In a surprise move Saudi Arabia, one of the most repressive places on Earth, will allow women to vote in local government elections. That is of course as close as they come to democracy over there
Saudi king: Women will be allowed to vote and run for office - CNN.com (http://edition.cnn.com/2011/09/25/world/meast/saudi-women-vote/index.html?hpt=hp_t1)

Having found itself in the first part of the twentieth centry, I wonder when they will adopt other ground shaking reforms, such as the abolition of slavery, a nineteenth century idea, and democracy, which, of course, predates most of the nations on Earth. Good Heavens! Women might even be allowed to drive cars in Saudi Arabia sometime soon and to remove the veil in public maybe by the turn of the century, note I didn't say which one.

This of course is an Earth shattering event. OBL will turn in his grave, if he has a grave, at the thought that all he fought for is lost.

So long divine rights of Kings ? You say it's a leap into the 19th century which means a leap of 10 centuries in a single day. Guess they won't have to worry about getting stoned to death anymore .

What will their voter ID cards look like... Maybe they can do a eye scan instead. Of course if they still can't drive ,how will they get to the polls ?

Hello clete:

This isn't about the vote.. This is about heading off a revolution. It's too late.

excon

No Ex those guys will just pay their constituents a little more, you think you have largess in the US you are clueless

I got to go with ex on this one, the Arab spring scared the crap out of the sheiks. Any sign of trouble the US takes over the oil. No doubt. Hey we already got the 6th fleet and a few extra planes in the Mediterranean!

Can't see the US taking over the middle east Tal, they had a enough difficultly dealing with one tin pot dictator and his ilk and it seems once again the lesson was not learned by some

We always have a naval presence in the Mediterranean .

Really and what is that for? Do you expect to rescue ships from the Barbary pirates?

Part of our NATO commitment I believe .

We don't have to take over the middle east. Just Saudi Arabia. What you think we will let anybody stop the flow of oil to America??

Are you crazy, that ain't going to happen.

You want to do an Israel and be attacked by the Muslim countries, Saudi Arabia is more than an oil well. Did you learn nothing from OBL?

Did you learn nothing from the death of OBL? Stop the flow of oil, you risk a war.

Hell, they can't even go out in public without a sheet over their head either. Not if they don't want beaten by the goon squads.

They should be allowed to do a lot of things as well, but it would be a step in the right direction, with a LOT more to go.

When women can vote, maybe more progressive politicians will get elected and repressive ones won't have as much power so I think positive change will come from this. I was surprised to read that even a progressive country like Switzerland didn't give women the right to vote until 1971.

When women can vote, maybe more progressive politicians will get elected and repressive ones won't have as much power so I think positive change will come from this. I was surprised to read that even a progressive country like Switzerland didn't give women the right to vote until 1971.

Switzerland progressive? They still think everything should be decided by a referendum, I don't know how you think electing women will provide more progressive politicians, but then I expect that depends upon your definition of progressive, would you like to progress to more abortions, euthanesia or more talk fests? We have seen the result of more women in government and their idea of progressive is a real nightmare

Switzerland progressive? They still think everything should be decided by a referendum, I don't know how you think electing women will provide more progressive politicians, but then I expect that depends upon your definition of progressive, would you like to progress to more abortions, euthanesia or more talk fests? We have seen the result of more women in government and their idea of progressive is a real nightmare

I think that referendums are a good thing, in Canada we have elitist politicians making laws and no one cares or asks what regular people want. By progressive I meant mainstream, middle of the road, not ultra left-wing.

I think that referendums are a good thing, in Canada we have elitist politicians making laws and no one cares or asks what regular people want. By progressive I meant mainstream, middle of the road, not ultra left-wing.

Our experience of referundums is confined to voting on contraversial issues or constitutional changes. The yes vote hardly ever gets up. So I don't regard referundums as progressive. Progressive presupposes that something is actually going to get done which ordinarily wouldn't be done whether ultra left wing or ultra right wing. Examples for example are a Carbon tax, just a little too progressive for me, off shore processing of assilum seeker claims, ulta right wing idea, top down intervention in indigenous affairs, and yet such progressive ideas abound even among conservatives.

Giving women a vote is progressive in Saudi Arabia and it would be really progressive if it actually meant they would have some political power but that exists in the hands of one man, the King