Yeah, it's not just about Khashoggi. Saudi Arabia is undemocratic, violates the basic human rights of its citizens, spreads its extremist brand of Islam around the world, and it destabilizes the region and creates humanitarian crises in its struggle for hegemony against more moderate Iran. Moreover, it bears a lot of blame for the 9/11 attacks in the US. I want our relationship to change, at minimum balancing out their influence in the region. They and the UAE have fed violence in Syria, Yemen, and Lybia; toppled a democratically-elected President in Egypt; and attempted a coup in Qatar. We shouldn't let this despicable assassination go unchallenged.

I mean the climate crisis necessitates that we stop our reliance on Saudi oil, and i think the market will eventually take us there anyway. It’s not like oil will last forever, what’s really important for climate change is how soon we can stop emissions.

I think the biggest reason people aren’t fans of SA is because of things like the war in Yemen. [wsj.com]
Saudi Arabia and Iran have inserted themselves into various struggles in the area to expand their hegemony in the same way the ussr and the us did during the Cold War, often at the cost of civilian lives. Not to mention their own record on human rights in their own country.

I mean, their value system is obvious. 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers were Saudi nationals, and they actively suppressed speculation about the attackers’ ties to the Saudi government post-9/11. [m.washingtontimes.com] While there might be “pragmatic” reasons for a relationship like counterterrorism and oil, a lot of Americans are wondering why we have to be friendly with an absolute monarchy that doesn’t give a fuck about its own people and enables terrorism and authoritarianism. Have you heard about Sudan, for instance? The dictator murdering protestors in Sudan provided child soldiers to Saudi Arabia for the conflict in Yemen.

Donald Trump talks a lot about how Muslims have it out for the West and hate the US. If that’s true, Saudi Arabia isn’t that much better in Iran in terms of respect for “Western values” like free speech, equality, etc. I don’t understand how we can continue to rely on them in our strategy in the Middle East when our values are so clearly divorced. Giving them money enables them to continue carrying out their power-hungry, anti-democratic agenda.

@WilyRickWiles
You have more facts on this than I do. I see your points. My guess as to why our relationship with them is so strategic is because of their oil and who they could be selling it to. I've been so into the spygate stuff that I need to dig deeper into the middle east news more. Thanks.

@xXShadowThornxX
Good comment. I disagree about the oil reserves statement. Of course oil won't last "forever" but there certainly is more than enough to supply the needs of worldwide infrastructure growth and transportation and military needs for at least several hundred years. When we speak of reserves we are speaking of "known" reserves which are quantified. The "unknown" deposits , along with other potential fuels and resources, will provide man's needs for centuries. The earth will continue giving us a bounty.

Regarding middle east affairs.. Being an difficult situation to manage , I believe we have to make difficult decisions and choices. I'm not going to profess a comprehensive knowledge of all the nuances of a region whose culture is foreign to me to the point I consider it barbaric. That said, we make a choice and stick with it....in this case allying with SA and declaring Iran's mullahs as evil terrorists. Whatever Trump decides I'll trust. He was dealt a hand and he's trying to play it as best he can. Another term will give him more leverage hopefully. And as leader of the most powerful nation he does have a responsibility to monitor, influence, or intervene when necessary. One option he, and we, do not have is abandonment of the region.

But still, I liked your comment. Thanks.

@DanielEvans i mean i don’t have that much faith in American foreign policy lol. The pentagon and each administration since the Cold War has repeatedly lied to the American people, and those in charge of trump’s foreign policy right now (Pompeo and Bolton mostly) are cut from the exact same cloth. I can’t bring myself to trust a state run by the same people who pushed the Vietnam War after the Gulf of Tonkin and pushed the War on Terror after claiming that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction that never existed.

As for oil... the sooner the world gets off oil in general (but especially Saudi oil) the better, imo.