According to RT this morning:
“US President Donald Trump brought several pictures of American weapons to a meeting with visiting Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. He boasted of multibillion-dollar sales of arms to the kingdom.
Showing a sign to journalists at the meeting that read “12.5 billion in finalized sales to Saudi Arabia,” Trump boasted about all the money that US defense contractors would be getting for their products.
Three billion dollars, 533… million dollars, 525… million dollars,” Trump said as he pointed at the pictures. Then he turned to the crown prince and added: “That’s peanuts for you!” The Saudi de facto ruler burst in laughter.
Trump criticized his predecessor, Barack Obama, for the poor state of relations between the US and Saudi Arabia under his tenure. He noted the economic impact of such policies on jobs and sales in America.”
Of course those weapons will be used to keep bombing the shit out of the Houthis and civilians in Yemen and anywhere else in the ME the Clown Prince chooses. What do another 13,000 deaths, millions more dying of hunger or disease matter, anyway?
But along the way, please do remember this history:
‘The Obama Administration Has Brokered More Weapons Sales Than Any Other Administration Since World War II; The world may be in turmoil, but the American arms industry is cashing in’ William D. Hartung, July 26, 2016, thenation.com
This #MAGA ‘moar jobs deal’ was inked as the Senate bill to block weapons sales to the KSA was tabled (killed) 55-44. The D team Senators who helped down the bill were:
Menendez (NJ), Nelson (FL), Whitehouse (RI), Coons (DE), Heitkamp (ND), Reed (RI), Donnelly (IN), Jones (AL); McCain (R-AZ) didn’t vote.
Now similar bills such as Ted Lieu’s 2016 (H.J. RES 90) asking provide limitations on the transfer of air-to-ground munitions from the United States to Saudi Arabia, and the Senate companion bill S. J. Res. 32, which was introduced by Senators Chris Murphy (CT) and Rand Paul (KY) didn’t go anywhere, and in fact:
From AP via Fox News Sept. 21, 2016: ‘Senate votes to back $1 billion weapons sale to Saudi Arabia’
“WASHINGTON – The Senate on Wednesday backed the Obama administration’s plan to sell more than $1 billion worth of American-made tanks and other weapons to Saudi Arabia, soundly defeating a bid to derail the deal pushed by lawmakers critical of the kingdom’s role in Yemen’s civil war.
Although a resolution against the sale failed to advance on a vote of 71-27, the measure’s sponsors said the debate demonstrated that congressional support for arms sales — even to a longtime and important Middle East ally — isn’t automatic. They also used the time to insist that Congress play a larger role in foreign policy decisions, especially those involving the use of military force.
The United States is supporting the Saudi-led coalition with intelligence and logistical support, including refueling aircraft, according to senators opposed to the sale. Most Americans are unaware of how involved their military is in Yemen, they said, adding that lawmakers never have fully discussed whether the participation advances U.S. national security interests.”
But hell, maybe they’d thunk that with this New Bill, they’d win because: Trump.
Meanwhile, the Guardian writes on his epic charm offensive tour that:
“During his visit to Washington, the Saudi prince will meet the CIA director – and nominee to be the next US secretary of state – Mike Pompeo, as well as Vice-President Mike Pence, Trump’s embattled national security adviser, HR McMaster, and defence secretary, James Mattis.
Prince Mohammed is expected to meet senior leaders of corporations such as Google, Apple, General Electric and Uber while in the US, as well as Hollywood producers.
After Washington, Prince Mohammed is due to fly to Boston, New York, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Houston. At the last stop he is hoping to lure more of the US oil sector to Saudi Arabia, doubling down on Trump’s pivot away from clean energy towards fossil fuels.
Briefing reporters in Washington, the Saudi foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, said the kingdom was in discussion with the US about contracts to build nuclear reactors for the energy sector, but was assessing cooperation with Russia, China, France, South Korea and Japan.”
‘Seattle’ being code for ‘Bill Gates’ as I understand it, because: history with another Crown Prince.
(Sorry for any typos; I’m in a tear today, as is my proof-reader Mr. wd. cross-posted at caucus99percent.com)
davidly
Greyson Smythe
LeMoyne
juliania2
ohiobarbarian
stephenadavis1
wendyedavis
café babylon 
Plus ca change, or however it goes. The differences twixt the Partiers are rendered insignificant by the extremity of their sameness. Unless you’re the kind of person who is willing to overlook such realities for the sake of narrower me- & mine-centric concerns.
that’s exactly how it goes, and thanks for twigging to the main thrust of this post. i’d actually had to (ahem) explain it over yonder (not terribly popular, of course).
i never did look up the roll call vote to approve obomba’s sale of weapons systems to the sauds, but only 17 said nay, while 44 said nay to herr T’s sales; go figure. having said that, ii wonder now how partisan t’was, really. i began reading a lewis lapham essay on where due process and the rule of law are hiding, but of course, the constitution was written by and for the ruling class. and lapham gets in spades that what talks is money in amerika, not just under orange julius, but:
“In the world according to Trump—as it was in the worlds according to Ronald Reagan, George Bush elder and younger, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama—the concentration of wealth is the good, the true, and the beautiful. Democracy is for losers.”
bill van auken at wsws covering this ‘deal’ did finally get around to O as well:
“In addition to providing weapons of mass destruction, the Pentagon has stationed intelligence officers at the headquarters of the Saudi air war in Riyadh to supply information used in selecting targets in Yemen. US Air Force refueling planes fly continuous missions to keep Saudi and allied bombers in the air over the battered country. And the US Navy provides forces to maintain the de facto blockade that has cut off critical supplies of food and medicine.
All of this US support for the one-sided war by the Arab world’s richest nations against the poorest one was initiated under the Democratic administration of President Barack Obama, in part to assuage Saudi displeasure over the Iran nuclear deal.”
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/03/22/saud-m22.html
and OGM, the eu anti-trustdivision just signed off on the bayer buyout of monsanto, again: the more things change, yada, yada. but i’ll peek about to see various ‘understandings’ of the ‘deal’. what i’ve read so far sounds like just another con on ‘even more competition’.
jeebus; nice to have a comment here, lol. this place is a ghost town, ennit?
large grin, you wag. and if i’d said this place is like a morgue?