It would appear that MBS graduated from the Donald J. Trump School of Thin-Skinned, Swaggering Diplomacy (not to be confused with Trump University). Having unsuccessfully attempted to change the government of Lebanon, blockaded Qatar, and launched an endless and bloody war in Yemen, the Saudis have now started a row with Canada over some fairly inoffensive statements about human rights violations. What, exactly, is this supposed to accomplish?
(On two related notes, the US government is not taking sides in this dispute, and it turns out that the Saudis don’t just behead people–they crucify them, too! Bet that goes over well with Trump’s religious fundamentalist base.)
It’s one thing to swagger when you have the world’s biggest economy and most effective military on your side. It’s quite another to do it when the world is trying to phase out the use of your country’s only real economic asset. My guess is that Canada doesn’t even buy any Saudi oil. Why, under those circumstances, would they capitulate to Saudi pressure?
MBS would be wise to take a hard look at his country’s real assets and liabilities, and to conduct his diplomacy accordingly.