Gun Control & RKBA

Euromutt

(6,506 posts) Sun Jul 22, 2012, 01:15 AM Jul 2012

Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia...

From an article in The Economist a couple of weeks ago:

Sheikh Nimr has long been a thorn in the side of the ruling family. A warrant for his arrest was first issued in 2009 after he said that if Saudi Shias were not allowed to “live with dignity”, the eastern provinces should secede from the kingdom. Such talk is particularly inflammatory, since most of Saudi Arabia’s oilfields are in the east.

Yet he was not actually arrested. Security forces may have been mindful of the fact that some households in his town, Awamiyeh, were known to have stashes of guns smuggled in from Yemen and Iraq.

Let that sink in for a moment: for three years, the police forces of an autocratic police state were deterred from arresting this turbulent priest because "some households" in a town of 25,000 people had guns. Which also implies that the police didn't have the means and/or the will to locate and seize those smuggled guns either. And let's not forget that it's not as if the Kingdom's police forces are strapped for cash and equipment.

Maybe the idea that an armed citizenry can form a check on a dictatorial regime isn't quite so crazy after all.

6 replies

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Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia... (Original Post) Euromutt Jul 2012 OP

But the Saudis don't have nuclear weapons. It all hinges on nuclear weapons. TPaine7 Jul 2012 #1

Nice try but Gman Jul 2012 #2

How so? n/t PavePusher Jul 2012 #3

Please, do tell Euromutt Jul 2012 #4

looks like a plan that worked . . . how is that wishful thinking? can you elaborate? Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2012 #5

Ok permatex Jul 2012 #6

TPaine7

(4,286 posts)

1. But the Saudis don't have nuclear weapons. It all hinges on nuclear weapons.

Reply to Euromutt (Original post)

Sun Jul 22, 2012, 01:30 AM

Jul 2012

If a dictatorial US president were challenged by rebels in DC he would simply carped bomb the District and nearby areas (in Virginia and Maryland) with nukes.

The Saudis can't do that, so they can't be compared to the US.

Gman

(24,780 posts)

2. Nice try but

Reply to Euromutt (Original post)

Sun Jul 22, 2012, 02:49 AM

Jul 2012

Very wishful thinking.

PavePusher

(15,374 posts)

3. How so? n/t

Reply to Gman (Reply #2)

Sun Jul 22, 2012, 04:35 AM

Jul 2012

Euromutt

(6,506 posts)

4. Please, do tell

Reply to Gman (Reply #2)

Sun Jul 22, 2012, 06:17 AM

Jul 2012

This is an assessment from The Economist, which regardless of its point of view on other issues is firmly opposed to private ownership of firearms. If this newspaper acknowledges that the security forces of a police state can be deterred from serving an arrest warrant for three years by the threat of "some households" in a small town having guns, there's probably something to it.

I honestly threw this out for discussion. and unsupported dismissal is not discussion. Please, feel free to argue your point.

Tuesday Afternoon

(56,912 posts)

5. looks like a plan that worked . . . how is that wishful thinking? can you elaborate?

Reply to Gman (Reply #2)

Sun Jul 22, 2012, 08:11 AM

Jul 2012

permatex

(1,299 posts)

6. Ok

Reply to Gman (Reply #2)

Sun Jul 22, 2012, 10:24 AM

Jul 2012

So prove your statement.
I'd like to hear your reasons why it's very wishful thinking, and I'm not mocking you, I really would like to hear your reasons.

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