Jim W. Dean: Some Rare Regal Moments wirh King Adbullah II

Jordan king derides regional leaders, own family. I had to pinch myself when I first read this. I thought I might have been day dreaming with computer fatigue, and needed to splash some cold water on my face. But it was real. King Abdullah, in full Wizard of Oz style, has given us a rare peak behind the curtain into the insularity, and even insolence of some of the Mid East leaders, and even his own family. None of this should surprise anyone. Shallow leadership, and even sociopaths, rising up through political parties, to the top positions in the West, is something we have endured endlessly, so why should we think it would be any better in other regions. In the West, if they get caught looting, or even raping, they can actually be prosecuted. Then you take a place like Saudi Arabia, with its 10,000 princes, and what do you possibly think they could ever be prosecuted for? I can't think of anything, even murder. Years ago, the Saudis had a problem with one of their princes getting drunk, and then heading down to the local hospital in the middle of the night, to look for Western women in a coma, or similar state, that he could rape. There was not a problem, until one of the victims getting pregnant threatened a scandal. The family was paid a tidy sum, and the US embassy came up with an instant green card winner, for the third world nurse who was the only witness, and off she went to an American. I imagine the prince had his allowance withheld for a few weeks. Officially, the peretrator was never discovered. As Gordon likes to say,"Welcome to the real world." And it is not a 'Muslim thing', either. Despite the historical looting by Pakistan's political elite, President Zardari found himself being hauled into court for bribery corruption charges,that happened before he became president. He tried to claim immunity anyway, but no luck. While King Abdullah steered away from any princely looting, he is the first I know of the publicly admitted, that the days of Mid East royalty ruling over countries are numbered. Some might say, the wheels of time or progress are turning. I would prefer the analogy of the garbage disposal working properly, and able to handle larger items. Us older folks prefer Kirk Douglas as our Sparticus. I did a video interview with the King's older brother here, at Emory University in Atlanta about ten years ago, after watching him during a theater style panel discussion.