of Saud) are by definition above the law.
"we support them - you agreed here also but have to bring something up about allies and the gulf war in order to cover your tracks and change the subject..."
Hmmm... reviewing the wording of my reply I can see that it does imply that I agree. You were perfectly correct to interpret it that way. I apologize. I fucked up. I did not mean to say that America supports the Saudi regime. I'm sorry to have not been more precise. In actual fact, I do NOT agree.
Exactly how does America "support" the Saudi regime? Please be specific. America takes no actions whatsoever to keep the House of Saud in power. The Saudi government protects ITSELF from internal dissent through the use of its own "internal security" police force. They don't need America's (or anyone's) help to stay in control of Saudi Arabia.
"There are other means to bring about change, - The rest of this goes on - all based on some straw men youe set up and then try to knock down.... Like saying I expect 'ruthless dictators' to be swayed by 'world opinion' and that America doesn't have the right to 'instill justice'. Where do you get this stuff? Your entire post is full of this crap..... "
There may be other means to bring about change, but you have yet to list a single one. So far, the ONLY suggestions you have made to eliminating the repression of Saudi residents are:
1) "I think we should work within the World guidelines we agreed to in the United Nations charter."
2) "What the United States should do is work to instill more justice in the world. Work with our neighbors to try and build a better and fair society."
3) "It is wrong to let ignorance and hatred abound without trying to mediate and work toward resolution. It's called leadership. Like with the Kyoto treaty."
No specifics. Just vague generalizations... "work within the World guidelines", "work to instill more justice", "Work with our neighbors", "work toward resolution".
Work HOW? Please outline one SPECIFIC action that America can take to decrease the repression of Saudi women. Your phrases are identical to those any politician trying to get re-elected spouts in press conferences... "Once elected I will take steps to correct this or that shameful situation..." WHAT steps?
"You may stick your nose up at working with other Countries to solve problems, but I don't."
I don't reject the usefulness of "working with other countries to solve problems", but I have a firm enough grasp of reality to realize that there are some countries (like Saudi Arabia) for whom conferences, UN condemnations and diplomatic reprimands mean literally nothing. The Saudis honestly don't even think they HAVE a problem. To them, the way they treat their subjects is the way that subjects SHOULD be treated. "Working with other countries" is only possible if those countries AGREE to work with you.
"Saudi Arabia a terrorist breeding ground..--- I think you agreed again, but you you seem to want to argue about whether I should have said said 'A' prime breeding ground, instead of 'The' Prime breeding ground.. Puh-leeeeze"
Excuse me for insisting on clarity. You know as well as I do that changing a single word in a sentence (just as I mistakenly implied that I agreed with you on the "support" issue) can alter its meaning radically. The topic being discussed here is an important one. It's not as if we are trying to decide if a Whopper is better than a Big Mac. If what you write is not what you mean to say, don't object to people interpreting it as it is written, correct the mistaken impression instead.
I still disagree that "Saudi Arabia is THE prime breeding ground for terrorists". As it is written, the sentence implies that Saudi Arabia produces more terrorists than any other country. Anyone conversant with the English language would interpret it as I did.
"Specifics??? let's not get too off the subject but here's a couple ---- the Kyoto Treaty... a perfect example of letting short term corporate business interest override an important and necessary step toward controlling pollution."
You used this same red herring earlier. The Kyoto Treaty has nothing to do with the repression of internal dissent, hence is completely irrelevant to the topic that YOU introduced... America's alleged "support" of a "corrupt" regime.
"And BTW - Countries don't have to go thru the UN in order to talk and work together."
Of course they don't. But they DO have to agree to seriously address the issue being talked about. The Saudis won't. To them, the way they treat their women (as a single specific example) is a non-issue. They don't understand what all the fuss is about, and dismiss out of hand any suggestions that they may want to rethink their position. This intransigence on their part has been reported many times, by the way, by women's groups and human rights organizations. I am not making this up. The Saudi government quite simply refuses to listen, even to America.
"And the UN would be a lot more effective if the largest Country in the World didn't try and undermine it every chance it gets."
America is neither the largest country in the world nor the most populous. And America HARDLY tries to undermine the UN "every chance it gets". You would have a better chance of convincing the readers of this thread of the validity of your opinions if you would get your facts straight and avoid exaggeration.
"And as for all that about Money and AIDs and the rest... well, the Conservative US fights the UN when it trys to deliver Condoms and birth control seminars and other things to help control the situation."
Not so. The American government does not try to prevent the UN from providing condoms and birth control seminars to Africans. Where did you get this idea? Please provide a single credible source to support this allegation.
Some individual members of Congress DO however feel that American taxpayers should not be charged an unlimited amount of money to provide these services to other countries.
"We don't have to totally turn our back on every problem."
America hardly turns its back on every problem. America spends more money on AIDS research than any other country. America provides more money in foreign aid than the rest of the world combined.
"And what's all that about it not being Americas fault? Another straw man. A lot of things aren't my fault but that doesn't mean I shouldn't try and help."
But America DOES help those countries who are in a bind through no fault of America's. No other country in the world does as much as America does to help others. Foreign aid in the form of cash. Disaster relief in the form of food and medical supplies. Military support to allies threatened with invasion. Development loans (many of which are never repaid) to improve agriculture, create infrastructure, improve education, develop natural resources, jumpstart essential industries. Supervision of free elections.... I'm sure there are other actions America takes that I am missing here.
"we don't connect at all on 'evil'.... I just don't understand the word. Horrible, wrong, bad, reprehensible, terrible, sick, insane, etc... all those words I understand. When people say 'evil' I look around for vampires or something."
You don't understand the definition of "evil"? Open any dictionary. Let's look at the Oxford Dictionary of Current English:
evil - morally bad, wicked: harmful, tending to harm.
Hmmm... nothing about vampires or other supernatural entities in THAT definition.
"... that was the point of most of this discussion... That the United States supports and keeps in power whatever Dictator or group that suits our economic and military objectives."
There is an enormous difference between "supporting and keeping in power" a particular government and refraining from actively overthrowing it. I repeat, the USA takes not a single action to further the continuance of the House of Saud. Zip. Bupkes. Nada. The Saudi royal family doesn't NEED the USA to take any action to keep them in power.
pinky
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Edited by pinksharkmark (12/29/01 04:38 AM)
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