Who Really Won The Oil Price War?

This depends upon whether one looks short, or long term. Short term it is indeed a tie. Long term it is a route. 
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​More after the break.

Deadliest attack in a year kills 115 in central Baghdad

It is time for the world, but especially for the Middle East to decide how much longer it will tolerate the Wahhabi/Salafi.
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The root of this is one group, with one center, and headed by one family, the House of Saud, and one religion Wahhabism. How long will you tolerate this nonsense? Once this dam bursts, there will be blood.

The only way to stop this is to cut the tap root, the House of Saud, the Wahhabi. 

U.S. Seeks to Use Business to Lock In Iran Deal

This is the right thing to do. We need to rebuild trade relations with Iran as soon as possible.
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More below.

Orlando victims' GoFundMe page sets record with $2million raised

Cathartic! 

There's more.

Senate approves Sept. 11 legislation despite Saudi threats

. . . oh, God, please let them execute on this amount of stupid. 

​More after the break.

With Iran-Backed Conversions, Shiites Gain Ground in Africa

. . . as it spreads, we will need to remain aloof, yet ready to help the Shiite maneuver the battle towards the full, unfettered reformation of both Sunni, and Shiite factions of Islam. The goal is ultimately a renaissance, and enlightenment of Islam, of the type Protestantism brought to Christianity. 

“OPEC is Dead”

. . . the House of Saud must pump oil, or it will die. Of course, OPEC is dead.

"Times have changed, though, and the country’s new man-behind-the-throne—the 31 year old deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman—has little interest in ceding Saudi market share in pursuit of higher prices while the rest of OPEC gets a free ride."

Exactly. The House of Saud cannot afford to build Iran's coffers by cutting revenue. With Iran sans sanctions, The House of Saud is in dire straits for Iran already has an integrated economy, while Saud has an economy limited to oil alone. If allowed, Iran will use its oil revenue to build its integrated economy. This is the reason we are only now seeing the House of Saud pay attention to its non-oil economy, intent on selling off a portion of ARAMCO to fund a $2 trillion attempt to see if it can get the Arabs to actually go to work. Good luck with that. The reason they did not do it before? They do not think it is possible; they are desperate!

The Islamic Reformation is coming, Iran will anchor the Shia, The House of Saud will Anchor the Sunni, the outcome should be the sublimation of Salafism/Wahhabism into a reformed Islam more in tune with the Enlightened West. And optimistically, this will trigger an Islamic Enlightenment. 

To do this the House of Saud, and its alliance with Wahhabism must fall. It's Game of Thrones with consequences!

The religious compact that constrains Saudi economic reform - FT.com

. . . created upon the linking of a binary. While evil corrupts, absolute evil corrupts absolutely. 

Little Arab Lord Fauntleroy wants to reform the dilettante's in Saudi by putting the them to actual work, and reforming, completely, the corrupt system, stem to stern. 

"All this rewrites the social contract whereby Saudis forgo political rights and offer fealty to the House of Saud in return for public sector jobs and cradle-to-grave welfare funded by oil. Coming even close to these goals implies radical social change, an upheaval in governance — all without much sign that the absolute monarchy intends its subjects to become fully participatory citizens.

While no one can fault MbS for his boldness, his programme resembles a mobilisation of technocrats to bypass big political obstacles. The biggest of these is the cornerstone of the state: the historic compact between the House of Saud and the House of ibn Abdul Wahhab, the 18th century preacher behind the most extreme version of Sunni Muslim orthodoxy ever attempted as a form of governance. The ruling family has until now relied on the Wahhabi establishment — as reactionary and bigoted as ever — for its legitimacy, in exchange for clerical control over areas such as education and the judiciary, as well as the segregation of women."

This will only work if the House of Saud follows what we know works here at the End of History: republican governance, free market economics, reformed religions, and a state which strictly limits its regulations, including regulations of life and business. This is really simply, good government, good religions, free markets, and liberty. Saudi has none of these. 


Good luck with this. If you want to be taken seriously cut loose the religion today. Until you do so, no one will believe you have a chance, and more than anything you need others to believe and support your plan. After that you will need to pair the liberalization of the economy with the liberalization of politics. Sorry, that means the House of Saud will have to give up power to the people through a plural republican mechanism of some kind. Choose the form of your destructor. Not choosing is a choice. 

Choose wisely, young Arab Lord Fauntleroy, choose wisely.

Saudi Arabia: Nothing But A Lot Of Sand & Hot Air

. . . terrorist funding despots.

Exactly why do we think of these human rights hating, fear mongering, terrorist funding, sociopaths as allies? Without oil they have no economy, and while they are now saying they will spend trillions to create an economy, no Saudi wants to actually work. 

It is time to roll out the big guns, open up federal lands to oil and gas development, and drive the House of Saud into retirement . . . or back to camel riding, whichever they can hold on to. This is the face of evil.

ISIS carries out Good Friday crucifixion of Indian priest in Yemen

. . . of ISIS as the anti-God element!

How stupid could these wankers be? That stupid.