Posted on Apr 3, 2015
Should the US support Saudi Arabia knowing that Saudi Arabia is an ablosute monarchy and has one of the worlds worst Human Rights records?
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Democracy
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Saudi's got oil, it's in our national interest to keep oil prices low, and therefore in our interest to exert more influence over the Middle East than other nations. Saudi is one of the keys to that. I think that's really what it all boils down to. Do I think that's right? No, but the realist in me acknowledges that that's just how it is. To control natural resources is to have power, and people have and will continue to play the game.
It seems like almost any human issue can be boiled down to a struggle over sex and/or power.
It seems like almost any human issue can be boiled down to a struggle over sex and/or power.
SGT Robert Ishoy
According to the following the US only gets 8.1% of our oil from Saudi Arabia.
Where The U.S. Gets Its Oil
Source: Energy Information Administration
Credit: Nelson Hsu / NPR
So I must ask, why do we allow an absolute monarchy with a horrid human rights record to have so much political influence when we clearly are not dependent on their oil for our overall needs?
Where The U.S. Gets Its Oil
Source: Energy Information Administration
Credit: Nelson Hsu / NPR
So I must ask, why do we allow an absolute monarchy with a horrid human rights record to have so much political influence when we clearly are not dependent on their oil for our overall needs?
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SGT Robert Ishoy Thanks for citing, not many people do that. In that case, I have no clue. Especially having been over here a few times...it's a borderline lifeless, excruciatingly humid, and hot, miserable desert....
Maybe oil is still a factor because of Saudi's huge weight in OPEC. OPEC has a great influence on global oil prices, and when OPEC's are low, that forces other suppliers to keep their prices competitive. Eventually OPEC will not have the market share that it does, and North America will be more of the price-setter perhaps. It will be interesting to watch that change occur, because I'm pretty sure it'll fully come to pass during my lifetime. I wonder what the world will look like when I'm 60...
Maybe oil is still a factor because of Saudi's huge weight in OPEC. OPEC has a great influence on global oil prices, and when OPEC's are low, that forces other suppliers to keep their prices competitive. Eventually OPEC will not have the market share that it does, and North America will be more of the price-setter perhaps. It will be interesting to watch that change occur, because I'm pretty sure it'll fully come to pass during my lifetime. I wonder what the world will look like when I'm 60...
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We shouldn't get involved in the internal politics of a foreign nation, other than encouraging all nations to form governments that are elected by the people and which have constitutions designed to protect what we see as basic human rights.
Signing treaties with nations to protect them from foreign aggression, especially when the goods their producing are of great economic benefit to the US seems reasonable.
I don't believe anything more than that is appropriate given the human rights record of Saudi Arabia. We tend to prefer Saudi Arabia/Pakistan over Iran as a principle power in the region, however I believe it's a mistake to gloss over the human rights record of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Support for such brutal regimes reflects poorly on the US.
Signing treaties with nations to protect them from foreign aggression, especially when the goods their producing are of great economic benefit to the US seems reasonable.
I don't believe anything more than that is appropriate given the human rights record of Saudi Arabia. We tend to prefer Saudi Arabia/Pakistan over Iran as a principle power in the region, however I believe it's a mistake to gloss over the human rights record of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Support for such brutal regimes reflects poorly on the US.
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