Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Jihad4Peace
Yes most Iraqis definitely hate Saddam. And most Kuwaitis and Iranians. But in the rest of the ME, especially in the other Arab nations, there has been a glorification of Saddam as the man who defied America. That's all you got to do to win the hearts and minds of some people. Chavez is another example.
Personally I think the collective wisdom in Arabia is schizophrenic or at least unfocused. And this is reflected by their inability to catch up with the rest of the world in terms of social progress. Their seem so focused on blaming and complaining about Jews and Americans, that they don't do anything about the Absolute Monarchies at home. Maybe the Monarchies planned it that way.
At one time in the 80s Saudi Arabia had a per capita GDP equal to that of the USA at about $28,000/person/year. The Sauds have developed the KSA tremendously over the years, but yet they are at a stale mate debating whether or not to let women drive cars. To me, that's just fucked up. It's a sign of a very confused society. What are they thinking, or what aren't they thinking?
|
Of course the monarchs want it that way. They even taught it in their schools. They simply have their religious people tell the masses that the reason for all their suffering are these sinful and licentious people in a far off land. Its the same thing our society does. Those with wealth and power want to keep it. The monarchs of the Middle East have sold out their own people to the West in return for Western legitimacy and Western support of their regimes. The Middle East controls 65% of the world's oil. By rights, they should be the economic superpower on the globe. Why aren't they? They keep their people poor and stupid, and it's much easier to stay in power. They sell oil to the West for much less than what it is really worth in exchange for being the pet puppet regime of the region, backed by Western money and military power.
If they were to spend their money really educating their people, it would threaten their own power, however, their society would advance and the standard of living would be increased for everyone.
When your friends and family hold all the money and all the power, change is a very bad thing.
In our society, the rich and powerful have made a deal with the religious right to demonize people within our society in order to keep their power. Poor uneducated whites in The South vote against their own economic interests in just about every election for a few comforting words about God, and a few macho words about guns, and a few nasty words about gay people, the poor, and the other minorities.
When your friends and family have all the money and all the power, change is a bad thing.
