To: Dennis O'Bell who wrote (124827 ) 2/19/2004 8:19:48 PM From: Hawkmoon Respond to This situation in Saudi Arabia is unique, and doesn't fit any stereotypical molds of "mercantilist capitalism". In particular, they themselves paid for all the work we've done in modernizing the country - this is why there was never any congressional oversight (or meddling) of the many programs that were executed, no taxpayer money was involved One thing Saudi Arabia does very well is explode the pleasant myth that if we just let countries become prosperous enough to afford the trappings of American society, that somehow, as if by magic, they'll become more democratic and we'll "win" the battle of spreading democracy without firing a shot. Germany and Japan were turned around, but at what a cost, and those situations were again unique enough that they just don't extrapolate as to what the general policies should be elsewhere, today.
