Conspicuously Uncritical of Saudi Arabia
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“While this podcast certainly offers some helpful and unique insights, as someone who has spent years traveling and working throughout the Middle East (an witnessing the aftermath of Saudi meddling) I could not help noticing one rather conspicuous bias throughout these shows, namely a consistent pro-Saudi slant to nearly every issue covered, either outright or by omission.
Are we seriously to believe that in a multi-part and in-depth analysis of the history of the War on Terror that not one meaningful criticism is to be placed at the feet of the world’s chief exporter of Wahabism? What’s more, the disaster in Yemen is all on the Houthi’s (while zero evidence is provided for them actually being a “proxy” of Iran and everything worth knowing about them is stated on their flag)? Is MBS even mentioned? No mention of the Saudi blockade that caused the worst Cholera outbreak in recorded history, or of mass starvations that’s led to the unnecessary deaths of tens of thousands of Yemeni children. No mention of the unrelenting air strikes against civilians and civilian infrastructure which have been roundly condemned by the international community? Instead the Houthis are put forth as this massive bogey man and Iran-backed proxy (while zero evidence is offered for their actually being supported by Iran in any meaningful way) and the Saudis who are armed with the most sophisticated aircraft and weapons systems on earth, and who are supported and trained by every Western nation that can find a place in line to sell them a bullet are the underdogs?
Sadat is the ‘most brilliant leader to come out of the Arab world’ and Nasser (leader of the non-align movement, Pan-Arabism, and a man who masterfully played the US and Soviets off of one another like no leader before or since, is just dismissed as a brutal despot? And the American co-host is an ‘unapologetic Monarchist’.
Also, they trudge vaguely over the topic of Palestine as if it’s a chore and a tired issue that they are embarrassed to have to reference.
What could have been a thoughtful show is undone by a bias so blatant that it honestly makes me wonder about where their funding comes from. And the omissions regarding Saudi abuses are as abundant as the simplistic critiques of Iran. Here’s just a few, Saudi ranks at the bottom in press freedom behind Libya and the DRC (i.e. behind two failed states with essentially zero protections for the press) still executes people for homosexuality and witchcraft, calls for the murder of its persecuted Shia minority in its grammarschool textbooks, and concerning those antisemitic screeds on the Houthi flag? The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a US ally and member in good standing of the UN, might want to check what’s being said about Jews in stated-sanctioned mosques and by state-sponsored clerics in Saudi Arabia and around the world. And that’s just the tip of the ice burg.
Offering a critical analysis of the War on Terror without a critique of the Saudi regime is like doing a history of Fascism and leaving out the Third Reich. In the end my analysis of this podcast is that it winds up just being slickly produced pro-Saudi propaganda, but I’ll give it two stars for the valid points that it offers despite this irredamable flaw.”
alepx via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
08/12/20
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