There’s Something About Thursday

Today, as is the case with many Thursdays, the offerings from media outlets are pretty boring. Since political blogging is, by and large, a reactive form, that doesn’t provide a lot of grist for the mill.

Why is Thursday so boring?

16 comments… add one
  • PD Shaw Link

    Bodies to be burred on Friday.

  • PD Shaw Link

    Meant “buried,” but I suppose “burned” would have worked as well.

  • ... Link

    Thursday is all about getting to Friday.

  • ... Link

    I was going to point to this as a counter-example, but then realized it was published yesterday.

  • jan Link

    The U.S. Saudi ‘crackup’ is just another example of the Obama Administration’s well-thought-out, finely tuned foreign policies. However, when all else fails, we can always go down memory lane chirping the mantra about how ‘Detroit is alive and OBL is dead.’ Oh yes, even that has to be altered a bit now, as Detroit has joined OBL in the death spiral of bankruptcy.

  • TastyBits Link

    For those not paying attention, the Saudi refusal to accept a UN Security Council seat is a big effing deal.

  • jan Link

    Tasty, agree that the Saudi’s UN reaction is a significant event, especially as they are part of a larger ME coalition, including Israel, Jordan, Egypt, who represents some of the only allies we have in the region.

    All of these reactions, though, are part and parcel of a much larger picture emerging, insinuating that maybe Rev. Wright’s now famous phrase ,”The chickens are coming home to roost,” prophetic in illustrating the current back washing of unfulfilled words and hubristic actions of his famous pew-occupier — leading to some feeling thatObama’s credibility is melting.

  • I don’t think it’s that big a deal. The Saudi have just decided, correctly, that they have more influence outside the Security Council than in it.

    When I seek an informed opinion on matters Saudi Arabia I generally turn to John Burgess. Here’s what John says about the “rift” between the KSA and U. S.:

    The Saudis see the US as trying to treat the events in Syria and the US seeking rapprochement with Iran as two separate issues where the Saudis believe them to be one and the same: Iran’s extension of its power in the region.

    Still, the US and Saudi Arabia have very much the same interest when it comes to terrorism and the fight against it. Both will continue to cooperate, whether in Afghanistan or Yemen, in Syria or the greater Arab world to quash the influence of Al-Qaeda.

  • PD Shaw Link

    I hadn’t known until I read the Max Fisher piece that the U.S. had built “a secret drone base in Saudi Arabia.” The more things change . . .

  • TastyBits Link

    I would suggest that the Saudis are beginning to look for a new benefactor. The arms the US is sending as a consolation prize is worthless to them. If the Saudis could protect themselves, they would.

    The Russians are the likely choice, but the Chinese may want to get into the world arena.

    There is a lot of change happening, and the old assumptions are proving useless. I am not familiar with John Burgess, and he may have a better track record than the other “experts”.

  • sam Link

    John occasionally posts, in the comments, at OTB. His professional bio:

    I’m a former US foreign service officer who has had two tours in Saudi Arabia, 1981-83, 2001-03. I’ve had the chance to see the country with my own eyes and to meet with a wide variety of Saudis. I read and speak Arabic and have spent the bulk of my career in the Middle East, with assignments in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria and Bahrain in addition to those in the KSA. I’ve also had assignments in London and New Delhi, as well as Washington.

  • TastyBits Link

    @sam

    What is his track record? Is he more right than wrong? Does he try to paper over when he is wrong? I do not expect somebody to be 100% about everything, but the “experts” have been so wrong about the ME, I am ashamed for them. It would be nice if they had some shame.

  • John understates his experience somewhat. His father-in-law was the first U. S. diplomatic delegate to the KSA. John was physically present when the Camp David accords were negotiated.

  • PD Shaw Link

    @TastyBits, Burgess is an expert in the sense he rarely, if ever, makes broad claims about Saudi Arabia.

  • ... Link

    The Russians are the likely choice, but the Chinese may want to get into the world arena.

    Why would the Russians upset long-term relations with the Syrians for the Saudis? I’d think the Chinese are a much more likely alliance for the Saudis. But the problem is that the Chinese aren’t likely to be able to militarily defend Saudi Arabia, and even if they send a few divisions over, are they likely to be as ‘respectful’ as the Americans of Saudi sovereignty?

    For that matter, could the Russians provide the kind of military protection that the Americans have? At the moment we’re kind of the only game in town for what the Saudis want.

    The Saudis have a lot of money, and not much else. It isn’t at all clear to me what they will do if the US alliance completely dissolves. At a guess, they’re doing what they’re doing now in the belief that the current Administration is completely feckless, and will try and position themselves with various powerful members of Congress and hope for a more friendly Administration in 2017. In the meantime the Saudis better crack down on any and all domestic opposition even harder than they have, as it must be clear to them that the US will support any attempt to overthrow their regime after the way we turned out back on Mubarak.

  • TastyBits Link

    @Icepick

    It looks to me like the Saudis are stepin’ out. If they cannot rely upon US protection, a US/Saudi relationship is worthless for them. Also note, the Saudis are a client state of the US. There is no treaty to cause the US to help the Saudis, and any help does not necessarily need to be what the Saudis want.

    The Saudis need to be protected from a land invasion, and they need the shipping lanes protected. China is building up its deep water navy and its air force. Protecting the shipping lanes would be a good opportunity for them.

    The Pax Americana is waning, and shipping in that part of the world is getting less secure. If (when) India and Pakistan go to war, Saudi Arabia will side with Pakistan.

    The Russians can provide protection with Iran and Syria as client states by keeping them on a leash. The Saudis can purchase a lot of military hardware.

    My opinion is that this is an inflection point in the US/Saudi relationship.

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