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Let's Go Brandon! Saudi Economy Booms amid American Energy Crisis

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) published a report Thursday that showed the oil industry booming with ten-percent growth, thanks in no small part to President Joe Biden’s attack on the American energy industry, while unemployment fell to 10.1 percent, its lowest level since 2008.

The robust Saudi economy will complicate President Biden’s efforts to wheedle or cajole more oil out of the Saudis during his visit in July, a last-ditch bid to bring U.S. gas prices down before the midterm election. Biden has little leverage over the Saudis, and they will see no good reason to bring oil prices down by increasing output.

Outside the still-dominant oil industry, the Saudi economy grew by 3.7 percent, while Biden’s policies have pushed America to the edge of a recession, and possibly over the edge. 

Even as it approaches a 15-year low, Saudi unemployment is still high by U.S. standards due to a very low workforce participation rate, which slipped 1.4 percent to hit 50.1 percent in the first quarter of 2022. 

The topline unemployment rate conceals a huge disparity between men (unemployment rate 5.1 percent) and women (20.2 percent.) 

President Joe Biden listens as he meets virtually with infant formula manufacturers from the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex in Washington, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Joe Biden in Washington, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

The World Bank applauded Saudi progress on women in the workforce in March, crediting them with “unprecedented progress in joining the labor market” thanks to reforms implemented under Saudi Vision 2030, the wide-ranging reconstruction plan conceived and shepherded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the de facto leader of the country.

“These reforms are already benefiting 6 million Saudi women over the age of 21 and will affect women for many generations to come,” the World Bank predicted.

The workforce participation rate for Saudi women in every age category has grown at a spectacular rate since 2019 and it was largely driven by private-sector employment, not the government hiring women to make itself look good to foreign observers. There was, however, one notable government thumb on the scales: special taxes levied against foreign workers beginning in 2017, to make the labor of Saudi nationals more cost-competitive.

The Saudis actually import a great deal of fuel oil during hot summer months and these days they are buying millions of barrels of cheap Russian fuel oil flowing through Egypt.

The Saudis worked for years to develop closer relations with Russia, eventually succeeding in bringing the Russians into the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which became known as OPEC+ once Moscow joined in. 

According to Reuters on Thursday, OPEC+ agreed to a modest increase of oil output under heavy U.S. pressure in early June – but only because the Russians told the Saudis it was acceptable.

Joe Biden Insists He Will Not Beg Saudi Arabia to Produce More Oil

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President Joe Biden refused Thursday to ask Saudi Arabia to produce more oil to bring down the cost of gasoline in the United States and around the world.

Biden was specifically asked during his press conference in Europe about what he would say to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about oil during their scheduled meeting in July.

“No, I’m not going to ask them,” he said, noting that he already “indicated” to all the Gulf heads of state his desire for them to produce more oil.

“I hope we see them, in their own interest, concluding that makes sense to do,” Biden said.

Biden argued that his trip to Saudi Arabia was about Middle East peace negotiations with Israel, not the production of oil.

“I’m sure — it’s in Saudi Arabia, but it’s not about Saudi Arabia,” he said. “It’s in Saudi Arabia.”

Biden said he was not even sure he would end up speaking to the Saudi leaders.

“I’m not even sure; I guess I will see the King and the Crown Prince, but that’s — that’s not the meeting I’m going to,” he said. “They’ll be part of a much larger meeting.”

Biden has frequently gone out of his way to criticize Saudi Arabia despite their influence on global oil markets.

During his presidential campaign, Biden vowed to treat Saudi Arabia as a “pariah” but ultimately agreed to a meeting with their leaders in July.

Biden blamed high gas prices around the world on Russia invading Ukraine — even though gas prices in the United States were already rising rapidly before the war began.

“The bottom line is: Ultimately, the reason why gas prices are up is because of Russia,” he said. “Russia, Russia, Russia.”

Biden and his administration continue to pursue anti-fossil fuel policies, putting the country more at the mercy of oil-rich foreign dictators.

When asked how long drivers would be paying for gas, Biden replied, “As long as it takes. So Russia cannot, in fact, defeat Ukraine and move beyond Ukraine.”

Woke Service Members Question Loyalty to Country After Overturning of Roe v. Wade

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Some woke members of the military are publicly questioning their oaths of enlistment after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in a recent court ruling.

One Army captain tweeted after the ruling came down, “I’m supposed to defend this country?” The tweet was later deleted.

An active-duty Army judge advocate general tweeted: “this may be dramatic but how I do reconcile with myself that I feel as though I serve a country that doesn’t view me as a full person, a country that doesn’t protect me back?”

Another active-duty U.S. Army captain tweeted: “Pack the fucking court.”

An Army medic with 4,940 followers on TikTok — whose bio read “My account absolutely reflects the [Department of Defense]” — posted a video in which she is shown first wearing her Army uniform and later civilian clothes, saying:

How am I supposed to swear to support and defend the Constitution and a country that treats its women like second-class citizens? How am I supposed to do that? How am I supposed to do that with pride? How am I supposed to do that with love and honor? How am I supposed to wake up every day and put on a frickin’ uniform that says United States Army when the United States doesn’t even give a rat’s ass about me. It gives more of a rat’s ass about the guns they’re allowed to buy that kill the children that I’m forced to give birth to think about that.

