The Lemon law version of Saudi change.

[Lemon law]

Let us fast forward back to 1920 or before. Saudi Arabia was a vast country of goat herders with a GDP of a nickel. The house of Faud was only one regional power contending among other regional sheiks.

Then various Western oil companies noticed that Saudi Arabia was awash in oil. And decided to fund the house of Faud, a win win deal at the time. On one hand the house of faud spread the money around to all other Saudi factions, the bribe Saudi custom of the times. Now here we are, 90 years later, as the Saudi people discover that the house of Faud has spread too much money to only the top dogs in the Royal family. And now the royal family are realizing that their increased population are left sucking hind tit.

Will the new Arab rebellions spread to Saudi Arabia? Especially when Monarchies and dictatorships are the new Arab talc standard. Point granted, Saudi oil wealth is over powering, but when too much goes to only the royal famdamily, the shit hitting the fan can't be far behind.

 

[Zebo]

Only if they hire Filipinos to do their rioting.

 

[mcmilljb]

If they want to avoid a rebellion, then they need to take care of their people. We're seeing this wide spread revolt because these governments took all the resources for themselves and gave nothing to most of its citizens. That can only go on for so long before people have nothing to lose. We've seen this before in history. People will give their life for a chance at freedom if they feel like they have nothing to lose.

 

[Zebo]

If they want to avoid a rebellion, then they need to take care of their people. We're seeing this wide spread revolt because these governments took all the resources for themselves and gave nothing to most of its citizens. That can only go on for so long before people have nothing to lose. We've seen this before in history. People will give their life for a chance at freedom if they feel like they have nothing to lose.

Saudi makes Sweden look libertarian. They take care. Free everything even a house when you get married and education anywhere in the world.

Over 1/3 of population is Asian or Western brought in to do the real work because Saudis don't have to unless they want to.

 

[Lithium381]

lemom law? is that like the lemon law when buying a car? if it doesn't work in three days you can bring it back?

 

[Fear No Evil]

Seems to me that GWB's plan to spread democracy to the ME is working. And Black Bush seems to be going down that same path. How many people will Bush have freed from these oppressive regimes after this is all said and done?

 

[Zebo]

Saudi is not really oppressive. They give people what they want, Sharia and Royals work in concert with the well funded religious establishment. They also have enough dough to go around to everyone else and foreigners too who they bring in to do the real work. Only the most ardent fundis think they are repressive, they have names like Osama Bin Laden which are marginalized throughout the country. They might fall someday but they will be last.

 

[The Green Bean]

There is a huge difference between Egypt and KSA. KSA is a state who is controlled on the basis of religion. Egypt was a secular democracy. In many ways, KSA is like North Korea. If you were to show any dissent towards the religious authorities, you would not be found. Americans are good at lying. It's not democracy that they support, it's money in their pockets. As long as the Sauds are paying the Americans, there is no reason why they would support a popular uprising. The economic benefiting of allying with KSA is greater than the cost of fighting the Afghan war, which is sponsored by them.

 

[The Green Bean]

Saudi is not really oppressive. They give people what they want, Sharia and Royals work in concert with the well funded religious establishment. They also have enough dough to go around to everyone else and foreigners too who they bring in to do the real work. Only the most ardent fundis think they are repressive, they have names like Osama Bin Laden which are marginalized throughout the country. They might fall someday but they will be last.

You are wrong. I have visited the KSA. If you fail to adhere to the religious rules designed by them....

 

[Zebo]

You are wrong. I have visited the KSA. If you fail to adhere to the religious rules designed by them....

What am I wrong about?

BTW I lived/worked there a year. Didn't find it oppressive besides 5am calls to prayer. That drove me nuts since i prefer waking up at 7. Guess I was too busy working 12 hr days to notice. Zebo loves Saudis because they made him money. Saudi citizens love Saudis too because they make them money. Pretty simple calculus and why there will be no revolt.

 

[CPA]

No, it won't spread to Saudi Arabia. The king has high approval ratings there, even amongst the lower classes. Plus, he just announced a huge economics package for the poor.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Only if they hire Filipinos to do their rioting.

Based on my last trip to Saudi the Filipinos out number the Saudis by a good margin.

 

[Monster_Munch]

Will the new Arab rebellions spread to Saudi Arabia? Especially when Monarchies and dictatorships are the new Arab talc standard. Point granted, Saudi oil wealth is over powering, but when too much goes to only the royal famdamily, the shit hitting the fan can't be far behind.

The Saudi royals are obviously worried about it, they've just announced 15% pay rises for public employees and a bunch of other stuff. The royals themselves are not that oppressive though, it's the religious police that are hated by the people.

 

[nageov3t]

I would imagine that, given cheap food + entertainment and ample jobs, most people wouldn't rise up against their government no matter how oppressive it looks from the outside.

 

[Genx87]

What am I wrong about?

BTW I lived/worked there a year. Didn't find it oppressive besides 5am calls to prayer. That drove me nuts since i prefer waking up at 7. Guess I was too busy working 12 hr days to notice. Zebo loves Saudis because they made him money. Saudi citizens love Saudis too because they make them money. Pretty simple calculus and why there will be no revolt.

