Congress Votes to cut off aid to..........SAUDIA ARABIA!

[scottinnj]

Story is here (http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2219147920070622?feedType=RSS&pageNumber=1)

What a joke. I never knew we sent aid to these idiots. Like they need our taxdollars on TOP of the oil revenue we send them.

Way to go, CONGRESS!! Now that's bipartisanship. Watch it get vetoed by President Bush as some part of the war on turrrr, or national security, or to keep freedom marching somewhere.

[Fat_Sunny]

Saudi Arabia Has Us By The Balls. Some Day, At A Time Of Their Choosing, They Will Start To Squeeze Those Balls Really Hard. And Then The US Will Be In BIG Trouble.

Shame On The US For Wasting The Last 30 Years, When We Should Have Been Developing Other Energy Sources.

IDIOT Politicans On Both Sides For Arguing About 2.5MM For Saudi Arabia, And Ignoring The Big Picture.

[WRESTLINGFAN]

Fuck the Saudis, Especially the royal family. They claim to be deeply religious, meanwhile they party like rockstars from all the oil money they made

[furie]

good. now we can divert the aid to where it's needed, like the UAE, Qutar, or Yemen!

[BoondockSaint]

Saudi Arabia is fucked! They have no chance of survival without that 2.5 mil.

[scottinnj]

Saudi Arabia is fucked! They have no chance of survival without that 2.5 mil.

Yeah, that's a week of fuel for the Prince's jet, right? How is he going to be able to travel to the OPEC conventions to fuck us in the ass? How is he going to get to the U.S. to hold President Bush's hand during another stroll through the Western White House?

[Kevin]

Fuck the Saudis, Especially the royal family. They claim to be deeply religious, meanwhile they party like rockstars from all the oil money they made

QFT..

All these Middle east Governments are joke.. They are filthy rich with Gold faucets and toilets.. Yet if you walk the streets of normal people, they are dirt fucking poor..

[TheMojoPin]

QFT..

All these Middle east Governments are joke.. They are filthy rich with Gold faucets and toilets.. Yet if you walk the streets of normal people, they are dirt fucking poor..

Wait, wait, wait...

Yes, the disparity between the extremely wealthy (and typically ruling) classes of many ME nations and "everyone else" is pretty outrageous, but it's a fallacy to assume that "the normal people are dirty fucking poor." Countires like Iran and Saudi Arabia and Iraq and Kuwait, etc. are not like Afghanistan. Yes, there are plenty of people in poverty, just like here and everywhere else, but it's inaccurate to talk like there's this tiny few who are super rich and everyone else has nothing. If that kind of split actually existed, you'd be seeing a LOT more internal revolutions.

[epo]

I guess I've got a two-fold response:

1. I'm happy that a teeny-tiny bit of the federal budget has been cleaned up, but honestly this is like one of us not buying a pack of Big Red. However I'll be positive as it's a step in the right direction.

2. Fat is right in that the Saudis have us by the fucking balls and it's our own fault. We all are to blame for the energy prices in this country and we need to get our asses busy on finding a new solution.

[Kevin]

Wait, wait, wait...

Yes, the disparity between the extremely wealthy (and typically ruling) classes of many ME nations and "everyone else" is pretty outrageous, but it's a fallacy to assume that "the normal people are dirty fucking poor." Countires like Iran and Saudi Arabia and Iraq and Kuwait, etc. are not like Afghanistan. Yes, there are plenty of people in poverty, just like here and everywhere else, but it's inaccurate to talk like there's this tiny few who are super rich and everyone else has nothing. If that kind of split actually existed, you'd be seeing a LOT more internal revolutions.

Being a Muslim.. I get chance to talk to Imams.. And they go to Mecca every year for the pilgrimage.. And they say that the difference between Rich and poor.. Is so blatant that its disgusting.. One of them was invited to dinner by a Saudi Prince.. And he said when he walked in to that house, He was disgusted.. Gold everywhere, lavish things..and when he would walk the streets.. People where dirt poor and searching for their next meals.. And the reason why you don't see so much internal revolutions is simple.. They brainwash these guys with Anti American/Israeli Propaganda.. For the purpose of them not starting those same revolutions.. They are so busy being anti American, that they don't stop to realize that they are being fucked by their own people much much more..

[TheMojoPin]

Being a Muslim.. I get chance to talk to Imams.. And they go to Mecca every year for the pilgrimage.. And they say that the difference between Rich and poor.. Is so blatant that its disgusting.

