We need the oil

[Gob]

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has condemned the lowering of flags on public buildings as a mark of respect for the Saudi king.

Ms Davidson tweeted that it was "a steaming pile of nonsense".

Downing Street and other Whitehall departments were among those to put Union Flags at half mast after the death of 90-year-old King Abdullah.

In a second tweet, Ms Davidson said it was a "stupid act on its own and a stupid precedent to set".

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah speaks with US Secretary of State John Kerry before their meeting in Rawdat Khurayim, 5 January, 2014 file photo,

The UK government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) sent out the request.

Officials said it was a matter of protocol and that the formal request had been made by Buckingham Palace, which is also flying its flag at half mast.

But the move caused disquiet because of the human rights record of the country during King Abdullah's reign.

There has been recent outrage focused on the public beheading of a woman and a sentence of 1,000 lashes meted out to the creator of an online blog.

The mark of respect was not adopted north of the border.

A Scottish government spokesman said: "We offer the people of Saudi Arabia our condolences following the passing of King Abdullah.

"Flags are not routinely flown at half-mast from Scottish government buildings to mark the deaths of foreign heads of government or state."

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy said the Scottish government had got it right.

He said: "I know there are all sorts of issues of protocol here. But when the sorts of things that happen in Saudi Arabia - a thousand lashes, the recent beheading of a woman.

"I think, all across Scotland - all across the UK - there will be a sense of bewilderment about it."

Ms Davidson's tweets came as Tory Prime Minister David Cameron and the Prince of Wales prepared to fly to Saudi Arabia to join international figures paying tribute to the king, who was seen as a crucial Western ally.

Mr Cameron said that he was "deeply saddened" and that the ruler would be "remembered for his long years of service to the kingdom, for his commitment to peace and for strengthening understanding between faiths".

Former Tory MP Louise Mensch issued a foul-mouthed response to Mr Cameron's message of condolence to the Saudi royals and said she felt "ashamed to be a Conservative" until Ms Davidson spoke out.

She said: "It is so unacceptable to offer deep condolences for a man who flogged women, didn't let them drive, saw guardian laws passed & STARVES THEM".

"I have been ashamed to be a Conservative today. Ruth Davidson has restored my faith. Somebody who truly stands for something."

The flags issue also split opinion between two of UKIP's key figures.

Leader Nigel Farage said it showed "respect for an ally in the war against terror" and that the issue of human rights should be taken up with the new king.

But MP Douglas Carswell said officials had seriously blundered and showed "immoral" values far from those of the British public.

[RayThom]

... it was actually King Abdullah's nephews, Sheikh Yarbooti and Emir Fasad, that were behind this request. I could be wrong, however.

[rubato]

So there will be no flag-lowering with E-II goes to her eternal reward?


yrs,
rubato

[liberty]

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has condemned the lowering of flags on public buildings as a mark of respect for the Saudi king.

Ms Davidson tweeted that it was "a steaming pile of nonsense".

Downing Street and other Whitehall departments were among those to put Union Flags at half mast after the death of 90-year-old King Abdullah.

In a second tweet, Ms Davidson said it was a "stupid act on its own and a stupid precedent to set".


Former Tory MP Louise Mensch issued a foul-mouthed response to Mr Cameron's message of condolence to the Saudi royals and said she felt "ashamed to be a Conservative" until Ms Davidson spoke out.

She said: "It is so unacceptable to offer deep condolences for a man who flogged women, didn't let them drive, saw guardian laws passed & STARVES THEM".

"I have been ashamed to be a Conservative today. Ruth Davidson has restored my faith. Somebody who truly stands for something."

The flags issue also split opinion between two of UKIP's key figures.

It is easy for them to talk, it is not their heads if things go to held in Saudi Arabia.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Actually it is. As much as lefties use the word "oil" as a criticism of the right (as they perceive it), the fact is that if Saudi Arabia does go to hell (or held) in a basket, we all will be paying a very high price indeed.

However, that's not much of an issue here. Buckingham Palace lowered the flag because that's what monarchs do when most monarchs pass away. Courtesy on the part of one does not indicate approval of the other.

I know one thing for relative certainty - no Saudi monarch could make the kinds of radical (Western democratic) change that are so easy to demand by Tories from the safety of England without losing his own head. These true-blue tools are talking out of their arses - they seem to think that the Saudi choice is between an Islamic monarch and parliamentary privilege. The real choice in that country is between that monarchy and radical Islam.

[wesw]

this just in from Saudi...

the new monarch has enacted sweeping reforms to combat violence against women and intolerance in general...

anyone who beats a woman will have his hand chopped off. anyone denigrating any religion "of the Book" will have his tongue ripped out. the monarch has announced that islam will prove that it is the religion of peace. he hopes it will not be necessary, but is willing to slaughter anyone who disagrees, if he is forced to do so....

[Econoline]

Interesting side note...

