xthetenth Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Pretty much any ideology capable of forming the core of a decently functioning state (and a bunch that aren't) around has gotten absolutely dismantled over the past century. When you start wistfully thinking about what could've been under Gamal Nasser of all people, it's time to drink heavily and find a new region with a less painful history to study, like maybe the Balkans or the Indian Subcontinent. T___A, Belesarius and Vasily Krysov 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxn Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Iran is approximately 1000x better than Saudi Arabia. Which in turn is, what, 1.5x less awful than ISIS? Yeah, let the Iranians have the run of the place. Edit - also, if I could give the US any piece of advice in choosing it's friends, it would be this: either don't, or try to choose the least stomach-churningly corrupt monsters rather than however you do it now. Generally; if you describe the actions of your 'ally' to a random citizen and they cannot tell that they are not, in fact, the enemy then you are doing something seriously wrong. Jeeps_Guns_Tanks and Belesarius 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Iran is approximately 1000x better than Saudi Arabia. Which in turn is, what, 1.5x less awful than ISIS? Yeah, let the Iranians have the run of the place. Edit - also, if I could give the US any piece of advice in choosing it's friends, it would be this: either don't, or try to choose the least stomach-churningly corrupt monsters rather than however you do it now. Generally; if you describe the actions of your 'ally' to a random citizen and they cannot tell that they are not, in fact, the enemy then you are doing something seriously wrong. Yeah, this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxn Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Between Saudi Arabia and Israel I begin to wonder if US foreign policy is, in fact, dictated by the world's strangest masochist. Belesarius 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meplat Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Between Saudi Arabia and Israel I begin to wonder if US foreign policy is, in fact, dictated by the world's strangest masochist. You'd have to talk to a U.S. politician to get it. The concept of long term repercussions do not exist for them, since most are thinking in time blocks based around their re-election campaigns, and are concerned with little else other than getting re-elected.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tied Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Pretty much any ideology capable of forming the core of a decently functioning state (and a bunch that aren't) around has gotten absolutely dismantled over the past century. When you start wistfully thinking about what could've been under Gamal Nasser of all people, it's time to drink heavily and find a new region with a less painful history to study, like maybe the Balkans or the Indian Subcontinent. Thems fighting words. Nasser was a great man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxn Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 You'd have to talk to a U.S. politician to get it. The concept of long term repercussions do not exist for them, since most are thinking in time blocks based around their re-election campaigns, and are concerned with little else other than getting re-elected.. This doesn't explain support for Saudi Arabia though. I mean, everyone loathes them but they keep getting the kid glove treatment year after year. Politicians who were hypersensitive to election cycles would be a better option here - as they would have listened to the electorate and cut ties years ago. My feeling is that it's something more like bureaucratic addiction - the politicos have been sucking up to these guys for so long that they can't kick the habit even when it would obviously be in their own interests to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mohamed A Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 I don't know. Looking at the initial photo graph that Colli posted, I'd wager much of the Islamic world is a backwards, laughable shithole. Hey. Shh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoooSeR Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Saudis basically payed bribes to US politicians in form of military contracts. Until recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collimatrix Posted October 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 This doesn't explain support for Saudi Arabia though. I mean, everyone loathes them but they keep getting the kid glove treatment year after year. Politicians who were hypersensitive to election cycles would be a better option here - as they would have listened to the electorate and cut ties years ago. My feeling is that it's something more like bureaucratic addiction - the politicos have been sucking up to these guys for so long that they can't kick the habit even when it would obviously be in their own interests to do so. I think there's a pretty easy explanation for Saudi Arabian exceptionalism: It's easy to say "Saudi Arabia has a lot of oil," but not see just how much goddamn oil they have. Mohamed A and Belesarius 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collimatrix Posted October 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 No. You support the Houthis to create Houthi Arabia. And have the country run by the 10-15% Shiite minority, who would be forever dependent upon you to provide them with weapons so the rest of the populace never rose up and killed them all? That's right out of the British Empire playbook. RobotMinisterofTrueKorea and T___A 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxn Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 I think there's a pretty easy explanation for Saudi Arabian exceptionalism: It's easy to say "Saudi Arabia has a lot of oil," but not see just how much goddamn oil they have. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2244rank.html And yet Venezuela gets the stick instead of the carrot. Edit - used the original source. