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Politics : Foreign Policy Discussion Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Chas. who wrote (6347)	12/23/2003 3:30:57 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 15987

I think it is proving to be very difficult for the Saudi Princes to come to grips with the reality of their changing society No doubt about it the "gleam" of the Saudi Kingdom has lost some of its allure. But a greater part of the problem, IMO, is the cultural attitude that being "priviledged" has ingrained in many Saudis. They still have about 5 million immigrant workers in a country of some 25 million, doing tasks that most Saudis believe are beneath them. Thus, technically, there should be little unemployment in the Kingdom. But most Saudis are well educated and not interested in unskilled jobs. They want economic opportunity and high paying jobs of the sort that their economic structure is unable to provide. So these well educated, and often idealistic, youths are really susceptible to the militant "siren" calls of the Wahhabists who believe that the Saudis are corrupt (which they are). And it's the US which is backing the regime that is limiting their economic futures.. Not like any form of Islamic Fundamentalism would prove more adept at providing economic progress, but that point is academic. But in my next post, we'll something of MAJOR SIGNIFICANCE taking place in China, which is what needs to happen in many other parts of the world, including Saudi Arabia. Hawk