Tempirana bomba Dubaj

Že nekaj časa sem prepričan, da je Dubaj tempirana bomba s finančno/investicijskega stališča. Ampak sodeč po temle članku v The Independent pa gre tudi za skorajšnjo humanitarno, okoljsko in politično katastrofo.

Sicer se tekst zdi dokaj pretiran in pristranski, ampak če od opisanega drži le pol, je dovolj grozno: absolutna ločenost med lastniki kapitala (Arabci), najemniki (“expats”, pretežno Britanci) in sužnji (Filipinci in Indijci), totalna zloraba okolja in politično potencialno izredno nevarna situacija:

And then he smiles, coming up with what he sees as his killer argument. “When I see Western journalists criticise us – don’t you realise you’re shooting yourself in the foot? The Middle East will be far more dangerous if Dubai fails. Our export isn’t oil, it’s hope. Poor Egyptians or Libyans or Iranians grow up saying – I want to go to Dubai. We’re very important to the region. We are showing how to be a modern Muslim country. We don’t have any fundamentalists here. Europeans shouldn’t gloat at our demise. You should be very worried…. Do you know what will happen if this model fails? Dubai will go down the Iranian path, the Islamist path.”

Sultan sits back. My arguments have clearly disturbed him; he says in a softer, conciliatory tone, almost pleading: “Listen. My mother used to go to the well and get a bucket of water every morning. On her wedding day, she was given an orange as a gift because she had never eaten one. Two of my brothers died when they were babies because the healthcare system hadn’t developed yet. Don’t judge us.” He says it again, his eyes filled with intensity: “Don’t judge us.”

Kot Dubaj najbolje opiše neka Filipinka:

I was here for months before I realised – everything in Dubai is fake. Everything you see. The trees are fake, the workers’ contracts are fake, the islands are fake, the smiles are fake – even the water is fake!

Vredno branja v celoti.