Queen Elizabeth II once terrorized King Abdullah — by driving him around
Updated by Amanda Taub on January 23, 2015, 11:10 a.m. ET

The death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has brought considerable debate over whether he should be remembered as a "reformer" or the very opposite of one; whether his legacy will be that he preserved Saudi Arabia's future or limited its present.

But as this story from a former British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia makes clear, there is one thing he will never be: as much of a stone-cold badass as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles was given a private audience with the Queen when he was appointed Ambassador to Saudi Arabia in 2003. At the time, Abdullah was technically still the crown prince, though he'd been de facto ruler for several years. During their meeting, she gleefully recounted the story of Abdullah's first visit to Balmoral, her castle in Scotland. It all started innocently enough, with an offer to tour the estate:

After lunch, the Queen had asked her royal guest whether he would like a tour of the estate. Prompted by his foreign minister the urbane Prince Saud, an initially hesitant Abdullah had agreed. The royal Land Rovers were drawn up in front of the castle. As instructed, the Crown Prince climbed into the front seat of the front Land Rover, his interpreter in the seat behind.

But then, a surprising twist! The Queen herself was Abdullah's driver:

To his surprise, the Queen climbed into the driving seat, turned the ignition and drove off. Women are not — yet — allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, and Abdullah was not used to being driven by a woman, let alone a queen.

And she wasn't just driving, she was DRIVING, leaving Abdullah a quivering wreck:

His nervousness only increased as the Queen, an Army driver in wartime, accelerated the Land Rover along the narrow Scottish estate roads, talking all the time. Through his interpreter, the Crown Prince implored the Queen to slow down and concentrate on the road ahead.

That's right: Queen Elizabeth basically spent an afternoon using her military-grade driving skills to haze the crown prince of Saudi Arabia.

Result: Elizabeth 1, Abdullah 0.

[RayThom]

this just in from Saudi... the new monarch has enacted sweeping reforms to combat violence against women and intolerance in general... anyone who beats a woman will have his hand chopped off. anyone denigrating any religion "of the Book" will have his tongue ripped out. the monarch has announced that islam will prove that it is the religion of peace. he hopes it will not be necessary, but is willing to slaughter anyone who disagrees, if he is forced to do so....

As a child, and before my father would beat me bloody with the buckle end of his belt, he used to say, "this is going to hurt me more than it does you." It was always perplexing to me that he could sit down immediately yet it would take me days to recover. Sadly, he thought he was a good man and family leader. Only the good die young -- he was 94 when he physically died.

Anyway, King Salesman may sound like a progressive new leader but he's still bound by his interpretation of the koran. I'm guessing it will be more lip service than real change.

"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." Townshend 71:9

[wesw]

i m sorry about your childhood ray.

i used to hate my campbells s veg soup. one day when i was 6 , i poured my milk in it so i wouldn t have to eat it. well , it was like 1973 or 4, and money was tight. my dad used to have to go out and hand tong oysters in winter , at night, illegally, to get money to feed us. i got the belt for that. a week or so later i accidently knocked my milk over, and wouldn t you know it, it went right in my soup again. an accident, but the circumstantial evidence pointed toward willful misconduct. i got the buckle for that....

anyway, i suspect it was different than what you faced, cause i miss him very much. he was actually a great dad in many ways. not much of a husband tho.... he did like his women, and they him....

[liberty]

Actually it is. As much as lefties use the word "oil" as a criticism of the right (as they perceive it), the fact is that if Saudi Arabia does go to hell (or held) in a basket, we all will be paying a very high price indeed.

However, that's not much of an issue here. Buckingham Palace lowered the flag because that's what monarchs do when most monarchs pass away. Courtesy on the part of one does not indicate approval of the other.

I know one thing for relative certainty - no Saudi monarch could make the kinds of radical (Western democratic) change that are so easy to demand by Tories from the safety of England without losing his own head. These true-blue tools are talking out of their arses - they seem to think that the Saudi choice is between an Islamic monarch and parliamentary privilege. The real choice in that country is between that monarchy and radical Islam.

The General is right; democracy in the Saudi Arabia would be a bad thing for all including humanity and social progress. If the people had the vote the majority would vote for the seventh century. Any monarch who wanted to change the kingdom would have work at it gradually for decades if not generations.

And as for held, ah held General have your fun. Perhaps some day I will explain it to you.

[liberty]

i m sorry about your childhood ray.

i used to hate my campbells s veg soup. one day when i was 6 , i poured my milk in it so i wouldn t have to eat it. well , it was like 1973 or 4, and money was tight. my dad used to have to go out and hand tong oysters in winter , at night, illegally, to get money to feed us. i got the belt for that. a week or so later i accidently knocked my milk over, and wouldn t you know it, it went right in my soup again. an accident, but the circumstantial evidence pointed toward willful misconduct. i got the buckle for that....

anyway, i suspect it was different than what you faced, cause i miss him very much. he was actually a great dad in many ways. not much of a husband tho.... he did like his women, and they him....

I am an old man now, but I still wish I had a daddy to remember; the memory of a dead father is better than none at all.