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Comment by baybal2 | Hacker News Reader

> Why is keeping nice with the Saudi family so important? Why does the US government bend over backwards to cover up for them?

Because they spawn outfits who ram airplanes into skyscrapers. I see no logic in this, but some "expert geopolitical strategists" do. Same with Israel, sinks USS Liberty, and then people on the hill go orgasmic, because "higher meaning" — whatever that means.

A simpler explanation which seems to be much more believable: great amounts of money spent by them to keep the whole US political establishment wined, dined, well moneyed, and happy.

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One of the teachers at a major Israeli military university claims that Israel is intentionally acting like a mad dog i.e. willing to take down the rest of the world with them should they go down, and that most European capitols are a target for their airforce. Whether that's rhetoric or reality, I don't think anyone intends to find out.[0]

[0] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/sep/21/israelandthepa...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_van_Creveld

People said that about Trump. I don't think that strategy paid off for him

He was not threatening enough, nor possess the mental capabilities to pull off that strategy. That strategy only works if you display the willingness to act, and the cleverness to act in such a way that demonstrates you know exactly where your opponent is weakest.

He was willing to act, his actions just always missed their mark.

I genuinely doubt the Israeli Airforce could take on the rest of Europe. There are a lot of warplanes patrolling the Mediterranean Sea.

The point of the "mad dog" approach is not to win, but to let others know you will take them down with you, with the idea being that they will do what you want out of fear.

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) dog

> willing to take down the rest of the world with them should they go down

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samson_Option

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Samson_Option:_Israel%27s_...

Follow the money is generally a good place to start, when something doesn’t make sense.

> Same with Israel, sinks USS Liberty, and then people on the hill go orgasmic, because "higher meaning" — whatever that means.

I don't think it's fair to compare Israel with Saudi. The former is a functioning democracy and is ranks significantly better that its neighbors when it comes to Civil liberties.

It's not a functioning democracy, half of its population has no voting rights.

And it's always been antagonistic with US, despite making pretty face.

And, yes, they are in bed with the Saudis, now quite openly.

> It's not a functioning democracy, half of its population has no voting rights.

Exactly which "half" we are talking about here?

> And it's always been antagonistic with US, despite making pretty face.

They are a de-facto US ally. Doesn't matter how they behave publicly.

> And, yes, they are in bed with the Saudis, now quite openly.

What does that even mean? Pretty much every liberal democracy which recognizes the Saudi royal family and has economic ties with the kingdom is in "bed" with Saudis by that logic.

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