The Arab counter-revolution is winning

[bemildred]

The current Arab counter-revolution is brought to you by the House of Saud - and enabled by the Pentagon. The Gulf has been plunged into pre-emptive war. After the initial euphoria of the great 2011 Arab revolt, the message of the Gulf kingdoms and sheikhdoms to Washington has been unambiguous - and effective; if we "fall", your strategic game is in pieces. Once more, "stability" trumps democracy.

It's hardly surprising to see Saudi Arabia - the home of pious Wahhabism, fanatic al-Qaeda, and hypocrite Saudi princes gambling, drinking and partying in London or the French Riviera - smashing a popular desire for democracy and human dignity.

The attached novelty is the invasion of neighboring Bahrain. For the House of Saud a pro-democracy movement in Bahrain today is a worse existential threat than the fictional possibility of Saddam Hussein invading the kingdom way back in 1990.

Saudi media may slam Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his lethal strategy against his own people. But Libya and Saudi Arabia are equals. Gaddafi has laid out the counter-revolution playbook; bomb the fight out of the protesters. His winning strategy is the same as Bahrain's, with crucial Saudi help.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MC18Ak01.html

[leveymg]

1. "Once more, 'stability' trumps democracy."

Stability - only when it's in our self-perceived interest, otherwise Americans are happy to destabilize any country, and have time and time again, even our closest Anglophone allies. Democracy - now, that's a noble sentiment, but usually it's just a ruse to gain stability - when that stops being useful, we end it, even for ourselves - take the last ten years, for instance.

[bemildred]

3. It's really "timidity" in my view, one can easily see that the "stability" is illusory. nt

[leveymg]

4. That's right. By rejecting democracy in the name of stability we've ended up with illusion.

That's a dangerous place to be.

[Duende azul]

2. Kick for visibility

[pauldp]

5. Our tax dollars at work. nt