She tweeted the caption: “raw and unfiltered. I am heartbroken. I am enraged. I am terrified. #roevwade #scotusupdate #keepyourlawsoffmybody #deployment #armywomen #army #miltok”

@rahasenfratz / TikTok

She also tweeted that she was “embarrassed to put on my uniform.”

“This morning I was embarrassed to put on my uniform. For the first time. And then I was embarrassed all over again to feel the privilege of this being the first time that I ever felt that way, not only in my time in the army but also in my life.”

The Army said in a statement to Breitbart News that “politically charged” opinions on social media are permitted but run the risk of constituting banned political activity if they mention a candidate or political party or if they threaten good order and discipline in the workplace. The Army did not elaborate on what would threaten good order and discipline in the workplace.

Retired Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Spoehr, the Heritage Foundation’s director of its Center for National Defense, said that while there is leeway on what service members can say online as long as they are not criticizing the commander in chief, superior officers, or crossing the line into subordination and disrespect, it is not a good idea to weigh in on political matters, particularly as an officer or as a non-commissioned officer.

“If you’re leading people and you’re out there very publicly with your political views, you run the risk of alienating people in your organization who have a different kind of view,” he said in an interview with Breitbart News on Thursday.

“When you’re in leadership, you know, you kind of held to a higher standard, you’re trying to command respect and loyalty of everybody underneath you. And so, you know, coming out with something which is liable to turn off or cause people you lead to question you, it is not probably a good leadership technique,” he added.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin himself waded into the politically charged topic, vowing to provide troops with access to abortions.

He released a statement that said, “Nothing is more important to me or to this Department than the health and well-being of our Service members, the civilian workforce and [Department of Defense] families. I am committed to taking care of our people and ensuring the readiness and resilience of our Force. The Department is examining this decision closely and evaluating our policies to ensure we continue to provide seamless access to reproductive health care as permitted by federal law.”

His statement inspired jubilation from some leftist groups, which claimed that the Pentagon would defy or ignore the Supreme Court decision.

The socialist Occupy Democrats tweeted: “BREAKING NEWS: President Biden’s Pentagon defies the extremist Supreme Court, announces that it will not recognize any anti-abortion laws enacted by the states as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision. RT IF YOU SUPPORT THE PENTAGON’S DECISION.”

His statement also prompted criticism from the right. RedStates’ Mike Miller wrote:

Clearly, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s allegiance — he all but said it with his disgraceful “Nothing is more important to me” comment — is to the Biden White House and the Democrat Party, and the radical left, all of which are doing their damnedest to destroy America as we know it, not to the military strength and combat readiness of America’s Armed Forces.

On Tuesday, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Gilbert Cisneros tried to clarify the DOD’s policy, sending out a memo that said the current federal law still applies.

Currently, under 10 U.S.C. §1093, military medical facilities and funds available to the DOD may not be used to perform abortions, except where the life of the mother is in danger or in the case of rape or incest. DOD healthcare only covers abortion in those cases. Troops may seek abortions at non-military facilities in other cases, however. With the new ruling, they may have to travel out of state if the state where their base is located bans abortion.

Cisneros emphasized in his memo, however, that existing Department policy authorizes active duty service members to travel as necessary to receive abortion care “either as Government-funded, official travel for a covered abortion, or at the Service member’s own expense on regular leave for all other cases.”

“Access to emergency or convalescent leave remains unchanged for all Service members,” he added.

Spoehr said while the defense secretary is a political appointee and does not have to be apolitical, Austin’s statement could have been worded differently.

He said Austin was essentially affirming that the current law — which allows the DOD to provide abortions in extremely limited circumstances — would stand, but “he could have used different words” that would have proved less contentious.

“They could have said, ‘We will abide by…’ or something like that, and it would have gotten completely out this political discussion,” he said. “That would have been a safer thing to say, I think, rather than kind of dipping his toe in the political waters.”

Spoehr said the perception that the Biden Pentagon is wading into “wokeness” is hurting recruitment at a time of historic recruiting challenges.

For the first time in history, the Army announced earlier this year that it would reduce its size due to recruiting difficulties, and with only three months left to go in the fiscal year, the Army has only met 40% of its recruitment goal.

“The White House in particular is pushing a number of policies, which kind of suggest to Americans that [the military is] becoming woke, pushing policies which favor progressive policy over military readiness,” Spoehr said.

“At the same time you don’t hear much discussion about military readiness, but you hear about policies and whether it’s completely accurate or not, the average American gets that sense when they read these stories that the military is becoming politicized. And I think that’s not helpful for the military and particularly not helpful for the recruiting crisis,” he added.

“Military recruitment has been on a knife edge for the last few years. … The tight labor market right now makes things harder. And that this idea of a politicized military increasing military civilian divide, I think pushes it into the red zone,” he said.

Follow Breitbart News’s Kristina Wong on Twitter or on Facebook.