Cyprus-Forum.com

[Londonrake]

I found this an interesting article, about what's been going on in the Kingdom for the past couple of years.

It definitely doesn't leave you with a warm feeling.

Saudi Arabia: gambler in charge:

http://cyprus-mail.com/2017/02/10/saudi ... er-charge/

[Paphitis]

It's only normal now that Saudi Arabia is to become more aggressive until one day they have an all out war with Iran.

The only thing that can keep them slightly in check is their alliance to the West and the pressure we can apply to them, but they are powerful and strong because we need their oil so its an uneven field.

Socially, they are however a brutal regime, which should concern you a lot more. it concerns the west but there is little that can be done.

So we now have a tit for tat and yes Yemen is the next big one. It will just go on and on.

I've been telling people on this forum that a political solution in Syria was imperative. that Assad had to make way for a national Unity Government carefully monitored by the UN. Also Russia for all we care because this is gonna get so much bigger if one side is subjugated by another.

This balance is very delicate and millions of people will die. yes I said millions. Millions!

there is absolutely NOTHING that can stop it either because lets say this war in Yemen starts. There is absolutely zero leverage that we can bring to bear upon the Saudis, because they will just call out our hypocrisy over Syria and go for the military options.

What is it we can tell the Saudis now? To accept a national Unity Government in Yemen. They are just gonna tell the world to "jam it" like the Iranians did in Syria. they are going to prop up the Yemeni regime against the SHIA and on and on it goes until the real big one between KSA and Iran starts.

these wars are not something anyone in the West can easily comprehend.

people have absolutely no clue...

[Robin Hood]

I found this an interesting article, about what's been going on in the Kingdom for the past couple of years.

It definitely doesn't leave you with a warm feeling.

Saudi Arabia: gambler in charge:

http://cyprus-mail.com/2017/02/10/saudi ... er-charge/

Just shows you that with age and experience comes wisdom ....... although I am not sure that applies to Saudi's.

I did not like them or their country in the four years I was there. I did 4 years in Iran, followed by 2 years in Algeria and then 4 years in Saudi and Saudi was the worst and most oppressive. Although Algeria we did not get out much as some terrorists were trying to kill us. I had had enough by then. I know you won't agree but Iranians and Iran are far more likeable and honest than Saudi's any day. Magnificent country when you get off the beaten track.

What I found strange with Saudi was that outside the Cities very few Saudi's actually work ..... the State pays them a salary so they get Pakistanis to do all the work.

[Londonrake]

I know you won't agree but Iranians and Iran are far more likeable and honest than Saudi's any day. Magnificent country when you get off the beaten track.

I'm not going to prattle on about differences of opinion. That just wouldn't be me.

I've always had an aversion to dictatorships. It's a family thing. It does seem to me that history is littered with examples of the sort of disasters which come about when a single human being commands every aspect of State resources, without the restraining influence of internal opposition. Even Thatcher seemed to go a bit La la in the end though.

I'm not a fan of Trump's - I'm fairly indifferent really - but have watched his story unfold with a sort of "popcorn" fascination. I find his current problems reassuring though. Whilst the man is clearly very bellicose and seemingly self-important he cannot be a dictator. There are checks and balances. Others on the World stage don't have such problems. Moreover, it seems to me that the longer a person has total power the more likely they are to suffer from megalomania. At which point the shit tends to hit the fan (as they say around here )

Iran, whilst it has the veneer of democracy, is of course a theocratic dictatorship. That and their penchant for proxy war and pestilence of a religion makes me wary of them. They didn't of course get off to a very good start back in 1979/80. First impressions and all that.

I accept your view that at a day-to-day street level they are decent people but it isn't the decent people that usually dictate (pun) history.

Unlike yourself I've gotten around the US quite a lot and can say, equally, that I've found the vast majority I have met to be friendly and quite well informed. One man's meat and all that.

Oh look! I've prattled on about differences of opinion! A bit rambling, too.

[Robin Hood]

LR

Like you, I'm not going to prattle on about differences of opinion. That just wouldn't be me either!

I also have an aversion to dictatorships. Although a good dictator would achieve a lot more a lot faster than the system most countries have now. Trumps issues his Executive orders like a traffic warden does parking tickets ..... they are both dictators in their own world! The problem I see is where do you draw the line between a strong leader and a dictator and even a good dictator would be sure to upset somebody?

I'm not a fan of Trump's either but to me he was simply the lesser of two evils. It would have been a far less turbulent outcome for the US if the establishment had supported Bernie Sanders as I think he would have defeated Trump. Hillary was a bad choice!

Iran? Yes I suppose a form of dictatorship but the Government is as democratic as we have. Although like Russia they tend to disqualify undesirables.

