[size=2][b]An Anti-American Boycott Is Growing in the Arab World[/size=2][/b]

[url]www.nytimes.com/2002/05/10/international/middleeast/10EGYP.html[/url]

(For all of you who often object to articles from Worldnet daily, DEBKA, etc. Well, this is the friggin NYT...)





Funny how the Saudis are trying so hard to convince us they are our friends...





I like this one. Our "good friends" in the UAE consider us their "enemies." Tell us it's not so, GW!



For fifty years they played us and the Soviets off against each other for their own benefit. I'm not unhappy we kicked the Iraqis asses, regardless of how wretchedly ungrateful the Kuwaitis are today. It wasn't in our interest for Saddam to have Kuwait.

I saw some former congressman on Neil Cavuto's show today who told it like it is. We should disengage from the region (took this to mean defending the Saudis, Kuwaitis, former trucial states - and not abandoning Israel) as soon as it is practical. He also said we should make it a national priority no different than the moon landing to develop alternative energy sources, such as hydrogen fuel cells for cars. We could then tell them (the Arabs) that we could care less what they think.

Of course it's a pipe dream. But boy what a dream!!

(Too bad Duh-man's [:P] not here anymore to defend his paymasters! HAHA [:D])

Well, screw the arabs, anyway. Russia and Ukraine both have large oil fields, they both could use a major increase in trade with us, and either would be far more valuable as allies than all of the arab nations combined.

Maybe the next time some middle eastern moron sets all the oil rigs on fire, we should simply get out the hot dog and marshmellows, let 'em burn til they burn out?

yea..
if we could just get the pipeline built in Afghanistan. oh wait. WE CAN!!!

What happened to DaMan?? Did he get the cyber boot??

I am not one to make an enemy quickly.  Why do I want to make an enemy when I don't have to? I know that there is a lot of anti-American sentiment in SA.  What I don't know is the depth of the sentiment and just what I should do to find out.

There is a pretty large cultural barrier and a language barrier that prevents me from communicating with the average Saudi.  I have to depend on the talking heads and other sources and I frankly don't really trust any of them.  

I would like to believe that the Saudis aren't my enemy.
I would like to believe that the anti-American protests in SA are like the pro-Palestinian protests in America.
In truth I don't know.  
Any suggestions?

Yes. He has to apologize to Eric if he wants to come back.

That's your prerogative. It looks like we are going to continue supporting Israel and they aren't going to stop thinking of us as enemies anytime soon. Just because you don't think of them that way does not decide the issue.



And Egypt, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, The Gulf states, Malaysia, Libya, Sudan. Indonesia, etc. According to what you have outlined, and if you are serious in your quest, I guess you would have to learn Arabic and hop on a 767. Who knows, there might be some interesting passengers with box-cutters to have a stimulating conversation with.



Don't trust anyone, they could be lying to you simply for the purpose of racist/religious agitation. Instead rely entirely on any anecdotal evidence you yourself come across. That should be the sole deciding factor.



I would like to believe that I'm going to have a Swedish supermodel as a girlfriend, but I'm not holding my breath. Lest we forget, it was Saudi citizens, brought up under Saudi Wahabi doctrine, who committed the worst terrorist act in history [u]against us[/u], so please do not draw some kind of exclusive connection to peaceful protest. If that was the case I would laugh it off (though even their 'peaceful protests' usually involve arson).

We are talking about an economic boycott against American products (and from the article [u]even discrimination against American citizens visiting[/u], so you might have trouble getting those answers you seek if you can't even get in the door!).

Their government is encouraging terrorism by legitimizing the participants as 'martyrs', and offering their families what amounts to many years of income should they decide TO BLOW PEOPLE UP. You are either for terrorism or against it. No excuses.

"I would like to believe..." Sheesh. Well, keep hope alive. When people consider you to be an enemy, if you don't reciprocate then it must not be so. Positive thinking, Magic. [;)]



I know!



Yes, stick your head in the sand. Or better yet search around for a Saudi national who will tell you (in English) that he likes you and America. If it didn't happen to you, or you didn't see it then it must not have really happened. Da-Nile just ain't just a river in Egypt.

..............and the camel they rode in on!

Thanks for the thoughtful reply

Heh!  Half of those crazy towelheaded bastards live in the US!  How the hell do they expect to boycott American goods by coming and living here?  They might just as well start boycotting European goods as well, since it isn't just the US that is tired of those fuckers.  

