THE TIGER KING: Just so we are crystal clear, I’m not Islamophobic. I am critical of all cultures and rulers that have fascist tendencies, whether it is Putin, Trump, Netanyahu, Erdogan, Orban, Modi, or Xi. The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia therefore doesn’t get a free pass. The rise of Mohammed bin Salman, aka, MBS, coincides with the rise of Donald Trump, aka, the Plastic Messiah. Both men have completely and utterly destroyed any and all norms in their quest for absolute power. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that without Trump’s help, MBS would have fallen just as quickly as he rose.
Trump and Jared Kushner helped MBS escape any real consequences regarding the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, a Saudi dissident journalist. Between 2017-2019, MBS launched a palace coup by arresting dozens of members of the royal family and the military, businessmen, religious leaders, women’s rights activists, and anyone else he deemed a threat. He even arrested his own mother. It was all done under the auspices of anti-corruption, the same excuse used by Putin and Xi. He confiscated hundreds of billions of dollars and unilaterally seized people’s assets.
Although the Crown Prince portrays himself as the Great Reformer, Saudi Arabia’s record on capital punishment suggests otherwise. He has literally embarked on a killing spree of epic proportions. By using sharia law as an excuse, MBS has overseen the beheading of hundreds of people, both foreign and local. The kingdom executed at least 158 people in 2015, 154 in 2016, 146 in 2017, 149 in 2018, 184 in 2019, 69 in 2020, 196 in 2022, 172 in 2023 and 345 in 2024. Just look at how the curve rises under his brutal and bloodthirsty leadership.
And the worst part, he isn’t even the king yet. Sharia law is an extreme version of the law that is totally incompatible with human rights. This tiny detail doesn’t seem to bother DT as America is moving in a similar direction.
“In recent years, far too many American presidents have been afflicted with the notion that it’s our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use US policy to dispense justice for their sins, I believe it is God’s job to sit in judgment – my job (is) to defend America and to promote the fundamental interests of stability, prosperity, and peace”. DT said this in Riyadh just yesterday.
I’m all for peace and stability, but at what cost? Trump is in Qatar today, another country with an atrocious human rights record, in particular regarding LGBQT rights. Again this doesn’t seem to be a problem as the American right is far more aligned to Saudi Arabia and the Taliban, than to liberal democracy, progress, and freedom. Trump wishes he could rule with an iron fist. He would love to wield the type of power of authoritarian dictators like Putin and MBS. The Constitution is a hindrance, not a help. It stymies his plans at every turn, hence the reason he is getting perilously close to suspending it.
All three countries he is visiting use their vast wealth to buy the world’s silence. Sport is their favorite way of whitewashing their many atrocities. From Formula 1, to golf, football, boxing, tennis, athletics, and many more. They use famous people like footballer Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to act as ambassadors. And now they can add the most powerful person in the world to this growing list of people willing to put profits over principles.
I’m not suggesting that America should invade anyone and force their own ideology on to them, the way they did in Iraq and Afghanistan. No, I’m merely saying that turning a blind eye to human rights abuses has zero to do with God’s judgement. Using God as an excuse to not stand up for victims of fascism is disingenuous and outright cowardly. Why not just admit that the cash on offer is just too difficult to resist. Jared Kushner received $2 billion from MBS after Trump left office in 2021.
You are welcome to research: Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia, 2017–2019 Saudi Arabian purge, Tiger Squad, Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi.
May 14, 2025 10:28:30 pm