This is a country that turned little girls back into a blazing building a few years ago because their dress didnt adhere to sharia. No oppression found uh huh.

 

[The Green Bean]

What am I wrong about?

BTW I lived/worked there a year. Didn't find it oppressive besides 5am calls to prayer. That drove me nuts since i prefer waking up at 7. Guess I was too busy working 12 hr days to notice. Zebo loves Saudis because they made him money. Saudi citizens love Saudis too because they make them money. Pretty simple calculus and why there will be no revolt.

What city did you live in? You didn't find it oppressive because you are not a Muslim. If you were, you would have been forced to do things their way. But the oppression level varies by city.

 

[RabidMongoose]

What city did you live in? You didn't find it oppressive because you are not a Muslim. If you were, you would have been forced to do things their way. But the oppression level varies by city.

Uh, it would probably be even more oppressive if you're not a Muslim.

 

[The Green Bean]

Uh, it would probably be even more oppressive if you're not a Muslim.

No. Money > Religion.

 

[Zebo]

What city did you live in? You didn't find it oppressive because you are not a Muslim. If you were, you would have been forced to do things their way. But the oppression level varies by city.

riyadh and I was not on an American compound either meaning I mingled with Muslims. Only men though I was in their country so I did things their way. When in Rome...

 

[Zebo]

Uh, it would probably be even more oppressive if you're not a Muslim.

Not really. The Pakistani and Egyptians were treated poorly to say nothing of Indonesians. I can't say who I worked for exactly, but for the family and I never got slapped like Muslim servants.

 

[Lemon law]

Thequestion is how long will it take the Saudi people to get the bright idea, that if they get rid of the super expensive Royal pigs, not only will individual Saudis get a far greater per capita income, they get rid of the religious police at the same time.

As it is, the last decade has not been kind to Saudi Arabia. Not only have they lost a Sunni dominated Iraq, Iran is on the ascendancy, while a Saudi monarchy is simply becoming a mid-east fossil.

Short term, the Saudi Royal family may survive, its hard to be bullish on the Saudi monarchy longer term.

 

[Zebo]

Thequestion is how long will it take the Saudi people to get the bright idea, that if they get rid of the super expensive Royal pigs, not only will individual Saudis get a far greater per capita income, they get rid of the religious police at the same time.

As it is, the last decade has not been kind to Saudi Arabia. Not only have they lost a Sunni dominated Iraq, Iran is on the ascendancy, while a Saudi monarchy is simply becoming a mid-east fossil.

Short term, the Saudi Royal family may survive, its hard to be bullish on the Saudi monarchy longer term.

How long till we get rid of our corrupt pigs? They have names like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs. Not as long as we are fat and happy. Same applies there.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Thequestion is how long will it take the Saudi people to get the bright idea, that if they get rid of the super expensive Royal pigs, not only will individual Saudis get a far greater per capita income, they get rid of the religious police at the same time.

As it is, the last decade has not been kind to Saudi Arabia. Not only have they lost a Sunni dominated Iraq, Iran is on the ascendancy, while a Saudi monarchy is simply becoming a mid-east fossil.

Short term, the Saudi Royal family may survive, its hard to be bullish on the Saudi monarchy longer term.

You keep on dreaming....
Everything is not black and white for these countries.
They each have different circumstances and the powers that be care differently for their people.
Take the Egyptian military...they could have been very brutal but they actually so it would seem care about the everyday person.
This uprising has not affected the Military at all.....they are still in control with their own people still calling the shots.

Not go to Iran where if the people were to stage an uprising their would be trmendous bloodshed.

Now you take Libya......where this sort of in the middle of the last two examples.....

Can the people really win?
If so at what sacrifice?
When does the sacrifice become too high.....

You in all your wisdom Lemon law nor I or anybody else who has not lost a loved one due to something like this possibly understand.

Even somebody like myself who lost family in the concentration camps we cannot possibly pretend to know what the word sacrifice means until you have lived it.

I wish all the people of that region Peace and safety as they stand up for what they percieve to be their rights!!

 

[RabidMongoose]

Not really. The Pakistani and Egyptians were treated poorly to say nothing of Indonesians. I can't say who I worked for exactly, but for the family and I never got slapped like Muslim servants.

That's because they're servants. If they were from, say, the Philippines, then their barbaric laws would be even more discriminatory towards them.

 

[Lemon law]

Zebo asks, "How long till we get rid of our corrupt pigs? They have names like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs. Not as long as we are fat and happy. Same applies there."

The problem with the Zebo contention is that JP Morgan and Goldman Sacks are not our government, in the case of the Saudi royals, they are the Saudi government.

So it may be an invalid comparison.

And the other thing to point out, if Goldman Sacks or JP Morgan melts down the US economy again, they are not going to get their sad and sorry asses bailed out again.

The long term risk for the Saudi Royals in a new Mid-east, is that monarchies will increasingly becomes passe. If the Saudis Royals don't catch hell now, they will as soon as they screw up.