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>Adherence, or non-adherence to American military aid makes ZERO DIFFERENCE to that. In fact, there are now more receivers of American military aid in Chinese,
by throwaway0a5e 6y ago
>Adherence, or non-adherence to American military aid makes ZERO DIFFERENCE to that. In fact, there are now more receivers of American military aid in Chinese, and Russian pocket than ones who aren't. In other words, the net effect of US military aid is the benefit of allies, and satellites of Russia, and China. This makes no sense.
I never said anything military aid, just business ties.
>SECOND, you lose allies by supporting rogue regimes for reasons ethical, or not.
"we try and do fair business with everyone" has worked out quite well for Switzerland over the last ~500yr and Sweden for the last 100.
>THIRD, USA is not impotent at all to influence KSA. USA is fully capable of erasing KSA regime with a flick of a finger with both military, and non-military options on the table.
>1/3 of KSA population will raise in arms the second its given such opportunity. Economic sanctions on oil, and foreign assets will nuke KSA treasury, and lead to regime fall in at maximum of 2 years. USA military contingent in military bases on KSA soil is big enough to topple the KSA military in days.
>FOURTH, the new Saudi establishment will be naturally more receptive to US influence than the current one which sploshes moneys on states which are not by an inch friendly to USA. Cutting Saudi moneys to rouge states will instantly solve at least halve of USA's headaches in the region.
"QED that's why we should invade Iraq" (or alternatively, replace Iraq with some banana republic in South America). Seriously, listen to yourself. This is the same insane rhetoric that led to the middle east being what it is today. If you just finished it off with "and it's our duty to civilize them" it could pass for something written by a Brit in 1903.
What a bunch of tin pot dictators in a sanbox do isn't our problem. If they wanna do business, sure, fine but it begins and ends there should be keeping all these nations at arms length and not violating their sovereignty interfering with their domestic affairs.