tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219836196183200787.post1408173804946951465..comments2024-03-28T10:31:30.770-07:00Comments on "The Charbor Chronicles": Saudi Arabia Warned to End Torture & Killings of ChildrenThe Charbor Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16834960856531538870noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219836196183200787.post-46278314082914029112016-10-10T17:17:43.021-07:002016-10-10T17:17:43.021-07:00Well, don't get me wrong, I'm certainly no...Well, don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not a gung ho advocate of a military intervention in Saudi Arabia (or anywhere else, for that matter). If anything I generally lean towards pacifism. And there's clearly something to be said for economic sanctions, which I would be all for. Having said that, military interventions and economic sanctions alike pose a moral quandary. The former inherently comes with the immeasurable horror of war: mounting casualties – particularly among innocent civilians who tend to get caught in the crossfire – and the very real risk of a drawn-out clusterfuck that ultimately fans the flames of instability and fanaticism in an already volatile region. Not to mention the people who wind up maimed for life and/or grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder. The flip side of that equation is that economic sanctions often take years or even decades to yield the desired results, if that is ever even achieved. They essentially consist of telling the victims of oppression and violence in these regimes "Hang in there. We're putting economic and diplomatic pressure on your tormentors, and history has shown that this can, in some instances, help in the long run." Which is cold comfort at best to the people – women and girls in particular – whose lives are rendered a living hell on a daily basis and whose safety and dignity is under constant threat. I suppose it ultimately comes down to the perceived level of urgency: do the crimes being committed warrant drastic, immediate action which could easily backfire, or a far slower, more measured approach, which comes with its own set of nightmarish drawbacks. There's no easy answer to that. One thing I am certain of, however, is that hollow gestures such as those routinely taken by the UN accomplish nothing. Reprimands are only effective when there's some modicum of basic human decency to appeal to, which is clearly a non starter where the Saudi regime is concerned.Some Guy in Jerseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14060966365329157247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219836196183200787.post-54508254722184637172016-10-10T17:14:45.189-07:002016-10-10T17:14:45.189-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Some Guy in Jerseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14060966365329157247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219836196183200787.post-4603477024820209672016-10-10T14:00:57.172-07:002016-10-10T14:00:57.172-07:00The United States should have listened to the man ...The United States should have listened to the man they elected President in 1976. He was the only honest broker that this country had as a leader during my lifetime, and with the two main nominees this year, that trend is sure to continue well into the future, as well. Not sure if a war on Saudi Arabia would be the answer at this point, although getting serious about establishing energy independence would allow the possibility of a campaign of boycott, sanctions, and divestment to work. The Charbor Chronicleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16834960856531538870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219836196183200787.post-13693296698466540082016-10-10T13:08:17.932-07:002016-10-10T13:08:17.932-07:00I couldn't agree more regarding the assertion ...I couldn't agree more regarding the assertion that we should have gotten serious about weaning ourselves off of our dependence on fossil fuels decades ago. And as much as I hate war, attacking Saudi Arabia in the wake of 9/11 would have at least made some semblance of sense to me for the reasons that you've cited here, as opposed to attacking Iraq, which has only benefited the Bush administration and its cronies (defense contractors, Haliburton et al.). I seem to recall you once observed that every foreign military intervention on this country's part that is touted as selfless and altruistic is in actuality anything but. There's an obvious correlation between that and the fact that we've collectively turned a blind eye to Saudi Arabia's appalling human rights record for longer than you and I have been around. Some Guy in Jerseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14060966365329157247noreply@blogger.com