Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Applied Materials -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: michael97123 who wrote (66959)	12/9/2002 1:01:52 PM
From: zonder	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

I do not think "crushing blow to terror financing" is a "bad thing", but I do believe that invading Saudi Arabia after Iraq is a Very Bad Idea. That is just not the good method. It would be perceived as the US trying to take over the world. Or trying to take over Muslim states. Or both. Yes, it could very well mean WWIII - Complete polarization of Muslim States on one side and Christians on the other.

To: michael97123 who wrote (66959)	12/9/2002 1:13:19 PM
From: Fred Levine	Respond to of 70976

Mike-->>Saudi arabia is not a totalitarian state like iraq << Saudi Arabia is a feudal state, a monarchy and semi-theocracy. There is not even a semblance of democratic conditions in Saudi Arabia. The realpolitik is that we are in bed with them. They need our markets and we need their oil. There is massive Saudi wealth invested in the West and our stability is of vital interest to them. OTOH, the Saudis practice a fundamentalist form of Islam and that seems to keep them in place. Given the per-capita income of merely (appx)$ 7,000 per yr, and the immense gap between the rich and poor, the Saudi's have been doing a bread-and-circus dance of placating the fundamentalists for fear of losing control. The only thing, IMO, holding the country--a mainly nomadic tribal society--together, is tradition. The Saudis are, understandably, reluctant to tilt the apple cart of tradition by challenging the mullahs. Rather they support the mullahs for fear of social unrest. However, whether they like it or not, these same mullahs constitute a threat to them if their attention is focused on internal Saudi issues. Exploiting this, IMO, the Saudi aristocracy has exploited and promoted strife in Israel and outside Satanic evil from the US. BTW- Mike-- notice that Bush and Bin Laden use similar terminology of evil in describing their foes. Good PR, good PR.... fred