A WINDOW INTO THE SAUDI KINGDOM

Source: Libertarian Cries.

By Gundhramns Hammer

September 28, 2013

Whoever has heard a tale from the One Thousand and One Nights book is bound to be interested in Saudi Arabia. There are also passages in the Bible where this land is mentioned which may arouse curiosity about this corner of the world.

Ever since powerful chiefs of some desert clans helped the British to dismember the Ottoman Empire and the leaders were crowned for their service, people in the Arabic Peninsula have been under the hand of autocratic rulers.

In the XXI century, some people are happy whereas others are unhappy with the current situation in Saudi Arabia. This country is now caught between tradition and the winds of modernity that have swept all of the corners on this planet.

The oil exploitation has brought immense wealth to the Saudis who were in power. Their money has given them a big say in political issues internationally. 

In fact, there are some Western politicians who vow before the absolute rulers in command of the various princedoms and sultanates found in the Arabic Peninsula, for a few reasons.  

Obviously for respect. But chiefly for fear of assets and investments withdrawal from the Western banks and economies, to maintain the flow of the so much needed oil to fire the fires of the Western industries that are setting on fire the planet, ecologically speaking. And of course to avoid upsetting and making angry the local chiefs and thus losing the strategic edge on the region.

The new generations of Saudis are claiming more freedom, no doubt influenced by the Western social media. But in their efforts, they have hit a hard wall difficult to break.

Whereas other people in Saudi Arabia are still waiting for the benefits of the oil bonanza, especially some minorities in the south.

Nevertheless, there have been some "democratic" gains. 

The recent Arabian Spring has made a bit uneasy the local rulers. Because of this, a few cosmetic effects have been applied on the cake.

For instance, young people can now say almost anything that they please at least on Facebook or blogs but cannot protest on the streets. This is forbidden. It goes against the grain. 

But "democracy", if there is such a thing in the true sense of the word, is still far away. 

Knowing how human societies function, ruled by testosterone, there will never be neither equality nor everybody satisfied, be it in Saudi Arabia or anywhere else.

 

It is the magical dust that a lot of people are still waiting for and look once in a while into the sky to see if it is being sprinkled upon this magical and not so magical desert kingdom or anywhere on Earth.

The following clips (Videos 1-2) will give you a glimpse of the Saudi´s kingdom.

                                        Video 1. Inside the Saudi Kingdom.

                                      Video 2. Saudi Arabian butchers at work.




References

Bowen W. H. (2008). The History of Saudi Arabia. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT, USA. 158 p.

Kostiner J. (1993). The Making of Saudi Arabia, 1916-1936: The Chieftaincy to the Monarchical State. Studies in Middle Eastern History. Oxford University Press, New York, NY, USA. 260 p.