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Murder and politics

Everyone now agrees that Jamal Khashoggi was murdered after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul early this month. It was a planned operation involving more than a dozen people that concluded with the disposal of his body, which has not yet been found.

The main remaining question is who ordered the murder. It is hard to imagine that such an operation could be conducted without authorization from the Crown Prince. It is almost as hard to imagine that he would risk authorizing it. Turkey, the US, and Saudi Arabia appear to be converging on the former explanation: this was, they seem to be saying, a rogue operation. That would let the Crown Prince off the hook for murder, but still raise serious questions about his control over the security forces. 

That said, Mohammed bin Salman is amazingly popular among youth in Saudi Arabia and in the Arab world more generally. You can attribute part of this popularity to autocracy: who in Saudi Arabia wants to risk giving the wrong answer to an interviewer after what happened to Jamal? But it also reflects the thirst of Saudis and young Arabs elsewhere for strong leadership and change. The Crown Prince is really unique in the Arab world: a young leader with power committed to pursuing economic and social (definitely not political) reform. 

Political murder is also an issue today in the US. Twelve pipe bombs were sent this week to Democrats who have born the brunt of President Trump’s attacks. Whether they were designed to detonate is not the issue. They clearly were designed to intimidate. After an initial scripted reaction, President Trump has reverted to blaming the news media for the pipe bombs, thus trying to divert criticism from his own advocacy of violence against adversaries. He says he likes politicians who can body slam their opponents.

Some Americans are also looking for strong leadership and change. President Trump’s approval ratings are nowhere near Mohammed bin Salman’s, but they are sticking around 40% or a bit higher. Trump’s predominantly white and male base likes his opposition to immigration, his tariffs, his Supreme Court nominees, his misogyny, his white nationalism, his lies about providing health insurance to people with pre-existing conditions, and his tax cuts for the wealthy, all of which they believe will make America great again. 

I would like to think that those who tolerate, approve, or inspire violence against their political enemies will not be rewarded. In Saudi Arabia, that will be up to the King, who is unlikely to unseat his favorite son. In the US, it will be decided on November 6, at the polls. It is time for Americans to stand up and be counted against violence in politics.