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Saudis will never be a military threat to the democratic order the way China can be. That's a key difference.



What is "the democratic order"?

Since the end of WWII, the US has overthrown at least four democratic governments (more than China) and funded numerous authoritarian governments that were/are US-aligned. To much of the world outside the north Atlantic states the "democratic order" is viewed a lot more cynically. Especially ask someone from Latin America what they think of this.

Saudi Arabia was the key force that reverted the democratization of Bahrain and in general is a block for democratization in the Arabian Peninsula. That you don't think they are a threat to democracy belies what your "democratic order" really is: US hegemony.


Kinetically, no. Strategically they can and do mess with America's blood pressure by twiddling the valve on their oil output. China fields a lot of conventional military force though I have my doubts about their desire or ability to project it farther than Taiwan.




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