But that's true in any country, including here, when you compare just the rich and the poor. The issue I was taking was how you were basically generalizing all ME countires as being pretty much only poor people ruled by super-rich minorities. That's simply not the case. One of the main reasons there aren't many internal revolutions, economically speaking, is because there are very large "middle classes" in many of those countries. It's simply not a case of only the rich vs. the poor. There's a LOT in between.

[scottinnj]

I guess I've got a two-fold response:

1. I'm happy that a teeny-tiny bit of the federal budget has been cleaned up, but honestly this is like one of us not buying a pack of Big Red. However I'll be positive as it's a step in the right direction.

2. Fat is right in that the Saudis have us by the fucking balls and it's our own fault. We all are to blame for the energy prices in this country and we need to get our asses busy on finding a new solution.


EPO, you and I agree! so a hearty QFT for you! Let's hear it for wind power, biodiesel, hybrids and ethanol! And let's hope that Congress will continue this trend and keep a closer eye on our foreign aid dollars. If we all agree (and I think we do) that foreign aid from our budget is a good way to show the goodwill of America, we should divert that aid to the countries that need our help most.

[A.J.]

Wait, wait, wait...

Yes, the disparity between the extremely wealthy (and typically ruling) classes of many ME nations and "everyone else" is pretty outrageous, but it's a fallacy to assume that "the normal people are dirty fucking poor." Countires like Iran and Saudi Arabia and Iraq and Kuwait, etc. are not like Afghanistan. Yes, there are plenty of people in poverty, just like here and everywhere else, but it's inaccurate to talk like there's this tiny few who are super rich and everyone else has nothing. If that kind of split actually existed, you'd be seeing a LOT more internal revolutions.

Being a Muslim.. I get chance to talk to Imams.. And they go to Mecca every year for the pilgrimage.. And they say that the difference between Rich and poor.. Is so blatant that its disgusting.. One of them was invited to dinner by a Saudi Prince.. And he said when he walked in to that house, He was disgusted.. Gold everywhere, lavish things..and when he would walk the streets.. People where dirt poor and searching for their next meals.. And the reason why you don't see so much internal revolutions is simple.. They brainwash these guys with Anti American/Israeli Propaganda.. For the purpose of them not starting those same revolutions.. They are so busy being anti American, that they don't stop to realize that they are being fucked by their own people much much more..

I lived in the Kingdom for a year and can confirm that poverty does exist there. But like Mojo said, it exists in other places too. However, you have to take into consideration that the native Bedouin lifestyle may be considered to be "poverty" by some. Also, Muslims from all over the world come to Makkah and Madina for hajj and many are from poor countries who stay there in the hopes of finding jobs. If they can't, they rely on charitable giving from Saudi citizens or charities.

Yes, the Royal family is ridiculously wealthy. I've been to one of the Prince's palaces myself and have seen the opulence - which is known as "Saudi Gawdy". Hell, they did a special on Prince Walid bin Talal's place on one of those crappy celebrity homes shows. At the same time, there are NO taxes of any kind in the Kingdom and the people were given "womb to tomb" medical coverage as a result of the petrodollars. Problem is, like most countries in the Middle East, that the population is exploding and they can no longer afford to continue this practice. Additionally, these countries rely heavily on foreign, or "guest" workers, to do all the shit jobs that Saudi kids think are beneath them. Sound familiar?

"By cutting off aid and closing the loophole we send a clear message to the Saudi Arabian government that they must be a true ally in advancing peace in the Middle East," said Rep. Anthony Weiner, a New York Democrat.

"Saudi Arabia propagates terrorism. We all know that 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers were Saudi," said Rep. Shelley Berkley, a Nevada Democrat. She added that Saudi youths had entered Iraq to "wage jihad" against U.S. forces fighting there.

Anthony Weiner and Shelley Berkley are criticizing the Saudis. You wonder where that "Anti American/Israeli Propaganda" comes from?

