briandmyers (tagged since you might be interested)

Let's get two things straight:

(1) Saudi Arabia is one of the most backwards countries on the planet right now. Executing journalists like they never got the memo that it's not longer 1566, subjugation of women running rampant and much much more.

(2) America is only in bed with these savages because of oil. It's no coincidence that John Kerry paid a visit to the Saudis conveniently before OPEC decided to crank up its supply, lowering the equilibrium price of oil thus hurting Venezuela and Russia (which just so happens to be under US sanctions). The Saudi's benefited because it drove some (not as much as expected though, thanks to their vitality) North American natural gas companies. So the relationship was of mutual benefit.

Sure, the Saudis are technically enemies with the Daesh, but they only further serve to indoctrinate the next generation with their corrupted, conveniently selective distortion of Islam (mentioned in the article). This indoctrination flames the fire that is the Middle East's religious division (just look at the alliances in the Middle East, clear Sunni/Shiite divide).

There can be no good to come out of the "unholy alliance" between the US and the Saudis (economics aside). So surely something has to change. But if there's anything that can be learned from the latter half of the 20th century, it's the following: you can't force a country to become democratic. They must come to that decision on their own. It can't be given, it must be earned. If these countries can't work their way to it, then you must leave them to their own devises until they do. This means (a) not supporting the current regime (not to say we should form a coupe to overthrow it; I'm looking at you CIA) by not buying their oil; that is to say, move towards energy independence, preferably renewable (kill two birds with one stone). (b) What this doesn't mean is impose sanctions on them. Sanctions will only serve to hurt the people of that country (further alienating the West more than it already is). These people go through enough as is, and sanctioning the country won't get rid of their government. But will it make the people dislike their government to the point of change? Certainly not. Look no further than Russia: The West has imposed sanctions on their leaders (rightfully so) which was then used as propaganda to make the russian population not hate their leadership, but to hate the countries that imposed those sanctions in the first place.

In summation, the West has to not support these groups of terror through focus on energy independence because its impractical and terrible economics (to the point where it overshadows the gain) to simply cut ourselves off of their oil without the proper counterbalance (massive increase in oil prices due to lower demand i.e. bad for consumers). For this reason we need to invest in domestic, renewable energy. We also have to not get involved further with sanctions. Countries tend to move towards democracy (look at China; slowly but surely) and as such the best we can do is get out of the people's way to allow that to happen.