Bahrain - a conundrum for the interventionists

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 03-23-2011, 20:17

Originally Posted by Sarmatian

There, fixed it for you. So when is the intervention starting? Soon I hope, since the US has troops on the ground. Oh, wait, they are there actually to protect Saudi family... but I thought... oh, nevermind...

Wierdly, Monarchy functions differently from Tyranny. There is no apparent reason why this should be true, but it is, and was first observed by the Greeks. Saudi Arabia, and even more so Bahrain, seem to be making progress towards democracy. Bahrain, for example, has had a bicamal legislature since 2002 where the lower chamber is elected via universal sufferage.

**Idaho** · 03-23-2011, 20:59

Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla

Bahrain, for example, has had a bicamal legislature since 2002 where the lower chamber is elected via universal sufferage.

Ahem... which is only populated by approved parties (and hence candidates) and the upper house and King have full veto powers over it. Little more than a tame housecat of a parliament.

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 03-23-2011, 22:09

Originally Posted by Idaho

Ahem... which is only populated by approved parties (and hence candidates) and the upper house and King have full veto powers over it. Little more than a tame housecat of a parliament.

I doubt Shia Islamists are wholly "approved".

It's still progress, the English parliament didn't start out as the final work on lawmaking either.

**Dâriûsh** · 03-23-2011, 22:21

Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla

Wierdly, Monarchy functions differently from Tyranny. There is no apparent reason why this should be true, but it is, and was first observed by the Greeks. Saudi Arabia, and even more so Bahrain, seem to be making progress towards democracy. Bahrain, for example, has had a bicamal legislature since 2002 where the lower chamber is elected via universal sufferage.

Please. Any progress towards democracy in Bahrain was crushed by 2.000 Saudi security troops and the fighter jets in the skies over Manama. Likewise, any progress towards democracy in Saud has been similarly oppressed by a massive police crackdown and a religious ban on demonstrations. His highness has been on state TV thanking his people for not rising to overthrow him. I guess he quickly forgot the protesters shot by his police in Qatif.

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 03-24-2011, 00:20

Originally Posted by Dâriûsh

Please. Any progress towards democracy in Bahrain was crushed by 2.000 Saudi security troops and the fighter jets in the skies over Manama. Likewise, any progress towards democracy in Saud has been similarly oppressed by a massive police crackdown and a religious ban on demonstrations. His highness has been on state TV thanking his people for not rising to overthrow him. I guess he quickly forgot the protesters shot by his police in Qatif.

1,000 troops, surely? These troops are not, as yet, using machine guns to slaughter people coming out of their homes. The situations are still very different. Lest we forget, UK Police kept thousands of teenagers out in the cold at the end of last year, and before that someone died at the G20 in London.

This is not wanton slaughter, it is still very much an internal issue.

**Dâriûsh** · 03-24-2011, 09:34

Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla

1,000 troops, surely? These troops are not, as yet, using machine guns to slaughter people coming out of their homes. The situations are still very different. Lest we forget, UK Police kept thousands of teenagers out in the cold at the end of last year, and before that someone died at the G20 in London.

This is not wanton slaughter, it is still very much an internal issue.

Pardon me, it is 1.200 Saudi and 800 Emirati security troops.

And no, they have not yet used machine guns. They have however killed around a dozen people with shotguns on the streets. And the situation cannot in any way be compared to contemporary United Kingdom, unless British police have started firing live rounds at protesters and using foreign soldiers to keep the peace, without me noticing.

And by the way, when foreign military starts patrolling your streets, then it ceases to be an internal matter.

**Jolt** · 04-05-2011, 19:12

Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla

Bahrain, seem to be making progress towards democracy. Bahrain, for example, has had a bicamal legislature since 2002 where the lower chamber is elected via universal sufferage.

Bahrain isn't really progressing into democracy. Conceding make-believe demands hardly means progressing towards democracy. It's the same as saying that fradulent elections are progress just because they had elections. What the bicameral legislature needs is de facto power and ability to enforce their decisions. Something that the monarchy is not willing to let go of, as is seen by their reaction to the protests.