Compare and Contrast

I thought that it is interesting how The National and Gulf News are covering President Trump's speech to the UN as compared to what I saw my friends in the US had posted about it. So I looked at some of the major US new sources pages. The American media is downplaying the importance of the speech as compared to the media here, and the Americans are playing up the laughter of some of the delegates.

Draw what conclusions you want from these:

As Dubai Millionaires Multiply...

money masks missing liberties

"I couldn't have done a 10th of what I've done if it hadn't been for Dubai,'' says Naqvi, 47, who moved to Dubai in 1994 with $50,000 of savings and now runs buyout firm Abraaj Capital Ltd. His $5 billion of assets include stakes in Turkish hospitals, Saudi Arabian pharmacies and a Jordanian aircraft repair company. Successful investments include Dubai's Arabtec Holdings PJSC, which is building the world's tallest skyscraper, Burj Dubai, on a $20 billion construction site not far from Naqvi's office.
In a ditch near the Giorgio Armani-designed hotel on the tower's lower floors, construction worker Omkar Singh leans on a shovel and wipes sweat from his brow. Singh, 24, went into debt to pay 60,000 rupees ($1,500) -- more than six months of earnings, including overtime -- to an agent to get to Dubai from India. The agent promised eight-hour workdays. Singh says he works at least 10-hour shifts, six days a week. "I was taken for a ride,'' he says.

this is by far one of the most comprehensive and balanced pieces done on dubai. talking about human rights, the piece adds:

Sheikh Mohammed declined to comment for this story through Mona al-Marri, a spokeswoman at Dubai-based public relations firm Jiwin.

it goes on to say:

French-born Denis Ravizza says he's so comfortable in Dubai he doesn't worry about any loss of political freedom. "I don't care about living in a place where I don't vote and I don't decide,'' says Ravizza, 44, the associate dean of Dubai's French Fashion University. "What they decide for the country is good for me.''
Others say that freedom matters. "If we are talking about making Dubai the finest city in the world, it needs to be more transparent,'' says Maitri Somaia, 20, an Indian media and communications student. "I definitely don't feel oppressed, but whatever I say, I frame my sentences very carefully. I have to.''

Everyone who ever set foot on arabland, knew the ways of the government. those in power were not voted in, they inherited it. when we stepped on these sands, we also gave up the right to express our opinions in the way we knew back home. and the trade-off was made in return for security, a better quality of life, and yes, monetary benefits. why then, do we come to foreign lands and demand the luxuries we grew up with? why did we willingly give them up, if they were so important to us to begin with?

Now it's The Universe

The world wasn't big enough for Nakheel - they've just announced 'The Universe', a huge new offshore development.

There's not a lot of information yet but they say it will take 15 to 20 years to complete, will add 3,000 hecares of new land and it will stretch from Palm Jumeirah to Port Rashid, running between The World and the mainland.

Another blogger arrested.

EmBiz24/7 has a story today that will be of interest to all of us who blog:

"Saudi authorities have detained a popular blogger for violating the kingdom's laws, a senior Interior Ministry official said Tuesday. It was the first known arrest of a Saudi online critic.

The blogger, Fouad al-Farhan, was being questioned by security authorities, Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Monsour al-Turki said. He added the blogger "might be released" on Wednesday but did not elaborate.

The Saudi English daily, Arab News, said al-Farhan had "violated non-security regulations." The paper said the 32-year-old Jeddah resident was arrested at his office December 10 and taken to his home where police conducted a search. There were no other details on the arrest.
Meanwhile, his family has contacted the governmental Human Rights Commission, asking for help in the case, the paper said.

Al-Farhan's blog headline reads: "Searching for freedom, dignity, justice, equality, shoura and all the rest of lost Islamic values." Shoura means public consultation, in Arabic."

The story is here.

QE2 sold to Dubai

News media is reporting that the liner the QE2 has been bought 'by Dubai' for £50 million and will be a luxury floating hotel. The buyer is Istithma and the liner will be moored off Palm Jumeirah, arriving in 2009.

We had one on the Creek back in the late seventies, so nothing much changes...

CNN report.

I have a photo of the original floating hotel here.

News Clip

Weird thing news is, very weird. Sometimes I can't stand it and sometimes I feel something's missing without it. Today I felt I needed my dose of news, so I went to our faithful Gulf News, and boy did I get a shock. The stories didn't surprise me individually, but the combined trends did. Some things happen today that are as normal as your son's cereal box, but I couldn't imagine them when I was your son's age.

Here's but a list of things I read. Most peculiar:

- First batch of 60 workers deported for violent protest:
In my time, protests of any kind were haram. Now not only are these guys protesting, but they are protesting violently! Where? In our beloved UAE!!! I find it totally mad. How can things degenerate to this level in the ladder of civilisation. I think it's a combination of slave-like conditions with totally despondency that drive this. I have been fortunate to spend a lot of time in my youth on a construction site as a trainee and I have nothing but love and admiration.

"The first batch of 60 out of 185 workers of ETA Ascon who were arrested for turning violent during a protest was deported on Tuesday night.

About 8,000 workers of ETA Ascon from Sonapur and Al Quoz went on a protest on Saturday demanding a hike in their basic salary and a two-way airfare when they go on leave every two years."


Sorry but these demands are basic human rights. No wonder they protested, I just disagree with the use of violence.

- Call for minimum speed limit on highways:
This is pure horse rubbish!! I remember back in the days when we used to get excited if dad's speedometer touched 100 km/h, not because his car couldn't do it but because our roads were not good enough to handle fast traffic. Now we have a case made by the Police to have a minimum speed limit of 80 km/h on our highways because of Idiots driving too slow and impeding the flow, not to mention endagering life. This is because most of these Idiots drive slowly on the FAST lane thinking it belongs to them, with the concept of roads as a Public way being very alien to their undeveloped minds. Then you get the fast big-balled Arab who then starts to undertake etc thus even making things more dangerous.

I say yay to a minimum speed limit and anything that educates and punishes the stupid drivers out there.

- Schools seek feel increase of 180%:
This is JUST WRONG. Plain wrong. Mind you I did my A-levels at a school in Dubai which I nicknamed Chouetrams (after the supermarket) because they run it like a business not an educational body. In most countries schools are run like charities (i.e. they are not allowed to make a profit, and any profit made gets put back into the school). I found this a very alien concept because my last school was so good in terms of funding that we always got the best books, gear, teachers and all the like for normal fees that didn't go up by more than inflation over the years.

Now there are these theives that want more than 180% raise in the fees?!!?! How do you justify that? How do you sleep at night?

- 9/11 "mastermind" confesses to attacks:
Not wanting to dwell on the past, but when did 9/11 happen? 2001... aaah
When did this dude get caught? Around 2002 me thinks...
When did he "confess"... 2007... aaah.. a good few years then being a good quiet boy.
Interesting timing me thinks.. and I will not dwell much on this but I find it hard that they didn't "encourage" him to confess earlier. Also I find it peculiar that only one man can plan such a complex operation. I don't believe that the truth has died with the attackers of 9/11, we're not talking about a pesky bank robbery here.

Cynical BuJ thinks they should fire the guy in charge of this investigation for failing to find more "responsible" people for the crime, and failing to "make him talk" sooner..

Have a nice day all.

BuJassem
(cross posted on my blog here