you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–]PenseePansyBio-Sex or Bust 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Oil. And, at this point, covering up our decades'-worth of complicity.

Also, for right-wing U.S. administrations, rich countries with similarly-backwards views (especially regarding women) are pretty thin on the ground.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Also, for right-wing U.S. administrations, rich countries with similarly-backwards views (especially regarding women) are pretty thin on the ground.

So this is why Obama sold the Saudi's so many guns and started proxy wars in Lybia, Yemen, Syria etc? Because the US is so backwater that we like how they treat their women? Give me a break.

It was a rhetorical question and it's always, always about money and power. Left wing administratorios are no different than right wing ones.

[–]PenseePansyBio-Sex or Bust 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

No; Obama's actions fall under 1 & 2, but not 3. For right-wing administrations, it's all of the above. They don't have many affluent, westernized allies in their god-said-so approach to "traditional family values".

And whether "we" like how Saudis treat their women is irrelevant; as far as such administrations are concerned, it's only whether their base (i.e., the "Christian right") likes it that matters. The rest of us can go pound sand. And, for those women-should-know-their-place types, what's NOT to like? Only that a different religion is in charge, one that doesn't allow theirs to poselytize... but weigh that against having a powerful reactionary ally in a world where most comparable nations find such views anathema. Maybe that doesn't seem worthwhile to you, but then it's not you that we're talking about here, is it?

And I don't think that it's always about money and power. Sometimes it's about beliefs that override both. For good, or-- in cases where pursuing these beliefs threatens to destroy everything, including all the value of money OR power-- ill.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

And I don't think that it's always about money and power.

It's always about money and power. You can't push your beliefs if you don't have the power and that always takes money.

[–]PenseePansyBio-Sex or Bust 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Unless you don't need to push them. Sometimes the public already shares your beliefs.

In which case, money and power will probably follow, of course... but the appeal of belief came first.