The Biden administration's handling of Saudi Arabia, and the role of Mohammed bin Salman in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, is an important reminder that punishment and diplomacy rarely mix.
How do we differentiate between MBS killing Khashoggi, and MBS killing, maiming, and starving hundreds of thousands of Yemenis, with US direct military support? How are we so blithe about the tens of thousands of innocents we have killed (bloodlessly known as collateral damage) in our endless ordinance expenditure against people that pose no threat to the US, yet so troubled about the killing of Khashoggi?
I suppose one could say we have a high tolerance for killing at the wholesale level, but have difficulty coping at the retail level.
How do we differentiate between MBS killing Khashoggi, and MBS killing, maiming, and starving hundreds of thousands of Yemenis, with US direct military support? How are we so blithe about the tens of thousands of innocents we have killed (bloodlessly known as collateral damage) in our endless ordinance expenditure against people that pose no threat to the US, yet so troubled about the killing of Khashoggi?
I suppose one could say we have a high tolerance for killing at the wholesale level, but have difficulty coping at the retail level.