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If you ever get invited to the "Future Investment Initiative" aka "Davos in the Desert", NEVER GO THERE. More like "Despots in the Desert". I feel for the Sau

If you ever get invited to the "Future Investment Initiative" aka "Davos in the Desert", NEVER GO THERE. More like "Despots in the Desert". I feel for the Saudi people, but fuck their corrupt, useless monarchy. They could at least aspire to be Singapore, but I guess 100 gold-plated Rolls Royces and stupid giant infrastructure projects strokes the ego more - lame as fuck... Sic Semper Tyrannis

gremlinsinc 4y ago
So long, I've awaited this honor... * Looks longingly at my invite to Davos in the Desert. * * Let's it gingerly slip from my fingers into the fire pit, as a single tear falls in the flames. * /jk. Sarcasm aside, I don't understand why the West kowtows to Saudi's. I feel like maybe they were more culpable in 9/11 than previously thought, they are constantly doing shit, that even China would think twice about (they'd reeducate and do concentration camps, but perhaps not straight up executions). I know it probably involves money, etc - but we need to put our partnerships with others to a smell test, if that country that wants to partner up, or do business with Americans has a horrible human rights record, they should be on the banned countries list like NK and Iran. If only politics weren't legal organized crime, perhaps we could instill some values in our nations leaders and businesses to cease supporting despots.
- nickpinkston 4y ago
  Our whole Middle East policy is based on oil price stability, but with the Saudi's recently decreasing production, we're not getting that either, so fuck 'em. https://www.npr.org/2022/10/05/1126754169/opec-oil-production-cut https://www.npr.org/2022/10/05/1126754169/opec-oil-productio... I'd prefer we worked with Iran, a far more broadly educated / liberal society (not gov't) that we can work with and who can be productive beyond oil production. But even better I really like the Venezuelan oil production plan. https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-plans-to-ease-venezuela-sanctions-enabling-chevron-to-pump-oil-11665005719 https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-plans-to-ease-venezuela-san... Long-term, I'd love to see an energy independence bill come out that would allow short-term US oil/gas production, sourcing from allies, and a rapid de-carbonization of our society. The IRA is a good start: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflation_Reduction_Act_of_2022 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflation_Reduction_Act_of_202...
- tablespoon 4y ago
  > Sarcasm aside, I don't understand why the West kowtows to Saudi's. They have oil, and they're willing to use it politically: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisis. Democracies are very vulnerable to that kind of stuff.
- mushbino 4y ago
  Look into the redacted 28 pages of the 9/11 report and the recently released testimony of Zacharias Mousaui. The hijackers were funded by members of the Saudi royal family, specifically Bandar bin Sultan nicknamed Bandar Bush for his close ties to the Bush family, and his wife who was sending money to the hijackers.
nxmnxm99 4y ago
They are a powerhouse geopolitically, one of the fastest growing economies in the world and their citizens are happy Why would they want to be Singapore?
- sangnoir 4y ago
  > Why would they want to be Singapore? To move up the value chain and not have all their eggs in the oil basket, for one.
  - Maursault 4y ago
    For two, they may want to establish a parliamentary republic to safely avoid the fate of those from which the Saudi family's ancestors originally usurped executive power. Currently, there is only one method of establishing a new government in what is only tenuously Saudi Arabia, which is using the old ways of sneaking into the palace at night with jambiyas and assassinating everyone. My suspicion is that this inevitable coup will be composed entirely of women.
    - LargoLasskhyfv 4y ago
      How do woman learn to effectively handle a jambiaya in such regions? Are there woman sports gyms teaching self-defense, martial arts of any kind?
      - Maursault 4y ago
        I'd expect they'd have become quite expert with it through domestic activity, such as food preparation, cooking and watching television.
        LargoLasskhyfv 4y ago
        Watching TV is not experience by doing it. Maybe more often counterproductive, because stunts and CGI distort your expectations :-) Not to mention that most food doesn't struggle anymore, after the initial butchering. Or having an intuition about something feels wrong here and alertness because of that.

gremlinsinc 4y ago

So long, I've awaited this honor... * Looks longingly at my invite to Davos in the Desert. * * Let's it gingerly slip from my fingers into the fire pit, as a single tear falls in the flames. * /jk. Sarcasm aside, I don't understand why the West kowtows to Saudi's. I feel like maybe they were more culpable in 9/11 than previously thought, they are constantly doing shit, that even China would think twice about (they'd reeducate and do concentration camps, but perhaps not straight up executions). I know it probably involves money, etc - but we need to put our partnerships with others to a smell test, if that country that wants to partner up, or do business with Americans has a horrible human rights record, they should be on the banned countries list like NK and Iran. If only politics weren't legal organized crime, perhaps we could instill some values in our nations leaders and businesses to cease supporting despots.

nickpinkston 4y ago
Our whole Middle East policy is based on oil price stability, but with the Saudi's recently decreasing production, we're not getting that either, so fuck 'em. https://www.npr.org/2022/10/05/1126754169/opec-oil-production-cut https://www.npr.org/2022/10/05/1126754169/opec-oil-productio... I'd prefer we worked with Iran, a far more broadly educated / liberal society (not gov't) that we can work with and who can be productive beyond oil production. But even better I really like the Venezuelan oil production plan. https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-plans-to-ease-venezuela-sanctions-enabling-chevron-to-pump-oil-11665005719 https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-plans-to-ease-venezuela-san... Long-term, I'd love to see an energy independence bill come out that would allow short-term US oil/gas production, sourcing from allies, and a rapid de-carbonization of our society. The IRA is a good start: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflation_Reduction_Act_of_2022 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflation_Reduction_Act_of_202...
tablespoon 4y ago
> Sarcasm aside, I don't understand why the West kowtows to Saudi's. They have oil, and they're willing to use it politically: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisis. Democracies are very vulnerable to that kind of stuff.
mushbino 4y ago
Look into the redacted 28 pages of the 9/11 report and the recently released testimony of Zacharias Mousaui. The hijackers were funded by members of the Saudi royal family, specifically Bandar bin Sultan nicknamed Bandar Bush for his close ties to the Bush family, and his wife who was sending money to the hijackers.

nxmnxm99 4y ago

They are a powerhouse geopolitically, one of the fastest growing economies in the world and their citizens are happy Why would they want to be Singapore?

sangnoir 4y ago
> Why would they want to be Singapore? To move up the value chain and not have all their eggs in the oil basket, for one.
- Maursault 4y ago
  For two, they may want to establish a parliamentary republic to safely avoid the fate of those from which the Saudi family's ancestors originally usurped executive power. Currently, there is only one method of establishing a new government in what is only tenuously Saudi Arabia, which is using the old ways of sneaking into the palace at night with jambiyas and assassinating everyone. My suspicion is that this inevitable coup will be composed entirely of women.
  - LargoLasskhyfv 4y ago
    How do woman learn to effectively handle a jambiaya in such regions? Are there woman sports gyms teaching self-defense, martial arts of any kind?
    - Maursault 4y ago
      I'd expect they'd have become quite expert with it through domestic activity, such as food preparation, cooking and watching television.
      - LargoLasskhyfv 4y ago
        Watching TV is not experience by doing it. Maybe more often counterproductive, because stunts and CGI distort your expectations :-) Not to mention that most food doesn't struggle anymore, after the initial butchering. Or having an intuition about something feels wrong here and alertness because of that.