Interesting Article on Saudi Arabia

[Belesarius]

http://business.financialpost.com/news/energy/saudi-arabia-faces-existential-crisis-after-its-misjudged-gamble-on-oil

 

US Mid-cost production oil can out-compete the Saudis. They gambled wrong.  OOPS.

 

So if the Saudi Gov't starts going broke, what will the consequences be?

 

 

[Priory_of_Sion]

China might be Saudi Arabia's new pimp instead of the US down the road, especially if Chinese oil consumption continues to grow and the SCS's deposits aren't utilized too much.  

[Collimatrix]

 

So if the Saudi Gov't starts going broke, what will the consequences be?

 

 

Fucking dire.  Expect to see actual Wahhabists take over the place and do outrageous, disgusting things.

 

Or worse things still.

 

The lesson everyone should have taken from Arab Spring is that overthrowing vile, despotic Middle Eastern regimes invariably leads to their replacement by worse.

[FaustianQ]

US change in foriegn policy towards Iran might grow warmer still if the Saudis go nuts.

 

The lesson everyone should have taken from Arab Spring is that overthrowing vile, despotic Middle Eastern regimes invariably leads to their replacement by worse.

 

A take from an actual Saudi is that no one in the ME has any faith in secular authority not being vile, hence the religious radicalization. What ended up happening is that ME dictatorships were/are beyond paraniod and don't allow even token opposition parties to form and allow people to vent.

 

The real take away then is that any future government needs to allow dissent, even in controlled form, or when the people get fed up their going to pick any even more insane option. Like, Iran does a really good job of this TBH.