But more brutal.
Bahrain has a huge number of ‘guest workers’ and citizenship is one of those simmering tensions that crosses the shia/sunni divide.
All very messy but with a low population, a non-native security force, the US strategic interest and Saudi next door willing, eager and able to help crush a revolt the population probably need to settle for what they can get before things get really bloody.
But good luck to them anyway.
When this sort of thing happens, the excitable people tend to punch out at the end of their contracts, while us stupid ones stay hoping for a nice raise.
No words in mouth, evaluation of you.
Well, if they went tits up, I’d be quite afraid. Nothing I read about the Saudi situation makes me think the results would be pleasant.
If Saudi collapses, what are the odds the U.S. military will move in to “secure” the oil fields?
Why should they? A military force can’t operate an oilfield, and those whose job it is to do so would, I hope, be far away watching over their families. At any rate, nobody’s going to fire the wells Hussein-style, because, why? In event of revolution in SA, eventually all the oilfields will end up in the hands of somebody new who will pump the oil and sell it abroad, just like always, because it’s too valuable not to and what else ya gonna do with it?
ABC News journalist gets thumped a little bit, and his camera taken away.
Not as bad as Kent State where the military opened fire on protesters.
So why Desert Shield’n’Storm?
House of Bush, House of Saud.
Disturbing reports from Bahrain, authorities shooting into crowds.
Like Dick Cheney shooting flightless quailtards. 
I’m sure the King’s apology is in the post and Obama is working himself up to administer a really stiff hand-wringing.
Huh, this demonstrates how odd the modern world has become. Queen Noor of Jordan wades in (on Twitter, natch):
I’m assuming the “they” she refers to is the Bahraini Royals.
More shooting about an hour ago, just at local sundown. You rarely see a professional police force screwing up so badly.
I’m not sure ‘professional’ applies to a bunch of mercenary brutes paid to do whatever they are told to a bunch of foreigners from the ‘wrong’ sort of Islam.
I doubt they are screwing up at all. They are using anti-aircraft guns for crowd control and intend to send a brutal message.
The Saudi’s are encouraging them is my guess. They may come across the causeway they built just for this reason.
Well, glad to seethe UK Gov is properly reacting, BBC:
That’s saying a lot; the Varangian Guard were Vikings.
[QUOTE=Wikipedia]
The brutality of the Varangians was noted when they pursued the fleeing army and “cheerfully hacked them to pieces.”
[/QUOTE]
But not with anti-aircraft guns!
Every resistance movement needs an anti-war song.
With apologies to Creedence Clearwater Revival and the people of Bahrain:
Long as I remember
Bahrain been comin’ down.
Crowds of citizenry pouring
confusion on the ground.
People paid low wages,
try’n’ to find the sun,
and I wonder, still I wonder,
who’ll stop Bahrain?
Down at the Pearl Roundabout
seekin’ shelter from the storm.
Caught up in the fable,
I watched the crisis grow.
Foreign troops and oil deals,
wrapped in golden chains,
and I wonder, still I wonder,
who’ll stop Bahrain?
Heard the speakers prayin’,
how we cheered for more.
The crowd had rushed together,
Is this peace or war?
Still the blood kept pourin’,
fallin’ in my ears,
and I wonder, still I wonder
who’ll stop Bahrain?