Uniting to Exclude Saudi Arabian Airlines
Reader comment on item: Uniting to Exclude Saudi Arabian Airlines

Submitted by Lori Swanberg (United States), Sep 8, 2007 at 14:35

I find the idea that we should even attempt to control what the Saudis or any other nations wish to include in its laws and bylaws, as long as it is not a path to the murder of other ethnic or religious groups, to be arrogant and contrary to what so much of the "western world" is trying to achieve. I think the Saudi's can do what ever they like in a commercial endeavor and nobody has the right to tell them otherwise.

However, all other countries also have the rights to equally stringent laws and bylaws. I find the Saudis' attitude horribly insulting and offensive. I think that if other governments or their citizens find this policy contrary to their own national laws and culture and business practices then they should back up their beliefs with their money.

If all the nations involved, those with airports, international or otherwise, choose to disallow Saudi planes access to their airports on a freedom and a human rights basis as long as they persist with these rules of their own, than the Saudi's might rethink their policy. However, to force them in any way TO ALLOW them to continue this practice helps to tie their hand in profiling every person who enters their country; and this is a valid point to be made too any who do wish to enter Saudi soil for any reason, business or personal, but it also besides the point and merely a thought.

I do understand that business is business and it must be allowed to proceed but that is what trains and busses are for, of course as they must have equally offensive rules and if so then the Saudis' can simply accustom themselves to doing business outside their own borders so that these offensive articles do not enter their through their borders and onto their sovereign soil, which is their sovereign right. That would solve the problem effectively and make a point to them by a very passive means. It would also require the co-operation of many nations, many of whom really do not care.

In today's international society, with so many different battles to fight and on so many different issues, we do not need overly stressful solutions if they can be helped. We have enough tinder to spark the fire of war for a plethora of reasons both rational and irrational at a moments notice and throw us all into WW3. It is a fire that ,although unfortunately inevitable, will burn us all. But our $$$$$$$$ speaks it's own language, allow it to speak, allow it to roar. Allow it to set some international policy of it's own. But to do this we must be willing to spend more of OUR $$$$$$ on whatever the financial consequences are. WE MUST BE WILLING TO DO THIS. And if we are willing, then, and only then, can we petition and hopefully force our governments into this uncomfortable position, one they should have the had moral strength to have taken on their own, but well governments being governments, who are we kidding.

If we do not force the issue with the most powerful tool on earth, our own $$$$$$$$$, then it is we who choose to do nothing.

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