When We Buy Oil From Saudi Arabia, We Support Their Tyranny Over Women
If you use Twitter, you might want to avoid going there for vacation.
I read a really scary story the other day. Saudi Arabia has just sentenced a woman to 34 years in prison for using Twitter. While studying for a degree in the UK, she was an active user, sharing her opinions about human rights on Twitter. She made the mistake of going home for a vacation where she was arrested and tried.
Her original sentence was six years, and that was increased to 34 years after losing her appeal. And when she’s done serving her prison sentence, she must suffer a travel ban of another 34 years.
The world buys oil from the Saudis. We buy oil from them, too. That oil keeps them wealthy, and it keeps the tyrants in power. We sell them weapons to keep their kingdom running. To support their wars. To keep the price of oil low. Well, lower than it is now.
I am fascinated with the way that both political parties are so quiet about Saudi Arabia. They have both been lured in by the monopolists. They are remarkably silent about our unintended support of the monarchy in Saudi Arabia.
That woman sent to prison over Twitter? That’s just what we see in the news. I’ve read one story about a woman who was…
