Ethics of teaching the military in Saudi Arabia

[tenneray]

The Saudi armed forces have been fighting a brutal war in neighboring Yemen for the last several years. The war has caused countless civilian casualties as well as disease and famine. The Saudi officers in charge of this war are taught by American teachers at Vinnell and other companies. Therefore, some prospective teachers may choose to avoid military contracts for humanitarian reasons. Sadly, few Americans are aware of this disastrous conflict and their country's role in it.

http://www.dbknews.com/2018/09/14/yemen ... ntractors/

[Joe]

Maybe they will be more aware of it after this:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... -wash-post

[tenneray]

Saudi Arabia has slaughtered civilians in Yemen, butchered a journalist in Turkey, and is torturing female dissidents held since May. These crimes are just the tip of an iceberg. Most other acts of wanton cruelty are carried out within Saudi borders and remain unknown to the outside world. It is time for the UK and the US to follow Germany's example and end arms sales to this sadistic regime. If ending arms sales puts some TEFL teachers out of a job, so be it.

[tenneray]

Britain has lifted its temporary ban on weapons sales. It did this in spite of the fact that there has been no improvement in Saudi Arabia's abysmal human rights record. Trump has also continued arms sales, and he vetoed Congressional efforts to halt them. The UK and the USA sully their reputations by cooperating with MBS' heinous regime. Meanwhile, those two nations strongly criticize China for its human rights record. There is no consistency to the Anglo-American policies.

[MTE1369]

All of these arguments could be applied to any number of countries, why single out only SA, yes they are horrible and backwards ass nation, but many other nations are no better... Human Rights in China, anyone?... Didn't think so...

[tenneray]

Complicity in a war crime is a serious matter, and the U.S. and Britain are complicit in the Saudi crimes in Yemen. In addition, Saudi officers who receive English instruction from Anglo-Americans work directly for MBS "bone saw." MBS uses his men to kill, torture, and imprison innocent people. If the Western powers stand for human rights, they should do so consistently. Western powers should not sell weapons to MBS or train his henchmen, and all international human rights organizations recommend these actions. It is these two Western powers who choose to single out countries for their human rights' record. For instance, the U.S. routinely condemns Iran for cracking down on protests, but never mentions the fact that protests are absolutely forbidden in Saudi Arabia. London has recently subjected China to harsh criticism for human rights in Hong Kong while it resumes weapons sales to MBS, and MBS' violations are no less egregious than those of Beijing. London ought to be consistent and stop doing business with Riyadh. At present, the Anglo-Americans look like greedy hypocrites:

https://hongkongfp.com/2020/07/20/break ... urity-law/