Deny, Deny, Deny

The Saudis are starting to get desperate. They have started to recognize that being a victim isn't all it's cracked up to be.

The Saudis, and all Arabs in general, have consistently blamed all their problems on Israel. Didn't matter what it was. Poverty? Israel causes it. Homelessness? Israel. Financial problems? Don't you know about Israel's control of the world financial system? War? If they would just leave Palestine. Islamic extremists? Israel creates them. Any problem - same answer. Deny responsibility.

And for years, that system worked just fine. Saudi Arabia never had to face its problems, but they still got American money and military aid to help stave off the extremists and the communists. Plus, they could sell all the oil they wanted to. For the Saudi monarchy, it was the perfect deal.

But the system only worked because of the instability of the region. In a land of maniacs and mullahs, crazies and clerics, thugocracies and theocracies, a scapegoat was needed to deflect the anger of the oppressed. Israel was the perfect scapegoat for the anti-Semitic status quo.

The war in Iraq changed the status quo. It is very probable that there will no longer be a evil, repressive regime to the north of Saudi Arabia. There is a strong possibility of an Iraqi-Israeli cooperation, with great benefit to Iraq. The stereotypical scapegoat may be exposed as a charade. That is the underlying fear of the existing regimes.

The ruling parties of these Arab nations know that Israel is not the manifestation of evil that they try to pretend it is. They fear the exposure of Israelis as humans because then these brutal Arab regimes would have to answer for their mistakes and shortcomings.

I believe this is why you see the author of this article taking such an introspective approach for about half the article. He sees the handwriting on the wall. He knows that the Saudi Royal Family will have to answer for years of corruption, decadence and extremism. If the Royal Family is to have any hope of surviving the whirlwind, they have to be able to point to signs of real change. Hence the introspection.

The author knows that the Palestinian problem has nearly played out. As the Palestinian Authority loses support for violence from its more moderate Arab brothers, it will begin to seek a peaceful solution. As more and more Arab nations see the light, the pressure will grow and grow on the PA. The Palestinian problem will be solved, just not the way the Arabs want it to be.

One of the keys to enlightenment is to know thyself. Hopefully these are the first spasms of the Arab Renaissance that will pull the region out of its equivalent of the dark ages. This could be a small start.