The Mideast needs America--they do not have anywhere near the amount of heavy manufacturing needed to support their populace.  Even if they can get some things from other countries, those other countries are getting their machinery from here and from Europe.  They need the west, the west needs their oil.  

They don't like us and we (well, at least I) don't particularly like them.  But we need them (or at least their oil) and, more importantly, they need us to buy their oil.  Any embargo talk is just that.  If the money stops coming in to Saudi Arabia for any amount of time their sham economy will collapse and the 'royal' family will end up as a bloody smear on the palace walls.  They produce nothing internally and do very little actual physical labor.  They are basically a society of religious teachers, religious students, government workers, office workers, some professionals, a few Bedouin goat herders, and the unemployed.  They live off oil money as distributed by the 15,000 or so members of the 'royal' family.  Kind of like the Arab version of the Mafia.  The ultimate welfare dependency.

What a worthless culture.  They only invention to come out of there since the mathematical concept of 'zero' is suicide bombing by 767.

Think about the Arab world - have they contributed anything positive, ever, to the world?  Political thought, philosophy, technical inventions, education, business innovation, military doctrine, art, music.  ANYTHING?

Sounds like a worthless culture of deadenders to me (to paraphrase Rummie).

You're right, trickshot. One minute they are furious that we have an embargo on Iraq (from buying our products), then the next they want to embargo themselves. Crazy bastages. [:D]

Actually the Indians developed the Zero.  The Arabs just stole it is all.

GunLvr

I can think of something that would bring the Arab world to it's knees.

Nuclear generated power.

JohnnyReno, it would also make America a wasteland!  I have no desire to glow in the dark like Chernobyl.

ElmerF echos my thoughts.  Screw the moslems and SA in particular.  We can introduce THEM to nuclear power and have our oil too.  As in bomb them to glass and TAKE ALL the oil in payment for the effort!  Let the shithole fall into the desert.

Saudis?  These idiots can't boycott the US... they cannot drill an oilwell, or do anything as far as producing oil without US technology and workers.

They have no infrastructure as far as production of parts, equipment, needed to keep their oil flowing.

Even when they attend US colleges, they don't study, they cheat on their tests, and pay other students to write their papers.

When they drive their Rolls down their highways, if they get a flat, or for some reason, have any sort of mechanical trouble, they just hitchhike back to town and buy a new one.  The can't and won't fix didley.

As far as their religious beliefs... that is only what the rich and powerful force on the poor, unwashed masses to control them.  When these asses leave the country, as anyone who has ever been to Saudi can tell you, as soon as the airplane enters international airspace, they break out the booze, the women all get up and head to the bathroom, where they stand in line, and change clothes... come back with western clothes, makeup, hair fixed, etc.  They can't wait to shed the chadors.

So, I would not really worry about a boycott.

Nuclear power has been producing 20% of the nations energy supply for the last couple of decades and we're doing just fine.  I say let's just step it up a notch.

Friendly difference of opinion I guess.  Remember TMI?  Chernobyl?  More plants makes repeats more likely.  One technology risk that I think is much too high.  Burn more coal - we have plenty!  I used to work for the power company and seeing them in action convinced me they can't handle it.

TMI? - it was handled just fine.

Chernobyl? - Sure, but it was designed and run by Russians.  Nuff said?

Coal? - let's talk about side effects.

This is funny! The IDF is as "unwavering" an ally as much as a prostitute is a "girlfriend" to a customer - if you stop the flow of greenbacks, they won't even give you the time of day.



Yeah. Kinda like the intelligence operations (read: spying) from the Israelis. *All* of our "friends" in the Middle East are a liability.

Unwavering allies ?
I remember your IDF ally killing thirty-four U.S. sailors.

True, SubSailor, under somewhat debatable circumstances.  Dead none the less.  Military people on the Liberty I presume.  How many did the Germans and Japanes kill?  Way too many but we have kissed and made up.  Both now considered allies.

Now it is pretty easy to make a case the damn Saudis murdered over 3000 of us, civilians at that, only a few months ago.

SO? Stop buying their OIL. Or buy as little as possible. My new Kawasaki KLR is 43mpg.
My Chevy 91 truck is 18mpg.
I ride the scooter in 4 days a week now.
Middle east ragheads are getting less than half of what I was paying them a month ago, actually much less than that since i dont by gas from companies that import middle east oil.  
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Lebrew
 

Gas stations have not had to buy from branded suppliers for many years now so you in fact have no idea who's gas you are buying.

I agree we should stop buying "camel jockey" gas!  Take it as war reparations and let their tents fall into the empty hole.