It is a democratic monarchy: It sells the United States a million-and-a-half barrels of oil a day, at low prices, and spends $10 million a day on high-priced U.S. weapons.

It is a monarchy that loves liberty: It prohibits political parties and unions, decapitates or mutilates its prisoners a la the Taliban, and bars women from driving or traveling without the permission of a father or husband.

Since May of 2000, Saudi Arabia has been a member of the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

2) The international recognition of the shining virtues of Saudi Arabia, which does so much for the human rights of its 5,000 princes, leads me to other awards ......

From:

The Progressive
March 2002
The Upside-Down World
by Eduardo Galeano
Page 14