Can a citizen of a progressive democracy do business with a dictatorship?

[Something completely different]

An article on a German architect doing business in Saudi Arabia and the moral dillemas resulting out of this.


http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeit...09412.html

[Captain Colostomy]

Money trumps morality? Say it isn't so....

[Minimalist]

The only way to drag these barbarians into the modern world is to show them that there is a modern world.... and that it is better than the tents they used to live in.

[Captain Colostomy]

The only way to drag these barbarians into the modern world is to show them that there is a modern world.... and that it is better than the tents they used to live in.

You're talking about the women and their get-ups?

[Anomalocaris]

An article on a German architect doing business in Saudi Arabia and the moral dillemas resulting out of this.


http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeit...09412.html

What is the moral dillema?

Whether we have not been sufficiently smug in our conceit that we are both the banner carrier and ultimate arbitor of the best course for human development?

[Minimalist]

The only way to drag these barbarians into the modern world is to show them that there is a modern world.... and that it is better than the tents they used to live in.

You're talking about the women and their get-ups?

That, too.

[kılıç_mehmet]

An article on a German architect doing business in Saudi Arabia and the moral dillemas resulting out of this.


http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeit...09412.html

Well, if the so-called progressive democracy is the foremost supporter of the dictatorship, why not? It is a fact that Saudi Arabia has the largest oil reserves of any given country on earth today, and no so-called progressive country has ever thought about bringing democracy there, as this dictatorship is a servant to those who deem themselves to be the progressive ones. There is no dilemma here. He drives his car back home with the oil that comes from this dictatorship. In todays materialistic world, money is money. May it come from a corrupt Wahabi monarchist, or a corrupt "progressive" democrat, it matters little.

The only way to drag these barbarians into the modern world is to show them that there is a modern world.... and that it is better than the tents they used to live in.

Tents? What tents? The only people in Saudi Arabia that live in tents are the bedoins. And they are not shareholders of the oil that fattens the Wahabis in Saudi Arabia. And those live in luxurious homes, have yachts the size of your apartment.
Show them, right.

[Doubting Thomas]

Next you're going to tell me that Republicans have moral dilemmas over being in bed with Big Business.

[Zazzy]

Well, if the so-called progressive democracy is the foremost supporter of the dictatorship, why not?

It's a little scary, but Mehmet is right about this- at least for the US. It's pretty ridiculous for us to pretend to have any moral high ground when we have propped up many dictators for our own ends.