Saudi Money

Terrorism is a bad thing, but woe be it for the US to try to cut it out at the roots like you would poison ivy growing in the yard. No, that wouldn't be particularly fair--there are feelings involved.

The only right and fair thing to do with terrorist poison ivy would be to allow it to slowly stretch out its thin fingers, let it receive water, allow it sun, cut around it, protect it, allow it to flower and fruit, give it the grace it needs to spread by seed and adventitious root, and only at that point, when it has reached its most noxious yet inevitable cycle and is festering in our own sickened hide, try to kill it.

This is the tactic that some portions of our government seem to have adopted.
We are proud and unafraid as a whole to face terrorism when it kills thousands of us. We are unafraid to send our military into harm's way. We stand stoic at ceremonies where the brave are lowered into the ground. But many in our administration and judiciary stand meekly by when toothy preemptive action might raise the objection of Islamophobia or be seen as unaccepting of "the other." Not only do they not want to offend in the face of multi-culturalism, but they also don't want to anger those on whom our economy is dependent. That toothy action means stopping the flow of Saudi money into our country, and also stopping the flow of the west's money to Saudi Arabia.

U.S. court exonerates Saudis from lawsuit filed by relatives of 9/11 victims.

Read the whole article and make certain to read Hugh Fitzgerald's whole argument in the comments of which this is only a part.

No matter how often people talk about the "need" not to offend Saudi Arabia, such talk is wrong. It misses the point and all kinds of point. Saudi Arabia is hopelessly dependent on us, and on the outside world, for its wage-slaves, for its protection (of the regime especially), for access to education and medical care. It is we, or rather, it is those in the capitals of the West, who as individuals -- those who leave "public service" (ex-diplomats, ex-Congressmen, ex-intelligence agents) as well as journalists and professors, who can benefit from showing the "right attitude" toward Saudi Arabia, who have convinced themselves, and too many of those in power, that "we just can't alienate Saudi Arabia" because we "need their oil." It just isn't true. It shows a misunderstanding of the oil market, and of Saudi dependence, and it has allowed individuals who may benefit from being rewarded directly or indirectly by the Saudis to to confuse their own private well-being with teh well-being of the United States.

We have a winner!