IMO, it's cheap to reduce these to "it's all the same." Norway manages their oil wealth better than any country manages their wealth. Structurally, their actua

IMO, it's cheap to reduce these to "it's all the same." Norway manages their oil wealth better than any country manages their wealth. Structurally, their actually prepared for oil ending. They use the cash to provide social safety nets for their citizens. Besides that Norway is quite decent on democratic freedoms, rights and such. Saudi Arabia is politically medieval. Oil and everything else is owned by the monarchy and aristocracy for their benefit. They rely on religion and tribalism to buffer political rights or social change of any kind. Etc. Sure. You can reduce every country to their sins and declare that all are equally wretched. Usually, this is cynical viewpoint made up of whataboutisms exonerating anything because everyone and everything is bad.