Saudi Arabia Uncovered

[Room_A113]

This is probably preaching to the choir here, but PBS running a program on Frontline soon exposing Saudi Arabia's brutality, "Saudi Arabia Uncovered". I think everyone who uses oil should watch this. "With undercover footage and on-the-ground reporting, FRONTLINE reveals what life is like in the Saudi kingdom, and traces the efforts of men and women who are working to bring about change."

The main reason I decided to drive electric was to stop sending so much of my money overseas, especially to countries like Saudi Arabia. I also like having no tailpipe emissions and the lack of NVH.

While most people love gas under $2/gallon, the dirty secret behind that low price is that Saudi Arabia is pumping full out out try to kill two industries: Tight-oil technology (fracking) and electric cars. Even though Saudi Arabia is publicly stating that electric cars do not pose a threat to oil consumption, the Saudis are deathly afraid that the world won't need their oil, which produces 92.5% of Saudi Arabia's revenue.

It would be great if we could get a lot of people to watch this. I don't understand why Western governments are so close to Saudi Arabia while decrying ISIS. I really don't see much difference between the way they operate. (Well, actually, I do understand: Saudi Arabia has a lot of oil that we like to buy.)

Links:

PBS Frontline:
Saudi Arabia Uncovered

Warning: The following Daily Mail link contains disturbing images.
Documentary exposes the horror of life in Saudi Arabia

 

[TheTalkingMule]

Frontline is amazing. Looking forward to it.

 

[jbcarioca]

We might as well be candid. Saudi Arabia would never have had the influence it does if, back in 1933 (the predecessor of) Chevron had not found oil there and subsequently engaged (the predecessors of) Texaco, Exxon and Mobil to manage the largess. Then of course the western military forces had to go in and protect all that and taxpayers paid. Then in 1953 when Iran had oil the CIA overthrew the elected government and put a complaisant ruler in place because the elected ruler threatened the oil flow.

Let's be honest. The addiction to oil created all this mess. Were there no oil there would not be the resources to do all this mayhem.

Frontline probably is accurate, but they usually forget how the messes they cover actually originated. It's not fun to realize we all did it to ourselves! ISIS, Hezbollah, Wahhabism and the rest all came from crass materialism and intervention from the rest of the world.

If we really want to see the history we fomented and understand why the radicals take such umbrage we need only remember that the Crusades originated with the intention to force Christianity on everyone in the Middle East.

I hope this is not too political. I do think undisputed facts may help us to understand why it si so urgent to move as fast as possible to reduce fossil fuel consumption. That the planet may not survive the current habits and remain habitable is an even more important set of facts.