i just have to ask why do the USA support dictators like the Saudi Govt, Pakistan, etc?

Question

yet they attack elected Gov't like Iran and the Gov't in palastine

Hamas was elected by the people we may not like the choice but they made it right? and once upon a time the PLO was called a Terrorist organization as well in fact most Gov't have been deemed terrorist at one point or another

i guess you guys forgot about the black people in florida whose votes were not counted? or how bush stole the election the first time that is why i didn't even vote the second time and yes i eventually moved to Canada being so disgusted with my country

i loved the USA i loved her so much i went out and fought in the 1st gulf war and i still love the people and the country but the Gov't and policies i can live without

thank you all for your answers

Answer 1

The answer is very simple. Any government would prefer to deal with a totalitarian regime, instead of an elective representative one.

All you have to do, his pay them enough - bribe I guess would be a more appropriate term - and they're in your pocket.

With the Saudis, we recognized that regimes royal prerogatives, and supply them with all the military hardware to maintain their "absolutists" control of their populace.

With Pakistan, same formula: they help maintain the nuclear balance between India and China, and supposedly help us with the terrorists. Hah! Hah!

Wotan

Answer 2

The answer to this question is 'political expediency' that keeps on changing and will continue to shift political balances. In politics the more powerful call the shots and those who do not act according to the directions are considered to be enemies. Govt of Iran and palestine although are elected ones but they do not accede to the whims of US of A. And can I add China to this list of dictators, where the communist party is the dictator, and despite having a miserable human rights record, US of A is so very pally with the big Giant. So in the end it is nothing but 'political expediency' that we common people better know as 'shameless opportunism'.

Answer 3

Mycroft - it is that sort of limited thinking that resulted in us getting Hamas.
When the Palestinians elected a moderate we refused to even negotiate with him until Hamas laid down all weapons. This presented two issues. First we were demanding a reasonable end point for negotiations as a prerequisite for them. This makes us appear unreasonable and drives the likes of Hamas further away, rather than brining them into the fold. Second it allocates responsibility to moderates while diminishing thier ability to fulfill that responsibility.
The result was a Palestinian people who saw thier cause move backwards as a result of moderate leadership turn to the extremists.

Answer 4

Greetings! Well, in the case of Saudi Arabia, that is where we get our vast majority of oil from. We have had a very prickly alliance with them for years and years. It seems we have to bend way over backwards to uphold that friendship. Our poor Persian Gulf veterans could not bring any liquor, girly (or manly) magazines and could not have any pork products brought into the country when we were principally fighting for Saudi Arabia's protection as well as Kuwait's freedom. They even took issue with the flags that the veterans wore on their uniforms. BTW, if you are took notice, most of the terrorists who actually commandeered the planes of 9-11 came from Saudi Arabia, including the principal lieutenant in command of the direct operation. The Saudi Government hates, hates, HATES to be reminded of that fact.

Now for Pakistan......that's a good one, and I have no answer. Especially since it has been said that Osama bin Ladin himself has packed himself into those hills. I really thought that congress gave W a blank check to roll into whichever country bin Ladin is hiding in. Why the Army piling up on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border with no forthcoming orders from the White House to get bin Ladin,
I really have no clue. And please, don't get me started on why we are in IRAQ instead of PAKISTAN.

In the case of Israel, for better or worse, Israel is the only true democracy (or pretense of democracy) in the middle east. Israel desperately needed our alliance when they were first founded in 1947 or 1948. For many decades, they have had to fight for their lives. Now they have established themselves and then they go out andlike all other countries find ways of shooting themselves in the foot (seeing a picture of that wall in Bethlehem really unnerved me).

As for the rest of the countries where we support dictatorships... There may be reasons politically that the US have (like in the case of Saudi Arabia) where an alliance is drawn up. Many times the issue lies with two opposing leaders, and the government has to decide which crap stinks the least (think of the way we often vote - this shoud help make my point).

I hope this helps. Take care.

Answer 5

Because the US' stated interest in democracy, both at home and abroad, is largely BS. For domestic consumption. By the really dumb.

I don't think this in itself would necessarily be such a horrible thing, at least where international relations were concerned. If I didn't think the interests being served were largely about profits for American oil companies and defense contractors.

Answer 6

The US have always been friendly to dictators who are friendly to the US. So that is why I say, the US is hypocritical when they preach "democracy" to the rest of the world and accuse other countries of human rights abuses. Human rights violations are secondary for the US when the dictators are friendly to the US; it pays very well too... hundreds of millions in aid to dictators!!

Answer 7

1. Iran has been in a state of cold war with the US since the Iranians took over the US embassy and held the staff as hostages. Iran is not an open democracy, it is a mullah-led theocracy with no real choice offered to the people of Iran.

2. The elected government of the Gaza Strip, Hamas, is a terrorist organization, and therefore not a legitimate government.

Answer 8

Because the Saudis and Pakistan are helping us with our overall goal of stopping terrorism.

Hamas on the other hand IS a terrorist organization, whose main goal is the elimination of Israel.

Yes, Hamas was democratically elected. That doesn't mean the USA has to approve of their choice.

Suggest you learn about the Iranian elections. Only candidates approved by the ruling clerics were allowed to run. Basically, unless you are a pawn of the ruling clerics, you were forbidden from running.

Answer 9

Politics are complicated. Sometimes you have to do things, or ally yourself with people that are not 100% great, to get other things done. This is why I don't like politicians. I question anybody that wants to take on that much power. And no matter what anybody says, when push comes to shove, they cannot get done everything they say they will. And sometimes if they can get it done, they have to do it in a way we do not like.

Don't get me wrong though, I do not support these practices. I think the state of the US government is a shame. But I also know that irl, sometimes we have to do things we do not want to for the "greater good"

Answer 10

Well because those governments are actually stable,while the "elected" ones are governments that have sham elections or very stupid people who vote for terrorists(Palestine) or leaders who want to build nuclear power plants when they sit on an ocean of oil(Iran).