Wow been watching this guys 10 episode Youtube trip across Saudi Arabia, not what I expected at all. The country has opened up and liberalized more than ever the past 2-3 years.
Women can drive
Women no longer need chaperones
Women and men can hold hands in public now
Women can meet up with friends of opposite sex in public
No more headscarves required
Alcohol is legalized
Some stores have gotten rid of separate lines for women
M Bin Salman closed down The Religious police (which used to be everywhere)
Wahabbists/ ISIS supporters have been kicked out of power/arrested by MBS.
The old execution square is gone and Sharia law is majorly curtailed.
Tourists can freely travel around the country now, even by themselves with rental cars.
Saudi over seas Millennials seem to love the changes under MBS the new king and moving back.
Many international businesses are encouraged/allowed to open now like AMC Theaters, Starbucks, Golds Gym, and other entertainment venues that were forbidden before.
Women encouraged to participate in economy
Saudi Aramco is now a publicly traded company
Seems like people there are very friendly too and down to earth. Seems like there is a lot of excitement in that country with 60% of Saudis under age 30 and they all seem to like what the New Young King is doing which is very different from the Western Medias portrayal of him.
That is amazing. they sure have been changing in the right direction. hopefully it escalates in these directions without the predicted hidden background “goings on”.
I think despite the cold war of information, ones freedom of the internet, and access to it, is the widespread acceptance of basic human rughts and moral agreements.
Lets just hope they dont side with china and that all gets clamped down on.
Rather interesting how the narrative of they dont like western values doesnt play out when you talk to anyone there that isnt in the position of controlling industry/religion.
Hoping for the best, and hoping for them not fallingf or Chinese propaganda…though to be fair, US propaganda hasnt sat well with them either.
Seems the locals are very welcoming of Americans, or Westerners they’re more curious than anything else as most Saudis have never met an American and the guy was told from Saudis its ok to tell anyone hes an American and throughout the videos everyone seemed very warm and welcoming and surprised to find a tourist as Saudi just opened itself to Tourism visas about a year ago. I saw another video of an Asian tourist visiting Saudi and he was treated equally well by the locals
I think a lot of white people have a similar story in many countries, such as Iran. Wasnt all that different in Taiwan a few decades back during martial law, now look
All positive directions, which really should be complimented and advertised more. We humans arent so different than dogs and other animals. Rewards for certain behaviours promote said behaviours.
It becomes a narrative if that is the only thing the media ever talks about and doesn’t present 2 sides of a coin.
And Why exactly was Khashoggi criticizing someone who was giving women unprecedented rights for Saudi and shutting down ISIS and Wahabbists? Seems like he MBS was barely in Power at the time and now 2 years later all these great changes happening.
Women having driving rights not your values too?
Women no longer wearing head scarves not your values too?
Allowing Women to no longer have Chaperones not your values?
Getting rid of Wahabbist/ISIS not your values?
Getting rid of Sharia law not your values?
Closing execution park not your values?
Luckily, nothing has changed in the U.S. in the last 3 years to hinder the yuge accomplishments in KSA that were heartily spurred on by the Obama, Bush, Clinton, etc. administrations.
Well, sure. Maybe we can talk about how that happens and we (the west) still bends over to them. Go ahead, kill our people for reporting. We are addicted to your drug, so nevermind because we are total pussies. Or how about we bend.over and take it sailor style for China for similar reasons. The point is that the averave people dont always reflect the country/government. There are a lot of ignorant western people looking at countries like Saudi Arabia and not getting the actual oppression. Much the same can be said for them looking at, as an example, America and the trump crowd and thinking the entire country thinks like that. people need to grow a few more brain cells to be able to realize a radical minority doeant represent the majority (despite what it looks like now in certain countries)
Is this not an insanely simplistic problem to solve? Its just simple minded fucking morons that control enough fear to put their point across as authorative.
Back.in the day im sure in a related, though different perception, the fall of the roman, incan, egyptian etc cultures were also due to much the same circumsatances we face today.
People are curious, fair enough. Diligent even. But to say we are intelligent, as a species, is a bit of a stretch.
No one with at least a few brain cells still intact actually acxepts the most backwoods racist american rwpresents the people much the same way we shouldnt feel the head cutters lf the middle east represent the majority of common folk.
People need to aettle down, shut the fuck up, and get on with it. We are aupposed to be smarter than this petty low to midlevel animal behaviour shit. I have raised crickets more sophisticated than.some.people I know. Not a great outlook for the future.
So reward poaitice steps. Thats the key. We are animals too. Our bodies release chemicals that stimulate us based on environmental conditions. Not talking about candies at kindy, but the same concept. Reward assholes, like bullies, for good behaviour, things change. Wars and jails had their go, still a last ditch effort. Compassion hasnt had a great deal of effort put forth, but people seem to dig christianity and that was just one dude being reasonable…imagine a billion…
No but theres likely more to this story than we know, it doesn’t add up and the fact that the western media refuses to tell both sides of the positivity happening in Saudi Arabia leaves a lot to be questioned
Ok I get it, he was tortured and killed. But why doesnt the media talk about the progress happening under the King also? Is that not important to even mention? Most people still don’t realize Saudi Arabia has changed for the better. Im not saying hes a great guy but tell BOTH sides of what hes doing. It becomes a narrative when Western Media plays 1 story over and over and over and over to the exclusion of anything else. Allowing women to drive and not have Chaperones, getting rid of ISIS and Sharia law, legalizing alcohol it doesnt make killing a reporter ok. But why doesn’t the media choose show this side of the story about Saudi Arabias positive changes? Seemed like for every 10 times they talked about Khashoggi CNN, PBS, ABC, BBC, NBC, FOX could have done 1 report about the positive Liberal changes and freedoms to give opposing perspective. These are huge positive changes coming to Saudi Arabia that deserve a 1 hr special and you won’t see it on MSM. You dont see kind welcoming down to earth Saudis on MSM either, ever.
Ill give it up when the media stops its bullshit and gives a balanced perspective and gives only facts and tries to inform people of all changes, including positive news not just fear mongering, and BS opinion pieces. Its actually nice to see down to earth good natured Saudis, were all human and most of us are kind to each other unlike the divisive MSM bullshit.
There are no other sides. MBS is opening up the country socially but closing it politically. He took the prime minister of Lebanon hostage, imprisoned a yuuge number of royals in the Ritz, started a stupid war with the poorest Arab country, killed a journalist on foreign soil, hacked Jeff Bezos’s phone and sanctioned Qatar simply because they didn’t want to be dragged into regional rivalries.
Still better than the old days and old ways no? SA was doing all that and far worse with the Wahabbist Clerics in power prior to this. Killing/torturing Journalists who got out of line in the Kingdom is nothing new It didn’t just start 2 yrs ago. Change takes time, no ones saying this King is clean or some savior but hes also no religious hardliner and giving women unprecedented rights.
They need to crack down on ISIS and Wahabbis types, especially being a US ally. Makes no sense that they’re selling them so much advanced weapons just for proxy wars.
As far as working conditions goes, it’s getting worse for foreigners especially those who are on family status. Levies for dependents increase on an annual basis:
This is because Saudis are pushing for Saudization. Apart from that, them being more liberal towards women’s rights is a step in the right direction.
