Nicholas Kristof: Live from the snake pit in Saudi Arabia...

On the ground in Riyadh. View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Saturday, December 15, 2018 [NYTimes.com/Kristof »]( [A man walks through an illuminated art installation on the corniche promenade at night in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, in October.]( A man walks through an illuminated art installation on the corniche promenade at night in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, in October. Simon Dawson/Bloomberg When I flew into Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia recently, I wondered how I would be received. I was a friend of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi and I had described Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as a “[Mad Prince]( whose initials could stand for “Mr. Bone Saw.” In the end, Saudi officials greeted me professionally and respectfully, and I sensed considerable support for the social and economic change that the crown prince is bringing to the country. But the country also felt more oppressive — Saudis were more fearful of speaking frankly with me than they used to be — and there was also an aggrieved nationalism in the air. I find President Trump’s Saudi policy an incoherent failure. Here’s [what I found in Saudi Arabia]( and why I think we should take a much tougher position toward Saudi Arabia and the Mad Prince. One important global trend: [China’s economy is in trouble](. Chinese economic statistics are often made up, so it’s hard to know how badly it’s faltering, but factory workers in the south are already being let off for the Chinese new year holiday. This slowdown will also ripple through the global economy, particularly because Europe is also slowing. And while this should make Xi Jinping more inclined to settle trade disputes, it may also make him ready to find some security crisis as a distraction from economic woes. On Dec. 15, it will be five years since war broke out in South Sudan, killing some 400,000 people. Today a girl in South Sudan is more likely to die in childbirth than to graduate from high school. We need more international attention to try to bring peace and economic development to South Sudan. I’m a fan of people like Valentino Deng (hero of “What is the What”) who have [tried to bring schools]( to that country. Now [here’s my column]( from Saudi Arabia. And, MBS, if you’re reading this, here’s a tip: You want to show you’re a reformer, then release the women’s rights activists who are being tortured in your prisons. [Here’s my take.]( Book Watch I’m mostly a fan of the [Top 10 book lists]( going around (do read Tara Westover’s “[Educated]( but there were two excellent books that didn’t seem to make them. One is Steven Pinker’s “[Enlightment Now]( about the long arc of human progress and how to sustain it, and the other is Steven Pearlstein’s “[Can American Capitalism Survive]( about America’s economic missteps over the last half century. Both books are engaging, thought-provoking and recommended! ADVERTISEMENT You can connect with me on [Facebook](. If you have friends who might enjoy this newsletter, forward this email or tell them they can [sign up here](. Send feedback or tech questions to newsletters@nytimes.com. Recent Columns [End This Shameful War]( Meet Abrar, 12, a victim of our Yemen policy. [Your Tax Dollars Help Starve Children]( The famine in Yemen could become the worst the world has seen in a generation. What I’m Reading in The Times [The Hard Truths of Trying to ‘Save’ the Rural Economy]( By EDUARDO PORTER Rural America’s economy is in decline, and trying to fix it by turning small towns into tech hubs isn’t working. [The Saudi Regime’s Other Victims]( By KATHERINE ZOEPF The murder of Jamal Khashoggi has focused attention on Saudi Arabia’s human rights abuses. We need to remember all of the thousands in prison. We’ve got more newsletters! You might like The Week in Good News.  It’s not all bad out there. Start your weekend with a smile. [Get The Week in Good News email.](  ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW NICHOLAS KRISTOF [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nickkristof]( [Instagram] [nickkristof]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »]( | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Nicholas Kristof newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2018 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018