Last time I checked, we still have a President, democracy and pledge allegiance to the United States of America. And, no, we don’t live in Saudi Arabia.
As odd as this may sound, it seems that our politicians and now many fortune 500 companies may have forgotten these basic principles and are being lobbied heavily by the Saudi Arabian government through an aggressive multi-million dollar public relations and public affairs campaign.
What’s behind the Saudi lobbying that would persuade any American to defend their side instead of family members, survivors of the 9/11 attacks and the American people, you might ask? Money. Plain and simple.
A recent Politico article quoted a Washington insider as saying, “It’s Washington at its finest” when describing the back and forth intense lobbying and conversations that are being had. The article lists General Electric, Dow Chemical, Boeing and Chevron as corporations who are, purportedly, quietly responding to the Saudi lobbying efforts against the veto override for the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act – “JASTA”. They have been asked to do the Saudis’ “dirty work” and allow them to escape culpability for their purported role in the worst terrorist attack against our nation.
Just one glance at the Saudi’s USA Embassy Twitter account and you can see the Saudi’s putting out message after message of why JASTA shouldn’t be enacted. But they are not Americans, they should not get to decide how America’s justice system will work and by what laws we abide . . . because this is still America. And, in true Saudi fashion, they are NOT truthful in their disparaging comments about JASTA. Shouldn’t it raise great concern or at the very least an eyebrow or two that the country being asked to account for its wrongdoing is so vehemently opposing that requirement?
Tomorrow is a test for the Senate and our democracy. After already unanimously passing JASTA, will they allow the Saudis to dictate how they vote on the override, or will they pass this test in flying colors – red, white and blue?