Pigs — and fracking — are a girl's best friend

"European ingenuity! Can't get access 2 a gun b/c of strict laws, buy yourself an attack pig.

"Trump in Saudi tells me something: We lost the argument. But who rewired Trump?" tweets anti-cultural-jihad warrior Diana West this afternoon. We're with her fundamental argument re President Trump's apparent dhimmitudinous cave to the usual "Islam is a religion of peace" meme. BUT, as we tweeted her, acknowledging her case but with a larger view:

Don't know who "rewired Trump," agree re #dhimmitude, BUT. #Fracking means oil won't be enuf for KSA —> Cultural changes w new generation.

Unforeseen westernizing results in KSA economy & culture will counter #CulturalJihad in western nations

The link goes to Peter Bergen's must-read "The real reason Saudis rolled out the reddest of red carpets":

When oil wealth seemed an endless spigot of gold, the absolute Saudi monarchy created, somewhat paradoxically, a quasi-socialist state: an astonishing 90% of Saudis work for the government and have long enjoyed subsidies for water, electricity and gas. Health care and education are free.

 

But in late 2015 the IMF warned that, given falling oil prices, the Saudi government could run out of financial reserves in five years if it kept up its present rate of spending.

 

With oil prices holding steady at around $50 a barrel, the Saudi government is now cutting government salaries and reducing subsidies. Trump's visit -- and deals -- therefore create a critical opportunity in the private sector for Saudis who can no longer exclusively depend on the government.

 

The Saudi government calls it "Vision 2030." The aim is to privatize the education, health care, agriculture, mining and defense sectors and to sell off Saudi Aramco, perhaps the wealthiest company in the world.

Adam Smith is smiling.

Update: