It appears that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has found relief from the pesky protesters of Western democracies. He gave an almost breathless account of how he didn’t spot nary one protester in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, just tranquil silence of the Saudis. It could be that the Trump Administration found a country unanimously and enthusiastically supportive of its policies. It could also be that protests are generally unlawful in the Kingdom. The Saudis however are famous for public demonstrations of a different kind from beheadings to the image above of festive hangings.
In an interview on CNBC on Monday, Ross, said he found it “fascinating” that he did not see “a single hint of a protester anywhere there during the whole time we were there. Not one guy with a bad placard.” Host Becky Quick was . . . well . . . quick and noted “that might be—not necessarily because they don’t have those feelings there—but because they control people and don’t allow them to come and express their feelings the same way we do here.” Of course, that is wrong. The Saudis are all in favor of people expressing their views so long as the views precisely coincide with the views of the government and do not favor any religion but Islam, advocate for basic human rights, or seek an end to medieval Sharia laws.
Ross did not miss a beat and responded “In theory, that could be true, but boy there was certainly no sign of it. There was not a single effort at any incursion. There wasn’t anything. The mood was a genuinely good mood.” Well, boy, if you have a country that has been repeatedly denounced for torture and a lack of due process, you are unlikely to see a “sign of it.”
You may recall our prior discussion of Ross for his description of our bombing of Syria as “after dinner entertainment” with the President and Chinese President.
A fool.
I wouldn’t pay much attention to what Wilber Ross has to say about anything connected to foreign affairs. Wilber Ross is a good businessman and he’s smart at finance. But that’s it. Nothing else. When it comes to statesmanship, this particular Wilber is no Wilberforce.
The Saudis were there to do a deal. Get the arms. Negotiate a good price. They swallowed hard and said nothing when listening to Trump’s understandable anger about “losers” and the Islamist penchant for killing innocent people. When Trump is gone and the equipment comes in, the Saudis can go back to doing what Saudis do. Spreading the Wahhabi faith via donations throughout the Muslim world, supplying ISIS with its more unimaginative youth as a means of deflecting unrest outside its own borders, insisting on Sharia, and calling Jews pigs and monkeys, etc. etc.
Elect a clown, expect a circus.
It’s amazing how ignorant the President and his administration are of most of the people of the US and of the world.
James G Watt, redux…but much more ignorant
https://twitter.com/theintercept/status/867342834772389888
Come back from the dark side before it’s too late….
Why do Americans feel the need (and right) to tell the rest of the world how to live or run another countries internal affairs?
Tell an American (on the mainstream right or left) that a certain part of the world may be none of our business and they will look at you like you are crazy.
“Of course, it’s our business, we are only trying to help and we have a duty to spread democracy, freedom, human rights, etc.”
Americans do not have the ability to see themselves as others do. –Henry Kissinger
The communists (and I detest communism, family were Cuban refugees) may have had a point when they talked about American imperialism.
Personally I am sick of the wars and interventions, both on the ‘right’ and ‘left’. How’s that working out for us?
These men made an oath to protect and defend the Constitution but I don’t think any of them have read it. Their appalling admiration for dictators and autocrats, theocrats and murderers is in furiaating. Why do these men hate America?
They don’t.
They own everything and everyone in it.
“These men” don’t hate America…that was THE LIAR, Obama, and his socialist groupies who wanted to transform it into an EU country. That almost happened but of course, President Trump has stopped Obama’s Socialist policies dead in their tracks. I want to see all of the Professors in American Universities removed if they try to punish their students for conservative thought and ideology. Sick of these “snowflakes” running the campuses and spending some of MY taxpayer dollars for indoctrination instead of education. You and I are polar opposites in our views and I sincerely hope that we never meet. I don’t let Socialists in my home any more. Not even through the back door.
Why do you sir?
Remember he’s one of the crowd that believes in “Alternative Facts”. Whatever one thinks of Iran and the current crowd running it , they had elections..and 45 Million People voted for change–it was laughable when the Saudi Foreign Minister talked about Human Rights–It might be a shock to you all but the Iran Elections was ever so lively–and the idea that 73 percent of people expressed change should be celebrated. I for one will not take a lecture on Civil Rights from Saudi Arabia where even the Women can’t drive–who cares that the Deputy Crown Prince only has one wife instead of three or four….or that they have been ‘gracious” in relegating the power of the morality police…..
The facts, Mike. 1,636 citizens of Iran desired to run for President, and that included 137 women. The so-called “Guardian Council” allowed only 6 men to be on the ballot. They even denied former presidents and vice-presidents the right to run. It is obvious that the Iranian election was a farce!
You’re entitled to your opinion…..Please note some thoughts for your consideration. At least some level of choice exisisted in Iran..and 46 Million Iranians turned out to vote…and so that you understand that Iranians voted against the Supreme Leader by voting for Rouhani….if you wish to dismiss it..that’s fine…you seem not to have understood that the entire so-called progressive element untied behind Rouhani and the prorgressives swept key municipal elections including Tehran. The election debate and discourse (which I worked on as part of my responsiblities at the Daily Outsider) you would realize that the candidates that emerged had a very vibrant discussion..and some hard truths were told including the issue of the imprisoned Green Movement Leaders and the Ex-President Khatami who is currently banned (like Mandela was in South Africa),,and Rouhani has gotten some big broadsides from the likes of the head of the Judiciary. As for the former President and VP, as an FYI, the son of the imprisoned Green Movement Leader, Mehdi Karoubi (who is a fellow at one of the institutes in the UK) talked about (and i totally agreed with him that the Guardian Council should have approved Ahmadinejad and his VP to run…He (Ahmadinejad) was defeated alerady as his chosen candidate (Jalili) was defeated by Rouhani in 2013….and as an FYI, there are some corruption files in the Judiciary …..Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts….Cheers….
He may not have spotted a protester, but in 1945 the first all-white Dalmatian dog was spotted.