Quote:
Originally Posted by powerclown
Those are pretty strong words. I realize the west has been in cahoots with many of the dictatorships, but I don't necessarily think this means they perpetuated this form of government. Why no mass protest in Saudi Arabia at the moment?
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I chose them carefully.
Since 1945, when President Roosevelt stopped by to chat with King Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, the US has been involved in supporting "stability" in the Middle East. The British, have been doing it even longer.
Oil is a big motivator for keeping this stability in place.
There are no protests in the streets of Saudi Arabia because the regime has enough money to continue to buy off if opposition. Have a look at what other oil-rich nations have done in the face of Egypt. They have increase spending on the public.
The ones that are currently having the largest protests are the ones that have the least amount of oil money. The world's hunger for oil keeps these dictatorships in power. The US policy is, simply put, better the dictator you know, than the popular movement you don't.