I got a call about two months ago for the same reason. It made me irrationally angry.
Pathetic
https://twitter.com/natashabertrand/status/1535291952689815552?s=21&t=y_HvpvjDEbKrKiP5YfJg_Q
1 Like
I assume in exchange the Saudis agree to not do anything to help us on gas prices, but we can keep doing our geopolitical war-mongering with their assistance?
Phil looks like a guy who sold his soul.
phil looks like he has been cohosting a podcast with bannon since covid started.
3 Likes
https://twitter.com/natashabertrand/status/1535291952689815552?s=21&t=y_HvpvjDEbKrKiP5YfJg_Q
Iām genuinely asking here because I donāt know what the answer is. What is the consensus best way to deal with Saudi Arabia? Is there anything that they can do to atone*? Is there some punishment they could agree to which would make engaging with them OK again? Should they be dead to us forever?
*Iām talking about realistic stuff. Obviously no one is going to throw MBS in prison or anything like that, which I assume would be more than enough.
It sure seems to me they get exactly what they want from us (weapons, defense) and we get nothing from them. Seems like a lopsided relationship even ignoring their atrocities.
2 Likes
I donāt know about consensus or realistic but a sure fire way would be to make oil worth less.
The fed trying to weaken labor is pretty concerning, especially when it seems to be a minimal factor driving inflation.
1 Like
Europe and by extension the US have to get oil from either Russia or Saudi Arabia and currently Saudia Arabia is the lesser evil. The solution is gaining independence from foreign fossil fuels. Until we finally get serious about that all these petro-dictatorships can make us grovel.
could āfor the time beingā be a timeframe of 3-5 years if europe/usa actually worked to defossilize?
The US is already energy independent, weāre a slight net exporter of petroleum products.
Thatās a big if but even then I donāt see how it is possible. Currently the EU is debating banning new fossil fuel cars after 2035 and itās far from certain they will ever agree to that. Fuel prices have increased by 50%+ compared to a year ago or 30+% since the start of the Ukraine invasion. Already high electricity and heating costs have increased by 220%+(!) and 70% respectively year over year.
Thatās what happens if there is no cheap oil and gas available. Good luck telling people you want to make that permanent policy. Thereād be literal riots in the streets.
Even if there was the will to do it and it was technically possible it would be cost prohibitive.
Republicans: Democrats are going to pass a spending bill that feeds inflation
Also Republicans: citizens need a tax break to get relief from inflation
We, and Iām using the royal we and certainly not me, you and me, or Unstuck, want to sell them weapons. So we get to sell them weapons and they get to buy weapons. Thatās billions of dollars a year of business.
Theoretically they also help us by stabilizing oil prices, but theyāve basically told us to fuck off on that front lately.
Being on good terms with them is probably also essential to keep tens of (hundreds of?) billions of dollars from their sovereign wealth fund invested in the US and US-centric corporations.
So yeah, basically our government is to the Saudi government as Phil Mickelson is to LIV. They want the bags of blood money.
Everything about this shit show administration makes sense when you realize their political instincts were hardened during the Clinton administration and have not changed since. Theyāre courting non existent rust belt swing voters at all times.
2 Likes
we found this confusing
2 Likes
Get as much as your agenda as you can enacted while you have power. Ez game.
1 Like