The Saudification of America is under way | Karen Attiah

The Saudi Prince's Return: America's Faith in the Wrong Direction

As the world watched with bated breath, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stepped foot into Washington D.C., marking his first official visit to the United States since the CIA's 2018 conclusion that he was directly responsible for Jamal Khashoggi's murder. The timing couldn't be more symbolic - seven years have passed since the US government acknowledged MBS's involvement in the heinous crime, yet America remains firmly entrenched in its special bond with Saudi Arabia.

The Trump administration's eagerness to rekindle ties with Riyadh is nothing short of astonishing, considering Jamal Khashoggi's fate. The writer and journalist had spent years warning about the dire human rights situation in Saudi Arabia, exposing the dark underbelly of the royal family's repression and the price of silence. In 2017, he broke his year-long silence, publishing a powerful op-ed on the Washington Post, only to be silenced forever by MBS's operatives.

The US-Saudi partnership has long been criticized for its hypocrisy, with America using Saudi Arabia as a proxy to exert influence in the Middle East while conveniently ignoring its own complicity in human rights abuses. The billions of dollars in arms deals and investments made by American companies are mere trinkets compared to the price of freedom that Jamal's life represents.

The Washington Post, once a bastion of journalism and free speech, has succumbed to the Saudi influence, erasing Jamal's memory from its pages while purging its editorial board of voices that dared to challenge censorship. The Post's owner, Jeff Bezos, has all but surrendered to MBS's demands for conformity, silencing dissenting voices and paving the way for a more sanitized narrative.

As Prince Mohammed shakes hands with President Trump, it is clear that America has lost sight of its values. The Saudi prince's return serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of appeasement - when we abandon our principles for the sake of expediency, we invite the worst kind of tyranny to take hold.

The American people are left wondering what they've gained from this Faustian bargain with MBS. One thing is certain: their freedom and the press's ability to speak truth to power have never been more under threat. The Saudi prince's visit should be a wake-up call, a warning that America's addiction to Saudi money and influence comes at a steep price - the erosion of its very soul.

Jamal Khashoggi's murder was a tragedy; the silence that followed is a far greater affront to humanity. As the world watches Prince Mohammed return to Washington, it must ask itself: what price will America pay for its complicity in this Saudi-backed tyranny? Only time will tell if the US will find the courage to stand up against MBS's regime or remain forever entangled in the web of Saudi influence that threatens to strangle American democracy.
 
๐Ÿค• I'm so worried about where America is headed with this Saudi business ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ. They're basically besties with a guy who's responsible for a journalist being murdered ๐Ÿ˜ฑ. Like, what even is the point of having values if you're just gonna ignore them for some cash ๐Ÿ’ธ? And it's not just that, they're also giving Saudi Arabia a free pass on all its human rights issues ๐Ÿค”. It's like America has lost sight of everything that's important ๐Ÿ—ฟ๏ธ. I mean, what happened to the journalism and free speech that used to be all about holding people in power accountable? ๐Ÿ˜” Now it seems like they're just being silenced ๐Ÿ’€. This whole thing is a total mess ๐Ÿšฎ.
 
๐Ÿ™„ I mean, come on... America's still playing nice with Saudi Arabia despite all the human rights issues and Jamal Khashoggi's murder? It's like they're trying to forget it all happened or something ๐Ÿคฏ The US government is always saying how much it values democracy and freedom, but when it comes down to it, money talks, right? ๐Ÿ’ธ And those billions of dollars in arms deals aren't gonna solve anything except maybe line the pockets of MBS's cronies ๐Ÿค‘ Meanwhile, the press is being silenced by its own owners and the Washington Post is erasing Jamal's memory from its pages... it's just not right ๐Ÿ˜• I guess some people really do think that doing business with Saudi Arabia is more important than standing up for human rights ๐Ÿ‘Ž
 
๐Ÿค” The whole situation with the Saudi prince's visit is like something straight outta a "House of Cards" episode - it's just so messed up! America needs to wake up and realize that they're not doing themselves any favors by still having such strong ties with Saudi Arabia. I mean, come on, Jamal Khashoggi's murder was a huge red flag, but the US is more worried about making a quick buck than standing up for human rights?

And what's up with The Washington Post just erasing Jamal's memory like it never happened? That's some serious "The Man in the High Castle"-level censorship right there ๐Ÿ“ฐ. It's time for America to take a long hard look at its own values and figure out why they're still so closely tied to Saudi Arabia.

This whole situation is just a big ol' mess, and I'm not sure what the outcome is going to be. But one thing's for sure - if America doesn't start making some serious changes, it's gonna be a dark road ahead ๐Ÿšจ.
 
