The Khashoggi assassination is not only a story about Saudi tyranny. It is a story about the corruption of the American republic.
-
-
It was possible only because America was against ISIS, unless ISIS happened to show up in the form of a nation-state named Saudi Arabia, in which case we were for ISIS.
Show this thread -
It was possible only because certain journalists and pundits, clamoring for access and counterintuitiveness, carried false tidings of reformist stirrings, when a medieval theocracy was still just a medieval theocracy.
Show this thread -
It was possible only because Saudi Arabia found in Silicon Valley, allegedly the world capital of idealistic companies, a reputation-laundering machine for its barbarism, beheading, and degradation of women.
Show this thread -
It was possible only because the Saudis had to know that we Americans hate each other so much that, even on this, we would become polarized; and some big faction would snap to their defense.
Show this thread -
This murder is ultimately a story about an American republic in which the truth doesn’t matter, money rules, and the love of liberty has given way to the tolerance and even the quiet admiration of tyranny.
Show this thread
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
More than 17 years of looking the other way, as long as a despotic regime was anti-Soviet.
-
More so anti-Iran, but yes.
-
I’m also thinking Cold War era, when the U.S. supported the shah.
-
You’re totally correct. This oleoaddiction is the gift that keeps on giving.
End of conversation
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.