An aging population does that.

The US locked itself out of its biggest market and at the same time protected Chinese semiconductor companies from competition.

I didn’t know that Putin wrote for CNN

The US is run by out-of-touch ghouls who still think it is 1991

die USA die

Germans don’t mince words

Do they accept people from non-western backgrounds?

Given the complete disregard to human rights and international law demonstrated by the US in Occupied Palestine, wouldn’t Russia be excused in taking the gloves off against NATO in Ukraine?

the violent invasive fauna

the people right? the natural fauna was already there.

Why do you think Western leaders were very upset when Khashogji was killed but not a sound as Israel kills over a hundred journalists?

I really can’t seem to figure it out…

Saudi Arabia cannot legitimize Israel, but Israel can delegitimize Saudi Arabia.

If Saudi Arabia normalizes with Israel hundreds of millions -if not each and every Muslim of the 2 billion total- will see it as a confirmation and validation of the Hadith that praises Yemen and the Levant but curses Najd.

Link to Hadith plus explanation in Arabic: https://www.islamweb.org/ar/fatwa/134719/

Rough Google Translation:

O Allah, bless us in our Levant and in our Yemen. They said: And in our Najd. He said: O Allah, bless us in our Levant and in our Yemen. They said: And in our Najd. He said: There are earthquakes and tribulations, and from there the horn of Satan will rise.

I personally don't think the Politico story is true. The risk is too damn high for the House of Saud. They will lose all legitimacy domestically and internationally.

They think everyone has unqualified leaders like the US

Arabic media is reporting that the Kursk invasion has failed and Russian troops captured tens of Ukrainian soldiers

https://youtu.be/tUv0adujEcE

Urban Hejazis aren’t tribal.

It is funnier when you know the soldiers won't get the care they need when they go back home. That's why better injured than dead.

At least the one in my city closed. The majority are on the other coast, so I should be good.

I hope the peace deal with Iran and negotiations with Yemen, mean that this is just another weapons contract -tributes- to buy US Congresspersons and nothing more.

Nothing good can come from this.

No. Saudi Arabia was made up of an urban minority who lived in the cities or oases and are non-tribal, and a nomadic majority who were tribal. The tribal majority are loyal to their tribe chief, and as long as the tribe chief is loyal to the monarchy the entire tribe is loyal to the monarchy. The coup was lead by urban Hejazis who had their kingdom annexed in 1925.

Since then the majority of people have settled in cities, but people still identify as whether they belong to a tribe or not. Tribalism isn't as strong as it used to be but still plays a societal and privilege role, the government actually had some success in weakening tribal allegiances since it does compete with Saudi nationalism.

The non-tribal urban vs tribal [formerly] nomadic wedge is still a major divider in Saudi Arabia. The cultures, values and allegiances of the two populations often clash.

Almost everything uses legacy nodes. Specially military applications, they prefer mature and proven fabrication processes.

I would take a monarchy that gives me free stuff over whatever the US has. Got a Master's degree without a single dollar of debt. We never had feudalism, but we are still very tribal, though not as much as a hundred years ago.

Your productive forces are already developed, where is your communist revolution?

Other Arab countries that have a history of agriculture, craftsmanship and industry are far more likely to have a communist revolution. The GCC countries are very different: socially, politically and materially. We have a history of being merchants and making money through trade since ancient times. The Nabateans were so rich that anyone who could afford a tomb had one carved, not just kings. In fact one of the biggest Nabatean tombs was commissioned by a merchant. Arabs have been proto-capitalists for at least 2000 years. Islam has rules for trade, capital, investments and so on. Getting rich from resource extraction is very new for us, and agriculture and industry practically nonexistent.

So again, I assume you are from one of the industrialized Western nations, to which I ask, where is your communist revolution? Materially and socially, you are far more ready than us.

This is why the bottom-up democracy of China works better. As I understand it -feel free to correct me- at the local level it is very democratic and with a lot of citizens participating. The local politicians then climb up the hierarchy until assuming top national positions through merit, be it by passing tests or proven track record of accomplishments. I think the USSR also had something similar which is where the term soviet comes from.

I just started playing Tears of the Kingdom, it will take me a year before I am done with it. But I always welcome more top-down Zelda games. I like that I can get both Zelda styles on one device.

The CHIPS Act money could have better spent on Frito Lay's, Herr's, Utz and others.

Hopefully it won't continue, and I don't think it will. Israel, not only for being the US's lap dog, but also for stoking Sinophobia and supporting Uyghur separatists.

Good. Unlike the Sinophobic West, Saudi Arabia welcomes China and Chinese people.

Arabs and Chinese have over 2000 years of cordial trade relations.

I am not the praying man but Hephaestus if you can hear me let Europe never have an industry again. Nothing good came to the world from Europe's industrialism.

Saudi Arabia is not THAT vulnerable.

Overthrow your "democracy" first, then we will follow. Otherwise, it is just more "lesser-evilism for me but not for thee".

It is in BRICS+

What's wrong with that?

China is also sending Mandarin teachers to Saudi Arabia. As a Saudi I'm optimistic and glad that we are looking east.

A political system should counter humans’ bad traits not amplify them

The broader world markets are bifurcating. The world is heading towards having two incompatible markets, one SWIFT-based and the other uses whatever alternatives develop. I am not sure for how long GCC states can play both sides.

Because that worked in Afghanistan

On the plus side, England finally paid for its past crimes.

Iraq should declare them non-grata and fair targets and offer zero protection. That just might compel them to leave.

This is what a dictatorship of the proletariat looks like. IMF can’t understand.

Heartwarming 🥹

I should adopt this strategy.

They are also likely to be Anarchists that somehow support NATO. Or is that what Ultras mean?

I had so many terrible interactions with western leftists except those who are ML.