๐Ÿ˜’ this is so not right, america needs to wake up and realize theyre being played by saudi arabia ๐Ÿค‘ those billions of dollars in arms deals are just a drop in the bucket compared to the price of freedom ๐Ÿ’” jamal khashoggi's murder was a tragedy and americas response to it has been a joke ๐Ÿคก bezos surrendering to mbs's demands is literally shameful ๐Ÿ™…โ€โ™‚๏ธ
 
I was so far off on the news - I'm just catching up now ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ... It's crazy how the US is still giving Saudi Arabia a free pass despite all the human rights issues and Jamal Khashoggi's murder. The whole thing feels like a big slap in the face to anyone who cares about freedom of speech and democracy. I mean, what's next? Are they gonna start ignoring human rights abuses in China or North Korea too? ๐Ÿ˜’
 
I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS STILL GOING STRONG WITH SAUDI ARABIA!!! ๐Ÿคฏ๐Ÿ’ธ IT'S LIKE AMERICA FORGOT ALL ABOUT JAMAL KHASHOGGI AND WHAT REALLY MATTERED - MONEY AND INFLUENCE! ๐Ÿ˜ฑ THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THEY'RE MAKING FROM SAUDI ARMS DEALS COULDN'T BE MORE IRONIC THAN THE PRICE OF FREEDOM THAT KASHOGGI LOVED SO MUCH ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ

AND WHAT'S WITH THE WASHINGTON POST CHANGING THEIR TUNE? ๐Ÿ“ฐ๐Ÿ’” IT'S LIKE THEY'RE TRYING TO ERASE KASHOGGI'S MEMORY OR SOMETHING! ๐Ÿ˜ฉ AND JEFF BEZOS IS JUST STANDING BY, WATCHING IT ALL GO DOWN WITHOUT SAYING A WORD ๐Ÿค

I FEEL BAD FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST SITTING BACK AND LETTING THIS HAPPEN ๐Ÿ™…โ€โ™‚๏ธ IT'S LIKE THEY'RE WAITING FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO SAVE THEM FROM SAUDI TYRANNY ๐Ÿ˜ด BUT WE CAN'T WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO ACT - WE NEED TO TAKE A STAND NOW! ๐Ÿ’ช
 

the trump administration's willingness to give mbs a warm welcome is just mind-blowing. i mean, 7 years and still no accountability for jamal khashoggi's murder. it's like america has lost all sense of values and principles. the silence from the washington post is deafening. it's like they've sold out to saudi arabia completely. what's next? will we see a full-blown cover-up? ๐Ÿคฏ
 
๐Ÿค” I'm all over the place on this one... On one hand, you gotta admire America's commitment to diplomacy and not letting petty politics get in the way - after all, engaging with world leaders is key to shaping global issues ๐ŸŒŽ. But on another, can we honestly say that Saudi Arabia's got a spotless record? I mean, come on, Jamal Khashoggi's murder? ๐Ÿ˜ฑ That's some serious red flags right there.

It's like America's trying to walk a tightrope - wanting to maintain those billion-dollar arms deals and investments while simultaneously being the moral compass of the world ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ. I get that it's not black and white, but can't we at least pretend to care about human rights a bit more? The fact that Bezos is basically bowing down to MBS just shows how far that narrative has been compromised.

Still, I do think this visit serves as a wake-up call - America needs to get its priorities straight and stop being so quick to compromise on what matters most. If we can't even stand up for Jamal's legacy, what does that say about our values? ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ Guess time will tell if we'll find the courage to take a stand against MBS's regime... ๐Ÿ•ฐ๏ธ
 
ugh, can't believe america is still sipping on that ksa sauce ๐Ÿคฏ it's like they've completely forgotten about jamal and what he went through. seven years have passed since mbs was found guilty of his murder, but america's still got a soft spot for saudi royals ๐Ÿค‘ meanwhile, the washington post has basically turned into a mouthpiece for the saudis ๐Ÿ‘€ bezos needs to get his priorities straight, dude. it's not about the benjamins when you're erasing history and silencing dissenting voices ๐Ÿ’ธ america's lost its grip on what's truly important: freedom of speech and holding those in power accountable ๐Ÿค–
 
๐Ÿค” I'm telling you, this is a classic case of America playing politics over principle ๐Ÿค‘. We're more concerned with keeping it warm with Riyadh than standing up for what we believe in ๐Ÿ’ช. I mean, come on, $400 billion in arms deals? That's like buying into a toxic relationship ๐Ÿ˜’. Meanwhile, Jamal Khashoggi's family is still waiting for justice ๐Ÿ’”. And let's not forget the Washington Post's betrayal ๐Ÿ“ฐ - it's like they're more interested in cashing checks than speaking truth to power ๐Ÿ’ธ. This Saudi prince's visit is a slap in the face to everything we hold dear: freedom of speech, human rights, and democracy ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ. We need to take a hard look at our priorities and realize that our values are being sacrificed for the sake of expediency ๐Ÿ˜•. Mark my words, this is going to come back to haunt us ๐Ÿ‘Š
 
๐Ÿค” I'm low-key shocked by how little progress the US has made on holding Saudi Arabia accountable for Jamal Khashoggi's murder. Like, 7 years is a looong time to be ignoring the evidence and still giving MBS a free pass ๐Ÿšซ๐Ÿ’ธ It's all about the Benjamins, right? ๐Ÿค‘ But what about the human rights abuses? The oppression? The silenced voices? ๐Ÿ’” It feels like America has lost sight of its values and is more concerned with being buddies with Saudi Arabia than standing up for what's right. I mean, where are the consequences for MBS's regime? When will the US start holding them accountable for their actions? ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ The whole thing just feels like a big ol' mess, and I'm not sure how much longer America can afford to turn a blind eye to Saudi Arabia's shenanigans ๐Ÿ˜’
 
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