It’s important for anyone making ad-hominem attacks to make the distinction between the Saudi people and the Saudi government.
Saudi Arabia is a monarchy - and laws are passed and ultimately enforced by the king. There is a 150 person legislative branch - but the 150 members are not elected based on who the citizens desire based on their position and views - they are all appointed by the king.
It is not correct to assume that the existence of the male guardianship laws means they have popular support from the Saudi people - men or women. Speech is suppressed, the media is censored, and when activists get any visibility they are added to the long list of dissidents and are imprisoned or otherwise suffer human rights abuses. Although there are a few elected officials, they are on local municipal councils which have little real power.
Basically, what the king wants the king gets. It’s an interesting dynamic because normally, the catalyst for revolutions is low standard of living, poverty, and poor economic conditions. Saudi Arabia is a wealthy country, so although there are human rights abuses against the citizenry and there is a long list of dissidents, the citizenry is taken care of in other ways, so things have not come to a flashing point.
Seriously. In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re living in a country where we’re allowed to say such things. I think refusing to even acknowledge it is a symptom of the problem!
We’re living in a world where what people do in one country is noticed and commented on by people around the world. What the Saudis do with regards to women in Saudi Arabia is offensive to many, many people around the world. I get that the Saudi people didn’t elect their king, and don’t have a lot of say in what the king decrees, but that doesn’t change how the rest of the world views the oppression of women in Saudi Arabia. For the average Saudi man to say, “I was just oppressing women because the king told me to” doesn’t make it right.
taskmgr.exe, if you’re feeling personally insulted by comments directed toward a group of people, I’m sorry about that but that is not against the rules here. You seem to be saying that you are not in agreement with Saudi misogynistic policies; in which case, you’d be in agreement with the posters here you’re accusing of insulting you.
Our board policy regarding insults is that you are allowed to throw any opprobrium you wish at groups, policies, opinions, etc. … but not directly insult a poster here at SD who holds any such opinion. It’s the difference between “You are stupid” and “that’s a stupid opinion; here’s why.” Other Dopers are doing the latter.
I don’t refuse it. I should have given you the impression that I had already acknowledged the fact that electronic tracking for Saudi women is extremely bad and unpleasant thing. I guess all you guys don’t read my posts. You’re still picking on me
It hurts me, too. But you said it as if I am one of those who treat women and children in such bad way. I never do that. And because I come from Saudi, I feel like I am regarded as one of those evils. Of course I am butthurt. If someone hurts, don’t you be butthurt? (you’re still picking on me by the way)
No one is picking on you. You should be far more offended at the idiots who impose these repulsive laws than people who get understandably offended at them. They are your problem, not me.
We’re not picking on you. What are you, twelve? We’re discussing something. You think that because we insult and are disgusted by Saudis we are insulting and disgusted by Arabs, and moreover, that we are insulting you. We are not. We are upset and horrified by the massive human rights violations in Saudi Arabia, women that we consider sisters in many ways. We’ve read books that came out of there. We hear about women being abused and beaten and none of that still compares to the day to day drudgery of being a trapped animal in a cage and having no way out.
If you are against it, good. Then we are not talking about you. Why do you continue to insist on making it personal? No one here has said EVERY SINGLE ARAB IS A MEAN WIFE BEATING BASTARD. No one. Do you hear me? Nobody! We are saying there is an institutionalized, government sponsored, horrible situation and we despise it and we despise the men involved who think this is the way to treat fellow human beings. If you don’t do any of that, then why are you even worried?
If you’ve written this in your first post when replying me, I wouldn’t take it offensively. And this argument wouldn’t take that long.
Plus, please, when you are calm, read your post again. It is very annoying in tone.
Oh, not to forget that We’re not picking on you. What are you, twelve?. Yeah, I am idiot undoubtedly. Are you now happy to know I am an idiot? Do you like to see me dying painfully?
What? What are you even talking about? This ending just made me laugh. I’m perfectly calm and not upset at all. Do I “like to see you dying painfully”? That is incredibly overdramatic!
You know, I was going to respond, but I’m sorry, I just, I can’t. This is going nowhere. Peace out.
If you want to argue with people about whether they’re anti-Arab or anti-Muslim, or whether they are picking on you, take it to the Pit. In this thread, for reasons that have been explained to you repeatedly, by moderators and by fellow posters, you’re off topic.
This hurts.