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collimatrix Posted October 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Venezuela isn't behaving at the moment, while Saudi Arabia is. I mean, sure, the Saudis are poor benighted heathens, but they're first class oil exporters. As soon as Venezuela proves to be as cooperative, I'm sure the US will happily be complicit in whatever atrocities they have in mind. Jeeps_Guns_Tanks 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tied Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 I think we sgould take vanuzela under our wing again. Its been awhile since the US had a real competitor in the region Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxn Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Venezuela isn't behaving at the moment, while Saudi Arabia is. I mean, sure, the Saudis are poor benighted heathens, but they're first class oil exporters. As soon as Venezuela proves to be as cooperative, I'm sure the US will happily be complicit in whatever atrocities they have in mind. I dunno. If you look at the top 10, none of them besides the Saudis get the same kind of fawning treatment. My personal suspicion is that, just like the Brits, the American upper crust only develops a really personal affection for people who are spectacularly scum-tastic, but in a particular kind of way that speaks to them on some level. The brits, of course, gave their support pretty much entirely to people who were corrupt as fuck, had really sick sexual mores and loved horses. In pretty much that order. This leads to the depressing thought that the US leadership caste can only really admire people who are seriously into crony faux-capitalism, monarchy, suppressing workers and bizarre executions. From here I suspect that North Korea is being kept around principally as secret fap material. Jeeps_Guns_Tanks and Mohamed A 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter_Sobchak Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 This doesn't explain support for Saudi Arabia though. I mean, everyone loathes them but they keep getting the kid glove treatment year after year. I think it has something to do with making sure that Saudi Arabia continues to support the "petrodollar" rather than shift to some other currency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoooSeR Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 I think it has something to do with making sure that Saudi Arabia continues to support the "petrodollar" rather than shift to some other currency. Well, this might be one of the main reasons, as US need to support currency with real and valuable basic product, like energy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tied Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 From here I suspect that North Korea is being kept around principally as secret fap material. North Korea is OUR fap material god dammit (atleast the one in the middle) America's fap material is closer to Sweden (for Liberals) or maybe Russia (for conservatives) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrashbotUS Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Americans fap to food. I also couldn't find my booklet but imagine something you'd do as a normal well adjusted member of a civil society? That was illegal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tied Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Americans fap to food. I also couldn't find my booklet but imagine something you'd do as a normal well adjusted member of a civil society? That was illegal. Mabye Texans do, but some of those lib-wristed faggots up north with their organic farmers tofu markets are an embarrasment to the land of the whopper and the home of the waffle sandwhich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xthetenth Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Between Saudi Arabia and Israel I begin to wonder if US foreign policy is, in fact, dictated by the world's strangest masochist. Best rationale other than raw resources I've heard is Norman Friedman mentioning they have two of the best ports in the region, and can serve as a sort of linchpin for power projection. Thems fighting words. Nasser was a great man And the United Arab Republic was an utter shitshow that was the death knell of pan-Arab nationalism as a possible unifying strain in regional identity politics. Honestly though I think the biggest problem was the utterly awful crack Egypt took at making the Franco-Prussian war happen again. And have the country run by the 10-15% Shiite minority, who would be forever dependent upon you to provide them with weapons so the rest of the populace never rose up and killed them all? That's right out of the British Empire playbook. Comedy option: Lebanese style confessionalism. No, I assure you, the demographics are similar to when the census was taken. North Korea is OUR fap material god dammit (atleast the one in the middle) America's fap material is closer to Sweden (for Liberals) or maybe Russia (for conservatives) Conservatives realizing Putin is a total dreamboat will never stop being funny to me, but I don't think you realize how much the US loves it some underfed women. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex C. Posted October 28, 2015 Report Share Posted October 28, 2015 Conservatives realizing Putin is a total dreamboat will never stop being funny to me, but I don't think you realize how much the US loves it some underfed women. I mean, this might have something to do with it: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xthetenth Posted October 29, 2015 Report Share Posted October 29, 2015 Wow the Ruble's fallen off hard since 2013. Also yes, Russia's economy was preposterously depressed after the looting that was Russia's welcome to glorious capitalism (blanket) party. SergeantMatt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex C. Posted October 29, 2015 Report Share Posted October 29, 2015 Indeed. Also, lets not forget the man's incredibly admirable net worth of $70 billion (alleged to be as much as $200 billion). So I mean, yeah, thats pretty impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T___A Posted October 29, 2015 Report Share Posted October 29, 2015 Indeed. Also, lets not forget the man's incredibly admirable net worth of $70 billion (alleged to be as much as $200 billion). So I mean, yeah, thats pretty impressive. If that $200 billion is true that's pretty impressive given Tsar Nicholas II only had $300 billion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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