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The KSA is an absolute monarchy that beheads people and severs limbs for thievery. Murdering or detaining the other side without due process is how these states work, it's how you consolidate power when there are hundreds of pretenders to the throne.



Sure, but where is the outcry from Western media and round the clock coverage of this outrage? If anything remotely close to this was happening in any of "official" adversaries like Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, etc., media would be calling for US troops on the ground. It this was in Russia or China, there would be multiple levels of sanctions imposed as we speak.

But, hey, this is Saudi Arabia, so let's just treat it with bemused detachment like an extended Game of Thrones season.


Kind of hard to get outraged about. These people _are_ corrupt. So is the crown prince. The Game of Thrones reference is apt, none of these people are morally superior to the others.

On the list of Saudi outrages, this ranks pretty far down the list.


Yeah, sure, compared to routinely beheading people for witchcraft, this might even seem civilized.

My point was that when it's murderous tyrannical allies like Saudis, the mainstream response is just like yours, "eh, what am I supposed to do about it, that's how it goes".

When it's adversaries like Saddam Hussein, it's "wtf, let's bomb the shit out of them".


(Don’t forget that Saddam was supported by the US before he wasn’t supported by the US)


This is elites targeting elites, do you really feel outrage about this? It's an absolute monarchy, it's not supposed to be fair.

Diplomats don't care because the status quo with regards to oil hasn't changed.


> It's an absolute monarchy, it's not supposed to be fair.

"It's a dictatorship, it's not supposed to be fair". Or I guess all Saddam or Gaddafi had to do was to rebrand as monarchs and US would have completely backed off.


Yeah, I understand that it’s a Real Life Game of Thrones.

Even so, it sounds like we both agree that this is not a “corruption probe.”


I agree, but the official story is that it's a corruption probe, and factual news stories aren't and shouldn't be in the business of speculation.

An editorial exploring the true motives behind the 'corruption probe' would be appropriate.


“Official story” according to whom?

I agree with your sentiment, but think the headline could simply omit the phrase “corruption probe” without losing any information.




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