This being Saudi Arabia, the only information we get is what the government chooses to let us have. There is no such thing as a free press that could look into the story, foreign reporters are most unwelcome, and the woman's family will be doing everything possible, abetted by the authorities, to keep things "private" which is why we don't even know her name.

Though things may change now, since the authorities in CYA mode have leveled pretty intolerable charges against her. That, or her family may kill her, depending on how primitive they are.

It has nothing much to do with Islam, just with a medieval, no, almost neolithic tribal culture.

Anyway, as I've said before, there is a certain simpatico between the Bushies and the Saudis, so of course the first response after the threats fail is to swift-boat the victim, which is what we are seeing here.

Might just work too, they aren't playing to Western public opinion after all, but to the locals. And the local opposition ain't westernized liberals, they are the wahabist/salafist assholes who have been holding the al'Sauds hostage from pretty much day one of the kingdom.

A little history: Abd' al Aziz, the founder, was brought to power by the Ikhwan ("The Brotherhood", a pretty crazy Wahabi militaristic cult) in the '20s (and those boys make current Iraqi "insurgents" look pretty tame), whom he promptly slaughtered at Sabilla in 1930 courtesy of British supplied armoured cars, and then bought off the remnant by making them the Saudi National Guard, in an uneasy and from time to time violent deal that continues to define Saudi politics to this day. There is nothing liberal at all about the real Saudi opposition, which is a card the al Sauds have played again and again to keep being propped up in power by whatever western power is handy.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Read the fine print, it ain't exactly what it's cracked up to be.

Not only should boys get a peek at this, a similar book for boys, that the girls could get a peek at, might not be a bad idea too. I remember that some of the younger teenage girls had some rather odd notions of male anatomy, and the picture they will get from porn today is not going to be all that accurate either.

I remember at the time I was insanely curious as to what a naked woman actually looked like, and porn was a lot harder to access back in the stone age, the best I could come up with were written descriptions. And I had plenty of issues with what happening to my own body. A few basic facts & depictions would have been extremely comforting.

"I am suggesting that these maimed women's lives are beyond the understanding of just about everyone who sits on a cushy chair and posts at Salon."

Every time third world tragedy comes up in the West, there is always someone there to point out the lack of authenticity of anybody in the West caring or helping or trying to understand. This time you are It I suppose.

How on earth is anybody going to even begin to understand without content like this? Should it not even be presented? Should we put on sackcloth and ashes and scourge ourselves because we cannot begin to understand?

Oh, and you might be surprised at the numbers of us comfy-chaired Salon readers that have actually had contact with human suffering, yes even in Africa. And in my experience, you might be surprised how much you have in common with people living in what are regarded as complete hell-holes.

Yes, appropriation of marginalized peoples' voices is an issue and an important debate, but not one solved by silence.

"I...had very little in common with the destitute, traumatized, emaciated people I met in those hell holes.

No, you just didn't talk to them enough. They are mostly concerned with their moms, cousins, and children. You aren't?

"At least I'm It with a capital I and at least the person accusing me of being predictable spells unpredictibly.

That would be "unpredictably" if you want to turn on your spell checker. I actually am Canadian, and spell accordingly.

C-Bob

is that people actually are taking this "man bites dog" story seriously.

Me, I just don't buy it. I'm sure it has happened a few times, but in significant numbers?

No, not buying it.

Basically, its another "what rich mommies whose lives are totally unlike our own do" type story. Why does BroadSheet follow these so obsessively?

Thank you. I'm usually pretty skeptical, but that sounded pretty much exactly right.

It is so sad that support systems for people that need them are indeed almost visibly designed to bar them from actually getting ahead. Any opportunity at all to get out of the cage even a little bit must look pretty good.

If they hand out red stars tomorrow, on this thread, I hope your comment gets two or three.