Because nothing says “we really do fear social unrest… and please stick with the new king” like Saudi Arabia spewing a massive $29.3 billion spending program that include lavish payments of two months bonus salary to all Saudi state employees and a series of subsidies. As al-Arabiya reports, King Salman bin Abdulaziz has issued a number of decrees because – as he wrote on Twitter (which you may remember is considered “the source of all evil” by the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia) “Dear Citizens, you deserve more,” adding “do not forget to include me in your prayers.”
Saudi Arabia’s newly inaugurated King Salman bin Abdulaziz has issued a series of landmark orders that ushered in fresh new faces into state institutions and awarded financial support for many Saudis.
And the king ordered a total of $30 billion (112 billion Saudi Riyals) spending in the oil rich kingdom.
The king ordered a lavish payout to all state employees on Thursday and reshuffled some top government jobs while keeping in place the oil, foreign, finance, defense and interior ministers.
The top oil exporter will pay two months bonus salary to all state employees and pension to retired government workers, he said in a series of decrees read aloud on state television a week after Salman succeeded his brother Abdullah as king.
Included in the handouts was $5.3 billion (20 billion riyals) pledged in subsidies for electricity, water, and housing.
And in a commitment to the arts, King Salman pledged $267,000 for each art club in the kingdom.
There was also good news for students, people with special needs and those on social welfare who will also receive two months income.
* * *
rockman on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 6:15 am
Who says the US hasn’t been successful spreading our concept of a democratic govt to the Middle East? The new king is following the footsteps of so many US politicians by using the country’s wealth to appease those citizens they have to deal with today and ignore the needs of future citizens when the oil wealth begins to run out. On the plus side he isn’t running up the national debt to do so. But I’m sure he’s copied that section of the US Congress game book.
Rodster on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 7:32 am
I remember when Obama was first elected you had your useless eaters claiming they wouldn’t have to pay rent or their electric bills becuase they were getting their Obama money in the mail. When asked where the Obama money comes from, they didn’t know other than they were getting free Obama money.
The US is great at exporting stupidity around the world. Now the UK is dealing with a surge of Black Friday incidents.
ghung on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 8:12 am
Funny that, Rodster; you use Obama’s name four times in a short post without once mentioning that Obama didn’t create the ‘New Deal’ or the ‘Great Society’. He certainly didn’t create the Great Recession. I have plenty of issues with Obama, enough that I don’t have to lie (even by implication) about it.
Davy on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 8:55 am
Rodstar, it is the global plutocracy that are ensuring this stupidity remains in place. You cannot blame people completely for stupidity that is forced upon them. You cannot blame people for being poor and uneducated.
This is a global hijacking by a few at the expense of many so you cannot fully blame the U.S. IMA who’s people are as good as anywhere but who have been offered up on the alter of globalism to be sacrificed by the few in the unholy persuit of greed and personal advancement.
No people can survive such an assult. Our people will awaken to the theft and lies and when they do there will be hell to pay for the criminality of the rich.
Go Speed Racer on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 9:29 am
Seems like Bush Jr did the same thing… just the funds went to defense contractors?
Keep me in your prayers rhetoric, also about the same?
Rodster on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 9:33 am
@ghung
And I don’t have to be a cheerleader for any political party when they have both created the mess we are in. So have your Obama if you want. I really don’t care either way.
All I know is that the USSA is the greatest threat to world peace and we have useless eaters who cheerlead either party when they are collecting checks from their representative.
Davy on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 9:47 am
Rodstar, the USA, and shove your moron USSA term where you wipe daily, is the greatest among many that are the greatest threat to peace. The global system which supplies our mothers milk and is all of our home is now the villian. The system has progress in growth and complexity for the personal benefit of all involved to a point where we are completely interconnected and mutually dependent.
Now that the pie is shrinking we all want off the island we are stuck on but there are no trees left to build rafts to get off. We are stuck with each other and everyone seems to be in the deadly serious game of self advancement at the expense of everyone else.
This is especially true of the global plutocrats who have hijacked the U.S. and all other major powers. Chinese money is buying votes in the US. The Russian Mafia is active in the US. The plutocrats ride a flow of money. Brush have bought themselves memberships as a global elite. You can point you fingers all you like but your message is no better than the false message of these people who preach division.
rockman on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 10:04 am
ghung – Not that I’m a big O fan but he’s only doing what the majority of his dumb ass voters want him to do. Just like the R’s do what their dumb ass voters want them to do.
Rodster on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 10:19 am
“Rodstar, the USA, and shove your moron USSA term where you wipe daily, is the greatest among many that are the greatest threat to peace.”
I guess the truth hurts doesn’t it? The USSA has morphed into an out of control Empire and all Empire’s most continue to grow and grow. Any Empire must control and if that doesn’t work they have to resort to violence. The laundry list is too long to mention where the USSA has gone out of it’s way to destabilize other countries, most recently, Ukraine.
We can’t help you if you continue to get a steady diet of news from Fox, NBC, CBS, CNN or ABC. You see Davy a long time ago they were bought and paid for by the Govt. Now only 6 corps control the spoon fed news to the masses.
So when the USSA tells the MSM that they are clean as the pure driven snow, the MSM repeats it.
ghung on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 10:26 am
Gosh, Rodster, since it’s clear that you can’t have an honest discussion about anything, maybe you should comment over at Fox instead of wasting bandwidth here. Like I said, there’s enough to criticise Obama about without making shit up. I just don’t like blamers. They aren’t interested in forwarding the conversation, and rarely, if ever, have anything constructive to contribute. It’s becoming epidemic; an infestation of “undeveloped, unevolved, barely conscious pond scum, totally convinced of their own superiority as they scurry about their short, pointless lives.”
