Rare protests in Saudi Arabia

[questionmark]

Families of political prisoners in Saudi Arabia have been doing what was once unthinkable in this kingdom and holding small protests outside prisons and government buildings to demand the release of inmates, some of whom have been held without charges for years.

Detentions without trial are a common practice in the Arab Middle East but have gained new notoriety as as motivating factor behind the Arab Spring uprisings that have swept the region.

While none suggests an uprising is in the offing in Saudi Arabia, the recent protests there were a rare phenomenon in one of the most tightly policed countries in the world.

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[Space Commander Travis]

heh, do you think the U.S. Govt. will be calling for the House of Saud to be overthrown?

[questionmark]

heh, do you think the U.S. Govt. will be calling for the House of Saud to be overthrown?

Most likely not, most of the Saudi oil is in a region predominantly inhabited by Shi'ite.

[Yamato]

Oh no! Send more money to the Sauds immediately, US taxpayers, so they can pacify their angry people with our money (they like that)!

[Ashotep]

I don't blame those people for being upset with the regime. I wish them luck on their venture and hope they get some results. Saudi Arabia is one of the most repressive regimes in the world. I bet if we knew the whole truth about what goes on there we would be sickened.

[Yamato]

I don't blame those people for being upset with the regime. I wish them luck on their venture and hope they get some results. Saudi Arabia is one of the most repressive regimes in the world. I bet if we knew the whole truth about what goes on there we would be sickened.

I don't blame these people either, why would we? I don't know the whole truth and I'm already sickened. We're in the US, we're propping this regime up. I don't know how not to be sickened about that. Remember the newspapers after 9/11? "Why do they hate us?" Remember Dubya's BS answer? This is the real reason why people of the Middle East hate us. We empower and enable repressive regimes they have to put up with.

[Ashotep]

I don't blame these people either, why would we? I don't know the whole truth and I'm already sickened. We're in the US, we're propping this regime up. I don't know how not to be sickened about that. Remember the newspapers after 9/11? "Why do they hate us?" Remember Dubya's BS answer? This is the real reason why people of the Middle East hate us. We empower and enable repressive regimes they have to put up with.

Well we could stop buying oil from them. This winter when your cold, your gas and food bill is three times as high we can think what a good thing it is that we stopped buying their oil. That's the problem. We need a different form of energy or we are always going to be dealing with some repressive regime.

Why would we? Why are you asking me that question? I have no reason to blame them for what they are doing. I wouldn't want to live in a country that would chop your head off for cheating or won't let a woman drive or the other horrible things that is done to people. The Saudi people are going to have to change that. The Saudis will sell their oil even if its not to us. China is consuming more all the time. Even if the regime changes who is to say it will be for the better because Saudi law is based on Islamic law.

Edited September 30, 2012 by Hilander

[The Silver Thong]

I don't blame these people either, why would we? I don't know the whole truth and I'm already sickened. We're in the US, we're propping this regime up. I don't know how not to be sickened about that. Remember the newspapers after 9/11? "Why do they hate us?" Remember Dubya's BS answer? This is the real reason why people of the Middle East hate us. We empower and enable repressive regimes they have to put up with.

agreed

[Yamato]

Well we could stop buying oil from them. This winter when your cold, your gas and food bill is three times as high we can think what a good thing it is that we stopped buying their oil. That's the problem. We need a different form of energy or we are always going to be dealing with some repressive regime.

Why would we? Why are you asking me that question? I have no reason to blame them for what they are doing. I wouldn't want to live in a country that would chop your head off for cheating or won't let a woman drive or the other horrible things that is done to people. The Saudi people are going to have to change that. The Saudis will sell their oil even if its not to us. China is consuming more all the time. Even if the regime changes who is to say it will be for the better because Saudi law is based on Islamic law.

If someone else will buy their oil in our stead, why should we stop buying it? They're going to sell it anyway. We should be buying Iranian oil too if we're going to be consistent. Thomas Jefferson said 'Commerce with all, Alliance with none'. There are profound reasons why this is sage advice. Trade prevents war. Sanctions cause war because they savage any potential for friendship between countries that could exist, and eventually arms start flowing in place of the vacuum of goods. Alliances are for small weak countries to make big dumb countries like us serve as the mafia making promises of protection in exchange for money and influence, especially when these strange relationships with our "friends" aren't even bound by treaty. They can end with a phone call.

How about not arming them before deciding not to trade with them?

Saudi Arabia was the recipient of the largest arms deal in US history in 2010. Thank Obama for showing such love.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabia%E2%80%93United_States_relations#2010_U.S._Arms_Sale_to_Saudi_Arabia