I dislike extremist mideast culture

[circusgirl]

not capri pants! That's too cruel!

 

[Ffactor]

I am inclined to agree with you but that would be an emotional decision. I agree with Wodin, we need to educate ourselves more before we make broad assumptions.

 

[MattTheSkywalker]

Frack....Not true on the wealth aspects of your comment. Most live in extreme poverty. Look at the Saudi's for example. Extreme wealth in the Kingdom shown on TV....Exterme poverty that we do not see on tv for the rest of the masses!

I think you might have missed his point.

Saudi Arabia has spent $300Billion on US arms since the end of Gulf War 1. It has a population of approx 21 million, so even a fraction of this amount spent interally would have been beneficial to the economy.

When it was first creatde as a counnry, it was so rich from oil, and so sparsely populated, that people didn't have to work, The royal family just paid them. No infrastructure was developed.

In 1980, the per capita income was $26,000. (That's high for world standards. In 1980 it was stratospheric). Now it is $6900 and unemployment hovers around 30%.

This is a result of population growth without economic growth. The royal family has been hoarding wealth all along, as the people starve.

I think Frack's point was that the governments have enough money for the nations to grow, but the rulers keep the wealth for themselves at their people's expense.

 

[2Thick]

2. Invade Iran, make possession of the Koran illegal, and force everyone to memorize every main idea in the satanic verses. If they fail to memorize it within 6 months, force every oman in the country to eat a pound of pork a day until they do.

LOL... you sure do have an imagination.

 

[the nature boy]

I think you might have missed his point.

Saudi Arabia has spent $300Billion on US arms since the end of Gulf War 1. It has a population of approx 21 million, so even a fraction of this amount spent interally would have been beneficial to the economy.

do you honestly think they weren't strongarmed into making those purchases? I bet all those weapons are sitting in storage unused.

 

[Lao Tzu]

do you honestly think they weren't strongarmed into making those purchases? I bet all those weapons are sitting in storage unused.

I doubt it, i think it was to offset Iraq's growing aggression & 1.2 million man strong military that was poised to attack Saudi Arabia in Gulf war 1. I think the amount of arms sales is alot lower though. $39.6 billion from 1990-2000.

http://www.fas.org/asmp/profiles/saudi_arabia.htm

 

[MattTheSkywalker]

do you honestly think they weren't strongarmed into making those purchases? I bet all those weapons are sitting in storage unused.

yes, Bill Clinton, that great friend of the defense industry, used the power of his administration to get them more business.

I've trained with some Saudis, and I can tell you that they take great pride in having "the best stuff". Couple that with a government that has unlimited wealth and they need little strongarming.

They're not fighters. They actually retrofitted the tanks and Bradleys that they bought with air conditioning. They bought it for show that they can buy it. it fits the culture their rulers have created.

 

[Lao Tzu]

That Chevy Chase comment was just way over the top.

I recently read the Book What Went Wrong , a series of lectures given by Berndard Lewis in 1999 - 2000.

Read it then you might understand the nature and evolution of the current middle eastern mind set. Only through understanding and education is the world changed. Force never works to bring about lasting change.

The local library has that, i'll go pick it up.

 

[the nature boy]

the saudi's are the one of the largest purchasers of US weapons. Why is that? I don't care what anyone says, Iraqs army was decimated after 1991 and has not recovered since. Iraq is not a threat to the saudi's.

 

[muscle_geek]

I have to admit I am less than impressed with the whole culture myself... I mean, it isn't like these guys need to live in poverty with all the oil they have over there... I know I am oversimplifying, but in a way, I'm really not.

I agree. Civilization was said to have began in the middle east. They are just a bunch of fuck-ups. They should be ahead of the game instead of the armpit of the world.