Nèdeem Elmahjoub's blog

In ‘strategic backwaters’, wrote Peter Gowan in 2001, even real genocide can be casually covered or countenanced, as the experience of Rwanda has shown. Where delinquent states are pivotal to American strategic interests, on the other hand, they are vigilantly shielded from human rights pressures, as the cases of Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey or Indonesia, to name only the most flagrant examples, have long made clear.  — Peter Gowan, Neoliberal Cosmopolitanism, New Left Review, Sep-Oct 2001.

I have not followed the series. I should though. Literally, masaameer means nails such nails on the wall or nails on the coffin “ The Saudi Arabia of Masameer  is a regressive, aggressively materialistic, American-influenced province torn between a laughably archaic past and cynical present; a characterless place populated by idiotic, self-centred buffoons unaware of their immense privileges.” “The liberation of the Saudi society was years in the making. MBS simply rode the wave and claimed the project as his own.” By saying there is a ‘ liberation of the Saudi society ’, one must raise their eyebrows at such an astonishing claim. 

Interview with Kevin B. Anderson Related A multi-polarity: a new alignment?

A good article by David Wearing The myth of the reforming monarch (pdf file)

“It’s no secret that Biden’s push for a Saudi deal is largely about escalating its proxy war against Iran and “great power competition” with China .”

 Kill to clear land for eco-city

Asymmetries

Although I don’t agree with the use of some of the language such as ‘the international community’ by a supposedly a radical leftist magazine, it is a history and context, power struggle and geopolitics, internal dynamic and social forces that help us understand a movement and its actions .   An interview with Yemen scholar Helen Lackner

“It is fair to assume that the different fractions of the ruling class in a country sometimes have diverging, even opposing interests. But if the country is the empire that dominates the world, on one point at least the ruling classes will agree: they do not want to see the basis of their power (i.e., the nation-empire) weakened. Those who have power intend, at a minimum, to maintain it, if not consolidate or expand it. So it is reasonable to infer that the conflicting interests between the various fractions manifest themselves in different strategies for ruling the world, in different conceptions of empire. “ Despite all his bombastic proclamations, Trump has not started any wars. Under Biden we are already on the second.” Elective affinities

Abraham Accords “were less peace deals than just straightforward trades. In some cases, they were ransoms: unelected Arab leaders would recognize Israel, a state they no longer had any ideological stake in opposing, in return for a significant diplomatic concession. Morocco would enter the accords in return for the United States recognizing their  occupation  of Western Sahara. Sudan would sign their name to the deal in  return  for the United States removing them from the state sponsors of terrorism list. Saudi Arabia, the geopolitical kingmaker of the Gulf Arab states, is gunning for the biggest payout of them all .”

An interview with the editor of the book Samer S. Shehata

Saudi Arabia  was Canada’s  top customer for military goods after the  United States  in 2022

Saudi Arabia is using culture to repackage monarchy

Yemen in crisis Related “Made in France” war in Yemen Yemen in purgatory The Road to War

As Irène Félix, Chairwoman of the Metropolitan District, Bourges Plus, explains, “After a period of reconstruction at the end of the nineties, hirings in the Defence sector have risen sharply over the past five years due to orders from the French army and other countries.” The accusations of complicity in war crimes aimed at our national champion do not seem to worry this official, elected on a list “miscellaneous left.” The defence industries are perfectly familiar with the limits of their activity,“she answered us.” The local authority supports the local industrial fabric but does not interfere with diplomatic issues which are managed by the Government." Complicity in war crimes indeed. “Made in France” war in Yemen Related Yemen in purgatory The Road to War

How food is used as a weapon

TB outbreak in Bahraini prison Background "The Americans told me honestly: 'we can't affect change in Bahrain unless the British agree. And the British won't agree unless the Saudis agree'," he said. "It is clear that since 2011 our political decisions have been transfered to Saudi Arabia and it will continue there."

Canada’s military exports to Saudi Arabia increased in 2021

A liberal with a different colour. Some countries are not mature, global capitalism, uneven development, imperialism, etc. have nothing to do with the plights of these countries. Thus, Robert Kaplan in this article echoes what some of my white Western students once said: “a benevolent dictator is a good thing for countries the Middle East and Africa,” or what a Canadian suggested when she said “we should stop talking about democracy in those countries.” What those students and Kaplan have in mind when they speak about ‘democracy’ is ‘democracy’ within capitalist social property relations. Capitalism for them is not the fundamental determiner and the fundamental problem.  Some countries are just unfit or ‘we’ – major Western regimes, corporations, international financial institutions, colonial and neocolonial powers - have not played any role in the predicaments of those countries. Furthermore, the arrogant ignores that the historical processes of Western Europe,  industrialisa...

It seems not equally so