The commerce secretary praises the lack of protest in a country where it’s punishable by death

[Tour2ma]

Ignorance or wistful longing?

The commerce secretary praises the lack of protest in a country where it’s punishable by death

By Philip Bump May 22

Commerce secretary Wilbur Ross offered two highlights from his trip to Saudi Arabia in an interview with CNBC on Monday morning. First, he enjoyed the two bushels of dates he was given by Saudi Arabian security guards and, second, he was pleased that he saw no protester with “a bad placard.”

Perhaps because an American-style protest is illegal in that country and can result in a death sentence.
Ross was using the lack of protesters as an example of how warmly the Trump administration was received in the country.

ROSS: There’s no question that they’re liberalizing their society. And I think the other thing that was fascinating to me: There was not a single hint of a protester anywhere there during the whole time we were there. Not one guy with a bad placard, instead there was …

CNBC HOST (Becky Quick): But Secretary Ross, that may be not necessarily because they don’t have those feelings there, but because they control people and don’t allow to them to come and express their feelings quite the same as we do here.

ROSS: In theory, that could be true. But, boy, there was certainly no sign of it, there wasn’t a single effort of any incursion. There wasn’t anything. The mood was a genuinely good mood.

It’s sort of fascinating, really, that Ross so seamlessly transitions from “they are liberalizing their society” — a recognition that the Saudi regime is staunchly rigid and conservative — to “and there were no protests.”

It’s also fascinating that Ross dismisses the host’s interjection about why there were no protests. “In theory,” there were no protests because it’s illegal? No, in practice.

Six years ago, in the midst of the popular uprisings in the Middle East known as the Arab Spring, the Saudi Council of Senior Religious Scholars issued a decree essentially banning public protest in the country. The following February, a 17-year-old named Ali al-Nimr was arrested for participating in an anti-government protest. Two years later, he was sentenced to death by beheading and crucifixion and remains on death row.

More, including video of the CNBC interview, at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/05/22/the-commerce-secretary-praises-the-lack-of-protest-in-a-country-where-its-punishable-by-death/?utm_term=.ed83ef41ff43

To be fair... most arrests of protesters have not resulted in executions, although that possibility remains. Punishments more commonly include relatively short periods of jail time... and floggings...

[LogicIsForSquares]

Saudi Arabia had attempts at protest during the Arab Spring but they crushed that fairly quick.

[Westside Steve]

You don't see a lot of chewing gum spit on the sidewalk in Singapore. Just saying.

?

WSS

[jbluhm86]

Saudi Arabia had attempts at protest during the Arab Spring but they crushed that fairly quick.

 

Probably with some of the weapons we send them in our regular arms deals with them.

 

At least they're buying American?

[Tour2ma]

You don't see a lot of chewing gum spit on the sidewalk in Singapore. Just saying.

 

WSS

 

 

You've played Singapore?

[Canton Dawg]

But the Clintons loved their oil money $$

[Westside Steve]

 

 

You've played Singapore?

Will I have been known to sing a porly.

 

Sorry for the horrible pun. And misleading by the way.

WSS

[Westside Steve]

By the way I've never been to the Middle East either-or England or Russia but...

?

WSS

[Tour2ma]

... no gum there either???

 

or...

 

"... but (you've) been to Oklahoma..."

 

But the Clintons loved their oil money $$

 

Which "oil money" is that? The "Foundation" oil money or the "speaking fee" oil money?

 

The Dubai, investment property, oil money flows to someone else...