buddy larsen,
Husbandry, according to KSA … One doesn’t hear … that sort of thinking in Russia

We can construct a Taxonomy of Creeps.

The Saudis are classic rent seekers. Their god has given them an asset and they live off of it. The rent they get is either consumed or use to purchase other assets. They produce almost nothing for export except murderous young men and clerics who teach others to be violent and uncreative.

The Russians are thugs. They explore the vulnerabilities in their neighbors and then get control over them by whatever means they can. It could be by manipulating energy supplies or drugs or internet traffic. They are willing to work, just not work for mutual advantage. Given how Russians see the correlation of forces, China rising and the West imploding, it is rational to them. Their biggest problem isn’t the temporary nature of their hydrocarbon supplies but the shrinking pool of Russians.

So they are different. With luck if the US were to pull back from brink of auto-castration advocated by Obama through AGW self impoverishment, Health Care socialization, and unilateral disarmament, the Russians could respond by switching from being a junior partner to China in the SCO to being supporters of Western civilization. For the Saudis I see no path to a positive outcome.

~Paules,
We are at the stage now when we have just uncovered one of their lairs. Let’s see who panics and which rabbits start running in what directions.

To be blogged under the title, “A Taxonomy of Creeps.”