Rob Rogers for February 09, 2017

Mr.Dantes has a point whether or not we want to recognize it. The competition between the Saudis and the Iran has been a major factor fueling the conflicts in the Middle East, the Sunni-Shia conflict in shorthand, and our actions with respect to both these nations over the past 75 years has contributed significantly to the current situation. The one conclusion I would question is the idea that the Saudis are our masters. One might as well say that the Shah of Iran was our master also. The difference is that we destroyed Iran’s nascent democracy when we overturned their elected government in 1953 , and then our puppet was overthrown in 1979 by Iranians. Saudi Arabia has never had any remotely similar governmental institutions and so have remained more in a client role with us. This may be changing as their financial status is threatened by the reduction in oil prices and the move to non-carbon energy sources. They have failed to build any institutions and develop alternative sources of wealth for their people, a failure which is likely to be destabilizing for their government.