Dubai: a city built on sand
source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/nov/27/dubai-desert-lessons
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- Vierotchka
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Was anywhere heading for a fall so obviously as Dubai? Yet why did no one ever scream? Why did everyone just marvel?
When I first visited the place three years ago, it was already the most dangerous speculative bubble on earth. Breakneck building – using reputedly a quarter of the world's cranes – was sustained on hysterical public relations and $80bn of debt.
By last March the signs of impending doom were everywhere. Property and stock market prices were falling and only the PR firms were still sustaining morale, witness a cringing ITV documentary by Piers Morgan and grovelling coverage of Sol Kerzner's "world's biggest" hotel launch. Building projects worth a reported $300bn were stopping work overnight.
Yet anyone who wrote a word of the impending doom was excoriated. The Guardian was subjected to a campaign of abusive emails when I reflected on the clear parallel with Shelley's Ozymandias and his trunkless legs of stone: "Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair." What had I against Dubai, they complained. Why could I not recognise the future in Dubai's glorious confidence and its open welcome to the world? The enclave's dictator, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, told critics simply: "Shut up."
(click on the link for the whole article and the in-text links)
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The wages of arrogance and greed...
"Dubai World" is also the third or fourth largest port operator - it owns or leases some of the world's most important ports. I believe this was the company which wished to buy one of the US' most important ports (I can't remember which one in particular), but there was quite a hue and cry about this at the time that the sale was canceled, a few years ago.
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nkeg87
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/nov/30/emirates-airline-collateral-dubai...
Dubai's flagship airline, Emirates, has emerged as a potential pawn in the city state's scramble for financial stability.
One of the world's fastest growing carriers, the scale of Emirates's ambition is underlined by its status as the biggest customer for the A380 super-jumbo and its lavish sponsorships of leading European football clubs including Arsenal and Paris St Germain.
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Well, that would be a pretty little financial crisis they have on their hands. - 2 years ago
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nkeg87
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sespian
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The Sheikh treats his horses better than he does the workers building his little empire in the sand.
- 2 years ago
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sespian
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ScorpioGee
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Vierotchka you are right "Dubai World" was going to purchase not one but the majority of the US's major ports by buying P&O--a british shipping firm in 2005. Politicians--especially people who live in port cities like NY,NJ and CA argued that DW buying out P7O was a security breach since DW will not only control what goes in their ports but they will be in charge of security and clearance. Mind you this was four years after September 11.
- 2 years ago
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ScorpioGee
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Lurkistan
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Most every time I read about Dubai and their massive undertakings I thought, who is buying all this? Why would people want to invest in luxury property in such a volatile region?
- 2 years ago
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Lurkistan
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resolute
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The article repeats...don't believe, don't believe, don't believe the hype the media reported.
The marketing industry couldn't market the Dubai 'market'.
Maybe there is some sense left in the world where light is light and dark is dark no matter how smart someone is to try to change and what is dark and call it light. - 2 years ago
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resolute
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krush_productions
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Dubai is a shit hole, always was always will be.
- 2 years ago
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krush_productions
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Mankind has always tried to make magnificent monuments on this Planet.....many are visible...many others have been covered as this Planet continuously grows and eats all in its way...
it a relatively short amount of time...3 or 4 hundred years nothing will be visible of
Dubai....and Washington D.C. will be one small pyramid...the top of the Washington Monument.....no one could ever guess in their wildest dreams the crazy bullshit that happened at both places...Golden Ruler....Johnnie Hargrave - 2 years ago
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Relevations
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F7
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Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum - 60 Minutes -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD35bttAGhU - 2 years ago
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F7
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nkeg87
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F7:
He said "economic success story." He meant failure.
- 2 years ago
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nkeg87
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Vierotchka
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http://photos-p.friendster.com/photos/99/00/91600099/1_475853295l.jpg
Holding a scale model of the hotel designed in a sublimated image of his little bent penis.
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Vierotchka
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InformedTexan
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Vierotchka:
Ad hominem at its finest.
- 2 years ago
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InformedTexan
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Vierotchka
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Vierotchka:
May be, but perfectly accurate, as it happens.
- 2 years ago
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Vierotchka
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Vierotchka
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http://blog.summerhill.co.za/storage/mike_images/people_owners/sheikh-mohammed-b...
A portrait of greed and arrogance...
- 2 years ago
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Vierotchka
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Vierotchka
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http://www.sheikhmohammed.co.ae/StaticFiles/Content%20for%20English%20site/Files...
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum at the races, in the UK I believe.
- 2 years ago
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Vierotchka
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robidog [removed]
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Vierotchka:
Poor photoshop job.
- 2 years ago
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robidog [removed]
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Vierotchka
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Vierotchka:
No photoshop job, but poor colour saturation and rendering.
- 2 years ago
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Vierotchka
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robidog [removed]
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I will gleefully watch this antisemitic whore of Babylon go down slowly.
- 2 years ago
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robidog [removed]
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Vierotchka
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robidog:
You forget that, as an Arab, he is as much a Semite as are Jews, if not more.
- 2 years ago
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Vierotchka
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robidog [removed]
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robidog:
I will gleefully watch this Jew-hating whore of Babylon go down slowly.
- 2 years ago
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robidog [removed]
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Vierotchka
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robidog:
I don't hate Jews, I am Jewish, and I am the antithesis of the "self-hating Jew". Oh, and I don't sell myself, so the "whore" reference only reflects the dirty mind and true nature of the one who called that name.
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Vierotchka
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jubal
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robidog:
Isn't he talking about Dubai? The money whore of the world?
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jubal
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Lurkistan
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robidog:
A little insecure V? That comment is obviously not directed at you.
- 2 years ago
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Lurkistan
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robidog [removed]
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robidog:
Yes that's right. I was referring to Dubai itself.
- 2 years ago
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robidog [removed]
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Vierotchka
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http://www.dubaichronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/sheikh-mohammed-george-...
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum and his dear friend GWB.
- 2 years ago
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Vierotchka
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Lurkistan
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Vierotchka:
You'd think with so much money he could have avoided looking like he shops at a second-hand clothing shop.
- 2 years ago
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Lurkistan
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EdJoyProductions
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Good thing that Bush didn't get away letting Dubai World take over the United States Port Security like he intended.
- 2 years ago
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EdJoyProductions
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Sexirobot
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Drowning in the desert.
- 2 years ago
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Sexirobot
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F7
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everything, in a certain portion of time, can be a sand castle
- 2 years ago
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F7
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remanns
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Dey jus need to get demselves sum a dem big ol wurms from Dune!
- 2 years ago
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remanns
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Vierotchka
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remanns:
It's far too early in our history for Spice. :)
- 2 years ago
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Vierotchka
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jubal
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remanns:
Ah but spice would be so nice.
- 2 years ago
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jubal
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Progresshiv
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You have to hand it to them for selling sand in the desert. They had a good run....while it lasted.
- 2 years ago
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Progresshiv
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Relevations
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And so castles made of sand...fall in the sea....eventually.....
.....the Great Jimi Hendrix...... - 2 years ago
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