Bibliography
Pro
Arms sales bad for various humanitarian reasons, including war in Yemen violates humanitarian principles. General ethics advantage.
Arms sales to Saudi Arabia support its war in Yemen, other reasons the war in Yemen is bad
Russian arms sales good for their economy (it’s good if Russia fills in if we leave)
China influence good, China will fill in if we leave
Should take a moral stand/”shun” Saudi Arabia because of the journalist’s murder
High oil prices good — a break in relations will cause instability and high oil prices. High oil prices help oil producing economies and in the long-term facilitate a transition to renewables
US Leadership
- General human rights promotion, US reasserts itself as human rights leader. Moral spin — US should “shun” human rights abusers
- US emerges as a leader in the protection of journalism/the free press
- US emerges as a global democratic leader, democracy promotion good
US soft power good
Cutting arms sales reaffirms the principles of the global order, global order good
Strong relations with SA keep oil prices low, low oil prices bad (including price spikes lead to renewable energy)
Reduced US-Saudi relations cause Saudi prolif (“prolif” refers to the acquisition/spread of nuclear weapons by countries that do not already have them, Saudi prolif good
Con
Arms sales key to relations
Strong US-Saudi relations and security ties prevent Saudi nuclearization, Saudi nuclearization bad — snowballs throughout the Middle East and causes war
Strong security cooperation needed to defeat ISIS and Shia terrorism in Saudi Arabia
Strong relations important to civilian nuclear cooperation, civilian nuclear cooperation good
Any other reason relations are good
Reduced US influence increases China’s influence in the Middle East, China’s influence bad
No US sales means Russia fills in, Russia sales worse
War in Yemen good– terrorism, Iran influence bad
Need to contain/deter Iran in the Gulf, oil supply cut-off bad
Strong relations with SA keep oil prices low, high oil prices bad
Generally, US should align with the Sunnis
Arms sales good for the US economy
Arms sales good for US aerospace and defense industries