Not enough change, and too slow, or too much too soon the complaints of Egyptians are commonplace in democratic societies everywhere. But just as the revolution, with its slogans and songs, had a distinctly Egyptian flavor, so too will whatever form of democracy that emerges from it. It might be one that can accommodate anxious Facebook liberals and well-organized Islamists and even the odd "modernist Salafist" running for parliament.
#1
Historically, in times of trouble, Saudi kings have depended on American presidents to guarantee their external security. But at this moment of crisis, Abdullahviews President Obama as a threat to his internal security.
Obummer ticked off the king and now he is going to Russia and China for trade and security. More Amateur Hour from the One. Never was ready for prime time.
#4
The deep structural tensions generated by a 21st-century Westernized elite existing within a 15th-century Saudi social structure have been papered over for decades by oil wealth. If this strange social contract begins to fray, it might tear completely. And over in the eastern quarter, adjacent to Bahrain, where most of Saudi Arabias oil reserves are located, sits a restive Shiite minority who have been treated as second-class citizens for decades.
You know what? Let the Pakistanis be the ones who get all "Front line fire!" on angry Shia and teenagers who just want to watch porno without going to prison. I don't want us to have anything to do with that. In fact, I would rather we had nothing to do with the House of Saud at all... though it's difficult to see how right now. It should be a long-term goal.
Moved to Opinion because there is no outside link.
-tw
I got an email this morning from the attorney representing Nidal Hasan, the jihadist that massacred our troops in Ft Hood, Tx.
This was after I read 5 pages regarding proper Court Marshal proceedings late last night, which do say that the defense attorney must "zealously" represent/defend his client. There must be no doubt that a soldier being court marshalled was defended as best as possible before a military panel and judge by the attorney assigned to him.
This morning, the attorney for Nidal replied to an email of mine I sent a couple of days ago. He said the holdup on prosecuting Nidal Hasan was due to non-cooperation of the White House regarding critical evidence needed to move the trial forward. In other words, to put his reply in a simpler context, the White House is not cooperating with all parties involved the trial of Nidal Hasan. That he says is the cause for the delays.
He also said the Prosecuters are in cahoots with the White House in withholding critical evidence necessary for the trial. In other words, the Prosecution is also invovled in delaying the prosecution of Nidal Hasan.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Not enough change, and too slow, or too much too soon the complaints of Egyptians are commonplace in democratic societies everywhere. But just as the revolution, with its slogans and songs, had a distinctly Egyptian flavor, so too will whatever form of democracy that emerges from it. It might be one that can accommodate anxious Facebook liberals and well-organized Islamists and even the odd "modernist Salafist" running for parliament.