I don’t understand the reference to proxy wars. Iran is in Syria yes .... but that is not a 'proxy War' .... they have been invited by the elected government. They also support Hezbollah, which if you look into the history of Hezbollah they are not really a terrorist group any more than the IDF. Iran, just like the US and the UK support those nations with which they have an affinity.

The Iranians are definitely a far more cultured race than the Saudi’s and incredibly polite. Although facing the Revolutionary Guards at the Airport can be a bit daunting!

I have never been to the US but I have worked with Americans and I also found the majority friendly but most were never that well informed about what goes on in the World around them.

I was once asked by a Yank “ What’s it like living in little ole England?” When I explained that I didn’t live in ‘little ole England’ but in Cyprus. He said “Where the fuck is that ?” (as they say on here ) It was difficult to explain its location to him ..... because he hadn’t heard of any of the other countries in the region either! I was in Algeria at the time and I am not sure many of my US colleagues could locate that on the map either!!! They were somewhere in Africa ....... near enough I suppose?

[Paphitis]

I know you won't agree but Iranians and Iran are far more likeable and honest than Saudi's any day. Magnificent country when you get off the beaten track.

I'm not going to prattle on about differences of opinion. That just wouldn't be me.

I've always had an aversion to dictatorships. It's a family thing. It does seem to me that history is littered with examples of the sort of disasters which come about when a single human being commands every aspect of State resources, without the restraining influence of internal opposition. Even Thatcher seemed to go a bit La la in the end though.

I'm not a fan of Trump's - I'm fairly indifferent really - but have watched his story unfold with a sort of "popcorn" fascination. I find his current problems reassuring though. Whilst the man is clearly very bellicose and seemingly self-important he cannot be a dictator. There are checks and balances. Others on the World stage don't have such problems. Moreover, it seems to me that the longer a person has total power the more likely they are to suffer from megalomania. At which point the shit tends to hit the fan (as they say around here )

Iran, whilst it has the veneer of democracy, is of course a theocratic dictatorship. That and their penchant for proxy war and pestilence of a religion makes me wary of them. They didn't of course get off to a very good start back in 1979/80. First impressions and all that.

I accept your view that at a day-to-day street level they are decent people but it isn't the decent people that usually dictate (pun) history.

Unlike yourself I've gotten around the US quite a lot and can say, equally, that I've found the vast majority I have met to be friendly and quite well informed. One man's meat and all that.

Oh look! I've prattled on about differences of opinion! A bit rambling, too.

Once again, he is trying to convince the world that Iranians are somehow more honest and better people than Saudis.

Not my experience at all. They are an extremely kind and conservative people. You will never for instance see any filth come from a Saudis mouth, unlike of course Europeans, Americans, Australians etc. There manners and politeness is unprecedented from what I have seen from them and never is there any ill will.

Yes Trump is not a Dictator. there are indeed checks and balances and a Judiciary will ensure that his policies are in step with America's constitution. We have see these checks and balances being exercised a couple of times already and there will be more times this will occur the way things are going with trump.

Also, Trump can't make any foreign policy on the fly.

USA is very much on a tight lease as i told everyone before. USA can't revoke sanctions against Russia and piss off more than a dozen allies which actually contribute to the alliance in material ways. USA won't lose its international legitimacy, because let's face it, without its allies America would be acting unilaterally and perhaps on occasion even illegally.

[Paphitis]

I know you won't agree but Iranians and Iran are far more likeable and honest than Saudi's any day. agnificent country when you get off the beaten track.

[Paphitis]

What a beautiful hummer.

You know I love hummers, but the wheels had fallen off!

[Robin Hood]

Paphitis:

You are trolling for an angry reply ..... don't hold your breath! I think the best way to deal with your posts is to reply ONLY to the points that are rational and have some merit!

All I will say is that I have lived for four years in both Iran and Saudi, a total of eight years in all and I can therefore form my views first hand from reality at the level of just ordinary people. You spent a few days being wined and dined by some rich Saudi's who were after something. What you experienced was NOT real Saudi Arabian Life. And let's face it, you have never been to Iran at all.

[Paphitis]

No i'm not trolling.

You're trolling me and I am just highlighting your totally obnoxious bias and hypocrisy.

You've always trolled me. I on the other hand have been extremely polite, considerate, and put my arguments forward reasonably. Everyone can see that.

It's not my problem you can't control yourself and keep going off the rails.

Well then you must have missed all the public executions when you were in Iran, and to completely insinuate that Iranians are somehow better people than Arabs is completely false and racist but that is the kind of bias and vitriol you spew all because of your anti West bias and wet dreams for a NWO. If the Iranians were America's friend under the Shah and Saudi Arabia was our enemy and Russia's friend, you would say the opposite because that is who you are.





https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... s-hangings