More like a Middle Eastern version of South Korea of 1950s and 60s. Touted as the bastion of freedom against communism, in reality under dictatorship no better

More like a Middle Eastern version of South Korea of 1950s and 60s. Touted as the bastion of freedom against communism, in reality under dictatorship no better than communists, but it was OK because "he's our bastard," so to speak. Well, somehow South Korea turned out OK after decades of struggle, so one can hope ...