It is interesting to look at the role of the United States in all of this. For a while, the US has been a bit of a thorn, outwardly criticizing the human rights record of Saudi Arabia. While our record in that regard has been far from perfect, there has always been an insistence that international human rights were something important to the US. Then Trump steps into the picture and human rights isn't really something he cares about (at least in his allies. He only really cares when he can use it against someone like with Iran). So, the US falls silent.
This gives Saudi Arabia a window to make a statement. "We will deal with our own affairs, and if you step in, you are making enemies of us," more or less.
Basically, Saudi Arabia can't afford to lose the US, but it can afford to lose Canada, so by the US falling silent on human rights issues gives them a window to make a statement to try to shake off Western influence. By remaining out of this fight, the United States is stepping out of moral driven foreign policy and focusing almost exclusively on economic and military driven foreign policy. This is an interesting change which could be painted as good or bad depending on where you stand. To adapt an old adage: Human rights, economic prosperity, and peace. Choose Two.
That said, it is a fairly clear extension of something I have been saying for a while: President Trump lacks a moral platform. I think that as an overall point has some deep and serious international and domestic implications, and this is only really a small corner of it.
