We should have known better. Really.

[robkelk]

Reuters: Saudi Arabia expels Canadian ambassador, recalls their ambassador to Canada

Apparently, they don't like (a) the concept of dual citizenship, (b) the idea that a country would call for the release of its citizens, and ( c) the concept of equality of the sexes.

Canada's taking a trade hit because of this... but, honestly, do we really want to do business with people like this?

[Pyeknu]

Agreed. We're better off dealing with Qatar than Saudi. While I'm sure most Saudis are pretty okay, if their government can't get a damned clue about what their radical interpretation of Islam has helped create over the years, then they don't deserve any support.

[robkelk]

And now we're getting threats.

(And how is defending the rights of Canadian citizens abroad "sticking one's nose where it doesn't belong", anyway?)

---

Saudi Arabia cancels its scholarships for its citizens studying in Canada, and the USA comes down firmly on the fence. At least Bernie Sanders is willing to take a stand.

[classicdrogn]

Just wait a little, I'm sure Antipresident Numpty will have something unproductive to tweet about it just as soon as he can find a way to make it about him.

[Dartz]

Just wait a little, I'm sure Antipresident Numpty will have something unproductive to tweet about it just as soon as he can find a way to make it about him.

Sure, he was all for Saudi Arabia starting a full blown war on the peninsula and Redx Tillerson got the chop for preventing it.

Of course, the only people who'd gain from the resulting rise in oil prices being cuntries with their economies pegged to the value of oil.

[robkelk]

Which might offset what we're losing from the Saudi trade being taken away... but how would everyone else cope?

[hazard]

For anybody other than the Saudis this is a good thing, wars are expensive after all so they won't profit much, if any.

Nations largely dependent on oil for substrates and fuel will feel this the most, but Europe has been making considerable strides towards becoming less dependent on oil. Those will see further investments in that sort of industry and efforts to lower transportation dependence on oil by carpooling, public transport and other programs.

[robkelk]

The UK has joined the US in fence-sitting on this.

Remind me why we're in NATO, again, if this is how our allies react?

[Labster]

I can explain the U.S. stance pretty easily. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, gets along really well with heir apparent Mohammed bin Salman, to the extent that they've been referred to as the "Two Princes" (so go ahead now). Trump doesn't care about asserting support for human rights in any country, so they're happy just to ignore issues like these.

The dispute appears to be over a tweet on Friday from Global Affairs Canada.

OK guys I think we need to get all government offices off of Twitter. If 4chan is the Internet Hate Machine, then Twitter is the Internet Rage Machine.

[Rajvik]

I can explain the U.S. stance pretty easily.  Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, gets along really well with heir apparent Mohammed bin Salman, to the extent that they've been referred to as the "Two Princes" (so go ahead now).  Trump doesn't care about asserting support for human rights in any country, so they're happy just to ignore issues like these.

The dispute appears to be over a tweet on Friday from Global Affairs Canada.

OK guys I think we need to get all government offices off of Twitter.  If 4chan is the Internet Hate Machine, then Twitter is the Internet Rage Machine.

Honestly Labster no administration for the last 50 years has really given a damn, I'm not saying that it is right, I'm just stating that it isn't just a Trump thing

[classicdrogn]

Honestly Labster no administration for the last 50 years has really given a damn

Sadly accurate, for the most part. See also Dartz's "actually, no lives matter" explanation on the first page of the gun control thread. I do believe that there is at least some occasional degree of sincere attempts to act beyond cynical self-interest in support of whichever policies they favor among the Congresscritters, because people really like to be able to tell themselves that they're good and moral and look at this thing I did, that proves it, but for the most part... yeah.

[Matrix Dragon]

When it comes to the Saudi's, practically no one will dare speak out about them, because they have some of the oil. It's disgusting, greedy, cowardly, and I look forward to the day their wells run dry because I doubt we'd ever convince our governments to grow a pair otherwise.

[robkelk]

The Saudis have insisted that Canada apologize, while cancelling what appears to be all business with Canada except their outstanding order for LAVs.

The Prime Minister ... has doubled down, refusing to apologize.

I wonder whether that military order is going to be cancelled?

[hazard]

If the Saudis keep being a pain? That might happen.

Depends on how much Canada wants to sell those LAVs and/or maintain business relations with Saudi Arabia. Also on how much support Canada and Saudi Arabia get internationally.

[robkelk]

It also depends on how badly the Saudis want those LAVs. They say Canada shouldn't be interfering in their internal affairs, while the Saudis meddle in their neighbours's internal affairs themselves...

[robkelk]

It looks like the EU might be willing to be a go-between regarding this dispute. Finally, somebody's willing to do something other than sit on the fence and watch.

---

Now that Saudi Arabia is boycotting Canadian wheat and barley, where are they going to get replacement food? Or are they going to starve?

[robkelk]

(blows dust off thread)

Looks like the rest of the world is finally noticing what's going on in Saudi Arabia. It took the disappearance (looks like murder) of a US resident for the Saudi Crown Prince's behaviour to get widespread attention.

The Khashoggi execution should forever extinguish the myth of this 'progressive' Saudi prince