Behind the Bastards Part Four: Prince Mohammed Bin Salman: The Tyrant of Saudi Arabia
15 snips
Jan 29, 2026 David Bell, journalist and commentator, brings concise analysis of Mohammed bin Salman and Saudi power dynamics. They trace MBS's rise through palace maneuvering and energy politics. They cover his social reforms, crackdowns on dissent, the NEOM vision, and the Khashoggi assassination. The conversation mixes geopolitical scrutiny with sharp storytelling.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Energy Enabled Rapid Power Consolidation
- Mohammed bin Salman rose by combining visible energy with ruthless consolidation of power across rival institutions.
- His willingness to act where others were complacent allowed rapid centralization but mixed reform with repression.
Undermining The Fun Police Won Youth Support
- MBS sidelined the mutawa (religious police) by banning them from detaining people in public and gained huge youth support.
- He exploited social media anger and demographic change to weaken religious hardliners' power.
Yemen: Starvation As A Strategy
- The Yemen war became a humanitarian catastrophe driven by blockade and strikes on civilian infrastructure.
- Saudi strategy intentionally used hunger as a bargaining tool, worsening famine and civilian deaths.