[Snacks]

Being a Muslim.. I get chance to talk to Imams.. And they go to Mecca every year for the pilgrimage.. And they say that the difference between Rich and poor.. Is so blatant that its disgusting.. One of them was invited to dinner by a Saudi Prince.. And he said when he walked in to that house, He was disgusted.. Gold everywhere, lavish things..and when he would walk the streets.. People where dirt poor and searching for their next meals.. And the reason why you don't see so much internal revolutions is simple.. They brainwash these guys with Anti American/Israeli Propaganda.. For the purpose of them not starting those same revolutions.. They are so busy being anti American, that they don't stop to realize that they are being fucked by their own people much much more..

this happens over here. We get brain washed that other countries are fucked up and we are the best and they all hate us for our freedoms, yada yada yada. What people need to do, is find out the truth themselves rather then become zombies and listen to everything they are told as truths.

Saudi Arabia has enough money and can take care of their own if they wanted to. America needs to do the same. If we are going to help any other nations lets help the real poor ones, with no chance like every country in Africa. All the middle eastern countries have black gold (oil) and more money then most.

[Yerdaddy]

I lived in the Kingdom for a year and can confirm that poverty does exist there. But like Mojo said, it exists in other places too. However, you have to take into consideration that the native Bedouin lifestyle may be considered to be "poverty" by some. Also, Muslims from all over the world come to Makkah and Madina for hajj and many are from poor countries who stay there in the hopes of finding jobs. If they can't, they rely on charitable giving from Saudi citizens or charities.

Yes, the Royal family is ridiculously wealthy. I've been to one of the Prince's palaces myself and have seen the opulence - which is known as "Saudi Gawdy". Hell, they did a special on Prince Walid bin Talal's place on one of those crappy celebrity homes shows. At the same time, there are NO taxes of any kind in the Kingdom and the people were given "womb to tomb" medical coverage as a result of the petrodollars. Problem is, like most countries in the Middle East, that the population is exploding and they can no longer afford to continue this practice. Additionally, these countries rely heavily on foreign, or "guest" workers, to do all the shit jobs that Saudi kids think are beneath them. Sound familiar?



That's pretty crafty of you trying to slip your personal experience into the conversation but you're not fooling anyone!

Anthony Weiner and Shelley Berkley are criticizing the Saudis. You wonder where that "Anti American/Israeli Propaganda" comes from?

Anthony Weiner and Shelley Berkley have never read the 9/11 Commission Report which clearly stated that Saudi and Egyptian citizens were chosen for the operation because of the lesser security procedures that citizens of these "special" allies recieved. No member of the Saudi Royal family or Saudi government has ever been shown to have had any part in planning that attack. These two Democrats are simply posturing for the support of the pro-Israel lobby. Notice there's no sources to the other crazy claims they make about Saudi Arabia? (http://www.house.gov/list/press/ny09_weiner/070524SaudiArms.html)

And, in fact, according to Anthony Cordesman at CSIS, (look it up - I can't open it on this computer), Saudi Arabia has killed four of the five known al-Qaeda leaders known to have operated in Saudi Arabia and captured the other.

These two need to take a look at which fucking flag is flying on top of their workplace.

As for the republicans who must have supported letting this stupid piece of petty sniping - they're just jealous of the theocratic elements of the Saudi regime. They're wishing they could re-write the Constitution based on the Old Testament.

As for the money - it's a token amount of aid that the Saudis don't need but is still $2million less than KBR stole from us in overcharging for feeding their employees in Iraq alone. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/24/AR2007062401608_pf.html)And it's money spent to train Saudi Security Forces in the US. Why is that a bad thing? But this is really just designed to insult the Saudis for the sake of pleasing Israel. It's kicking one ally to please another. It's stupid and will do nothing but serve those groups who really do propagandize agaisnt the U.S. Nice work dicks.

[A.J.]

"Yerdaddy, if there's still a world left when this Wurr on Turr is over, I'd like to buy you a beer."

(Well, a soft drink anyway.)

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Sections/Newsweek/Components/Video/movie_trailers/nwk_040915_trailer_TeamAmerica.vsmall.jpg

[FMJeff]

Being a Muslim.. I get chance to talk to Imams.. And they go to Mecca every year for the pilgrimage.. And they say that the difference between Rich and poor.. Is so blatant that its disgusting.. One of them was invited to dinner by a Saudi Prince.. And he said when he walked in to that house, He was disgusted.. Gold everywhere, lavish things..and when he would walk the streets.. People where dirt poor and searching for their next meals.. And the reason why you don't see so much internal revolutions is simple.. They brainwash these guys with Anti American/Israeli Propaganda.. For the purpose of them not starting those same revolutions.. They are so busy being anti American, that they don't stop to realize that they are being fucked by their own people much much more..

Yep, and its extremely effective.