Plantagenet on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 10:27 am
It’s traditional for Saudi kings to hand out gifts when they are crowned
No need to blame bush or obama or the usa
Davy on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 10:59 am
Rod, no arguments with your comment. I have a problem with you calling the USA the USSA. You are being derogatory to me. I take these things personal so say what you want but you should realize the USA is not only thieves it is real people struggling with an insane life like the majority of others out there globally. Do you think I asked to be born a friggen American? Why couldn’t I be born a Kogi Indian in Columbia. I very much would like to be a tribal Mama and not what I am.
Plantagenet on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 11:13 am
You’re kind of a tribal mama to all of posting here, Davy
We appreciate your thoughtful comments.
Bob Owens on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 12:33 pm
If that $29B were invested in solar they would end up with a lot of free electricity and desal water. Instead they gave the money away to be spent on trinkets and the warping of their economy even more than it is warped already. Governments are so unable to function in any useful manner.
Plantagenet on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 12:48 pm
The King givingt money back to people does not warp the economy.
The people OWN the resources of their country. The people ARE the economy.
Plantagenet on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 12:49 pm
Of course, I’m from Alaska where the state government regularly gives money back to the people, so I confessed I’m biased on this topic.
Rodster on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 1:58 pm
“Rod, no arguments with your comment. I have a problem with you calling the USA the USSA”
USSA is a fitting term because it has morphed into the “Evil Empire”, Ronald Reagan once accused the Soviets of being. It has started more fifth column bullshit, made up accusations to start wars, and lies regarding other countries in it’s quest for WORLD DOMINATION. That fact they purposely destabilized Ukraine with NGO’s and fifth column and admitted to it, then Joe Biden’s son becomes a board member of the energy companies in Ukraine should scream at anyone who has an ounce of reason that the USSA is out of control.
And whoever said Fox News, it’s crap like the rest of the State Run Media. It’s all controlled by the Govt and so is the information they put out.
Plantagenet on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 2:31 pm
Rod, I have to agree with Dave on this.
You just look ignorant when you call the USA the USSA. Its like you don’t even know how to spell “USA” properly.
And the reasons you give for your anger at the USA are silly. Blaming a few people in NGO’s for Ukraine’s problems rather then the massive incompetence and corruption of the prior pro-Russian regime and the fascist-styke military aggression of the ongoing Russian invasion of Crimea and eastern Ukraine doesn’t make any sense. Yes Joe Biden is dumb and his son is a corrupt jerk, but that doesn’t mean the USA is out of control—just Joe Biden and his son. And your suggestion that the US MSM is controlled by the government is absurd. Yes, the New York Times and MSNBC are essentially mouthpieces for the obama administration, but there are other voices in the media that still criticize the obama administration.
So next time you misspell “USA” consider that it just makes you look like you can’t spell.
ghung on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 2:51 pm
Rodster: “… it’s crap like the rest of the State Run Media. It’s all controlled by the Govt and so is the information they put out.”
You got that one backwards, Rodster. An elected government is at the whim of corporate controlled media; not the other way around. You blame Obama and Americans for a culture entirely created by mega-banks and international conglomerates.
The only thing the people can take credit for is either not seeing it coming (too busy partying) or not having the character to do anything about it. Those of us who’ve spoken out have been marginalised by the same corporate/media steamroller that manufactured so much consent. Allowing ourselves to be lulled into a sense of righteousness and complacency is our primary sin. Why not? We were on top of the world; so we were told.
James on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 3:25 pm
So, if the U.S. is the world’s biggest economy. Then why aren’t we, the citizens getting any bonuses?
GregT on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 3:35 pm
Plant,
You really are truly clueless. It was the US State department than fomented the Maidan uprisings which lead to the overthrow of the democratically elected government in Ukraine. Not NGOs. The current non-elected Ukrainian junta is largely controlled by Neo-nazi ultra right winged fascists.
Russia did not invade Crimea. The people voted in a referendum to separate from Ukraine and sent delegates to the Russian Duma who voted in favour of allowing Crimea to join the Russian federation.
The US government doesn’t control the media. The US media is controlled by the same corporations that control the US government. The US has become a corpocracy. It is ignorance such as yours that has allowed a once great country to become so totally corrupt.
Your government, as we speak, is now contemplating sending troops to Ukraine. A move that will plunge us all into WW3.
Plantagenet on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 5:44 pm
Greg
You really are truly clueless. It wasn’t me who said that NGOs fomented the Maidan uprisings which lead to the overthrow of the democratically elected government in Ukraine. It was Rodster.
Your reading comprehension skills are really really bad.
GregT on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 7:29 pm
Screwing around with people over the internet is not a smart thing to do Plant. The internet is neither anonymous, nor secure. Keeping fucking with
people long enough and it will come back to kick you in the ass.
Plantagenet on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 8:01 pm
Your potty mouth is overflowing Gregt.
Please flush.
GregT on Tue, 3rd Feb 2015 8:07 pm
Just some friendly advice Plant. Whether you take that advice or not, is entirely your choice.
WelshFarmer on Wed, 4th Feb 2015 3:43 am
Could we get back on topic please ?
Nigel on Wed, 4th Feb 2015 4:34 am
Diolch