He kisses for thee

You might look at this picture and say, “Wow, U.S. President George W. Bush sure is tight with the dictatorial King of Saudi Arabia. They behead people and fund the spread of Wahhabist ideology. What a corrupt relationship.”

But the reality is, if you’re a gasoline-consuming American, you’re deeply complicit in this marriage, too. So laugh all you want at Bush, but he kisses Saudi cheek for thee—just as U.S. presidents have done for decades. There’s nothing particularly unique about Bush’s relationship with the Saudis.

MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

UPDATE: Justin Logan and Matt Yglesias dissent vigorously.