Northern Light
Superstar
On the narrow point of this issue.
In order for Freeland's Tweet to be considered virtue signalling, it would have to be an empty gesture in which there was no belief that it would lead to any substantive benefit.
While I'm unclear if the government thought it would actually achieve anything positive by way of the Tweet; I also see no evidence they knew it would not.
If, in fact, they did believe it was an empty gesture, other than perhaps letting the family know they care, was it so unreasonable if they believed it would not have a negative repercussion?
Would any reasonable person have anticipated this level of reaction from this tweet?
It is possible, as Saudi Arabia has had similar tiffs w/Sweden and Germany, the former lasting 2 years before the Swedes quietly walked back.
But, there have been countless other critiques w/no reprisals at all, nothing more than an off-the-cuff scolding from Saudi Arabia.
Swedish tiff:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-sweden/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.8f015e6c73be
https://www.thelocal.se/20161024/how-sweden-is-trying-to-smooth-relations-with-saudis
German tiff:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...from-government-tenders-spiegel-idUSKCN1IQ2GF
In order for Freeland's Tweet to be considered virtue signalling, it would have to be an empty gesture in which there was no belief that it would lead to any substantive benefit.
While I'm unclear if the government thought it would actually achieve anything positive by way of the Tweet; I also see no evidence they knew it would not.
If, in fact, they did believe it was an empty gesture, other than perhaps letting the family know they care, was it so unreasonable if they believed it would not have a negative repercussion?
Would any reasonable person have anticipated this level of reaction from this tweet?
It is possible, as Saudi Arabia has had similar tiffs w/Sweden and Germany, the former lasting 2 years before the Swedes quietly walked back.
But, there have been countless other critiques w/no reprisals at all, nothing more than an off-the-cuff scolding from Saudi Arabia.
Swedish tiff:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-sweden/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.8f015e6c73be
https://www.thelocal.se/20161024/how-sweden-is-trying-to-smooth-relations-with-saudis
German tiff:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...from-government-tenders-spiegel-idUSKCN1IQ2GF