- Moderator
- #1
The abduction and likely death of Kashoggi. A surprisingly sycophantic attitude from an American President known for cosying to autocrats. It must be “rogue assassins”...or something. Or something.
To abduct a person from a consulate on another nation’s territory...against that nation’s laws, represents a new and much more dangerous assault on journalistic freedom. In fact...I think it is unheard of. And it puts the US in a tricky position. Saudi Arabia is our ally. But a free media and the rights of journalists to report, and to hold their governments responsible has long been an underpinning of American Democracy. We have censored allies before for bad behavior...withheld sales for example.
We are witnessing a demise journalistic freedomof around the world journalists are being threatened, killed and jailed for trying to do their jobs. They depend on bigger more powerful countries to look out for their rights should authoritarian states come down on them.
If we kow tow to the Saudi’s over this, what does that tell other dictators and what does it say to our values?
To abduct a person from a consulate on another nation’s territory...against that nation’s laws, represents a new and much more dangerous assault on journalistic freedom. In fact...I think it is unheard of. And it puts the US in a tricky position. Saudi Arabia is our ally. But a free media and the rights of journalists to report, and to hold their governments responsible has long been an underpinning of American Democracy. We have censored allies before for bad behavior...withheld sales for example.
We are witnessing a demise journalistic freedomof around the world journalists are being threatened, killed and jailed for trying to do their jobs. They depend on bigger more powerful countries to look out for their rights should authoritarian states come down on them.
If we kow tow to the Saudi’s over this, what does that tell other dictators and what does it say to our values?