We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Saudi Arabia is at a Dangerous Crossroads

Click here to access article by Viktor Mikhin from New Eastern Outlook.

I don't normally run articles in which speculate too much about world politics--the online world is full of them. However I am running this article because it is not only posted on a reputable website (although with an emphasis on issues important to Russia), but because I have read numerous other reports that support the facts presented in the article. Regardless of what we think of this medieval kingdom, it does play a very important role in major conflicts and geopolitical issues. Thus, it is important that we stay informed as much as we can about the kingdom's politics.
...many members of the Saudi Royal Family are concerned about the situation which has come about after the new King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud came to power. According to the Egyptian newspaper, the Egyptian Gazette, the changes that have occurred in the Kingdom’s foreign and domestic policy in less than 9 months of King Salman’s reign have cause a growing number of problems in both the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and abroad. Dissatisfaction among the Saudis has risen to a new level.
All of this is reflected in a letter that members of the Royal Family received from one of the younger princes. [my link]
See also this article by Pepe Escobar entitled "What’s the Big Deal Between Russia and the Saudis?".