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As Dubai's Glitter Fades, Foreigners See Dark Side
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 1:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I did get a chuckle out of his little disguise... and his modeling of it. It looks to me like he is probably already trying to sell the story to Hollywood...

But, all in all, from the details in the press, he seems a pretty sleazy character... all too typical of those who have been fleecing any country that had excess funds over the years.

VS
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BigGuy



Joined: 17 Sep 2007
Posts: 34

PostPosted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 1:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dubai is/was a boom town and as such it attracts sheisters; loads of them there.
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thefuzz



Joined: 10 Aug 2009
Posts: 271

PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 2:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I lived and worked in the Gulf for one year and once I left I vowed to never return. Some people really like living in this area of the world, they can get high paying jobs and live well (something most wouldn't be able to do back home). Getting a credit card, I remember, was a breeze. Getting a car loan was easy, too. But I did hear stories of what happens when one cannot pay his/her loans on time (and the actions taken were much more drastic than those back home). Yeah, you are able to get everything, all the things you've ever wanted, but you've also gotta pay the price, which seems to be quite steep.

The thing that really bothered me, bothered to the bone, was the treatment of migrant workers. Basically if you like living in a country that treats its workers like slaves, go right ahead, this place is for you. But if you have a conscience, it will be hard to see it day in and day out. Basically it's like taking a time machine back to the Middle Ages...

Anyway, there is a great article about the downfall of Dubai. Here is the link:

http://www.alternet.org/world/136877/dubai's_lesson_to_america:_how_the_middle_east's_shangrai_la_became_a_hell_on_earth/

So, yeah, Dubai is the greatest magic trick in the whole wide world, but the thing they forgot to do was to get a great magician do make it work, as it's slowly unraveling and people are able to see for themselves how it's done.
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 2:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's an old article... there was already a thread about it back in April when it was published.

BTW... below your avatar it says a city in China. So... their human rights record is so much better? ... just sayin' ...

VS
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Noor



Joined: 06 May 2009
Posts: 152

PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 2:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, it is in many ways shameless and heartbreaking. But the Emiratis are hardly the first, nor will they be the last, to build their nation on exploited labor.

In case anyone thinks this kind of thing happens today only in "developing" countries, check this out.

Quote:
September 3, 2009

New research suggests more than 90% of low-wage workers are denied worker's compensation for injuries, and almost 70% are cheated out of substantial sums of their paychecks.


This in the United States. The full NPR report is here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112506238


The study (in PDF) is here:

http://nelp.3cdn.net/59719b5a36109ab7d8_5xm6bc9ap.pdf
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Never Ceased To Be Amazed



Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 3500
Location: Shhh...don't talk to me...I'm playin' dead...

PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Newly-arrived apologists abound! Rolling Eyes

NCTBA
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 3:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

But some fall way shorter than others.
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Noor



Joined: 06 May 2009
Posts: 152

PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 3:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm sure there are at least a few. Those I've run across have been old hands.

Rolling Eyes
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thefuzz



Joined: 10 Aug 2009
Posts: 271

PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

veiledsentiments wrote:
That's an old article... there was already a thread about it back in April when it was published.

BTW... below your avatar it says a city in China. So... their human rights record is so much better? ... just sayin' ...

VS


Sorry, don't spend much time looking at all the posts on ESL Cafe, but thanks for letting me know that the article in question is indeed old and thus old news to you.

As for human rights in China...you see the whole world always fixates its energy on this issue and I agree it is a problem, but on a different scale. In the Gulf human rights abuses are much harsher (basically the whole region was built on slave labor) whereas the situation in China is more political. People who do not follow the Party line are subjected to abuse, yes that is true, but no one forces anyone to work under horrible conditions (most Chinese don�t care much about politics anyway, they are too busy making money). Plus, everyone is always complaining about China, but 90% of the goods you have in your home were made here and if it wouldn't be for the cheap labor you wouldn't be able to buy a pack of cheap underpants at Walmart anymore. So, yeah, these issues exist everywhere, but at least China does not hide behind the religion card as is often the case in the Gulf. Plus, the whole world is much too scared to say anything that might piss off the Arabs, so they keep quiet. Anyway, China is and will always be a great target, but before one talks about the human rights situation in China one should spend some time here and understand the situation first hand�watching news on CNN does not count.
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 2:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What it all comes down to is that if the human race was truly intelligent, they would have stuck to hunting and gathering... been downhill ever since.

VS
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Sheikh N Bake



Joined: 26 Apr 2007
Posts: 1307
Location: Dis ting of ours

PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 2:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

According to figures I saw, China executed 1100 prisoners last year. No doubt many, many were political prisoners.

Before you retort about American executions, there were 37. Not political prisoners.
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