While US corporate media is lionizing and mourning the death of Saudi Arabia's beheader-in-chief:
"He was really quite (an) extraordinary figure. He was probably the most progressive and liberal-minded king of Saudi Arabia since King Faisal, which is a long time ago, in the early 1970s," CNN's Fareed Zakaria said about Abdullah, whom he described as "much loved."
"I had the opportunity to meet with him once, and what you got a sense of was somebody who really was determined to move his country forward," Zakaria said. "It's a conservative country and a conservative society -- and he kept emphasizing that to me -- but he was very clear in the direction he wanted to go."
- CNN
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So are top US officials:
President Obama said in a statement it was "with deep respect that I express my personal condolences and the sympathies of the American people" to the king's family and all Saudis.
He noted that the king's life "spanned from before the birth of modern Saudi Arabia through its emergence as a critical force within the global economy and a leader among Arab and Islamic nations. He took bold steps in advancing the Arab Peace Initiative, an endeavor that will outlive him as an enduring contribution to the search for peace in the region."
Obama said he always valued Abdullah's perspective "and appreciated our genuine and warm friendship. As a leader, he was always candid and had the courage of his convictions. "
...
Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States had "lost a friend" with Abdullah's death. He commended the king for investing in Saudi Arabia's people, infrastructure and economic development.
"Even as he battled age and illness, he held on to his sense of determination," Kerry said in a statement. "He was so proud of the Kingdom's journey, a brave partner in fighting violent extremism who proved just as important as a proponent of peace."
- USA Today
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Really? Progressive? Liberal-minded? A proponent of "peace"?
A brave partner in fighting violent extremism???
More, and an explanation of my incendiary title (with Wikileaks goodness) below...
Ok, so this is the spot where I go all Daily Show and cut & paste quotes and links that evince the exact opposite of what our news outlets and our leaders are saying about this dead KING.
Do we really need that though?
The blogger who's getting lashed every other day? The beheadings? Driving while female? Engineering and supporting proxy wars? Exporting a distorted, radicalized, dogmatic worldview?
Allowing his own populace to be tyrannized and repressed by that same toxic conservatism?
Which brings me to my point. Wikileaks tweeted a diplomatic cable from their archives today (dated Nov '09). Choice tidbits, with my emphasis:
Summary: Behind the facade of Wahabi conservatism in the streets, the underground nightlife for Jeddah's elite youth is thriving and throbbing. The full range of worldly temptations and vices are available -- alcohol, drugs, sex -- but strictly behind closed doors. This freedom to indulge carnal pursuits is possible merely because the religious police keep their distance when parties include the presence or patronage of a Saudi royal and his circle of loyal attendants, such as a Halloween event attended by ConGenOffs on October 29. Over the past few years, the increased conservatism of Saudi Arabia's external society has pushed the nightlife and party scene in Jeddah even further underground. End summary.
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So you see where this is going. (Note the use of the word "throbbing" in the above excerpt. Heh heh.)
According to a young Saudi from a prominent Jeddah merchant family, the Saudis try to throw parties at princes' houses or with princes in attendance, which serves as sufficient deterrent to interference by the CPVPV.
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CPVPV being the religious cops, not an STD.
Alcohol, though strictly prohibited by Saudi law and custom, was plentiful at the party's well-stocked bar, well-patronized by Halloween revellers... a number of the guests were in fact "working girls," not uncommon for such parties.
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Likker & Hookers!!! WooHoo!!! And you thought you had a cool man cave.
It is not uncommon in Jeddah for the more lavish private residences to include elaborate basement bars, discos, entertainment centers and clubs. As one high society Saudi remarked, "The increased conservatism of our society over these past years has only moved social interaction to the inside of people's homes."
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