Excellent. I hate Dubai but it's not the place's fault (actually it might be) https://pvewood.blogspot.com/2012/09/i-hate-dubai-but-its-not-places-fault.html
I disagree with both of you. People are dumber than in the West, but better looking and far happier. It's difficult to be misanthropic when the sun shines for 360 days each year, and when everyone is convinced there is an afterlife. Being surrounded by happy, cheerful people is not so bad (even if the intellectual level of conversations suffers). One can't have it all in one place. The mindless materialism can be annoying, but it's limited to a relatively small subset of the population. Once one leaves the main tourist attractions, normality takes over. Plus, the fact that those sheikhs built a wonderland in the desolate desert, and manage to keep it so clean (compare with what was achieved in Romania, for example) is quite impressive. As a side note, the Trucial States were very strongly influenced by the British, and like many ex British colonies or pseudo colonies, they thrive today.
All this is true. I was just being told yesterday about how racist the Emiratis and Arabs in general are. My informant is an American friend who lived in KSA for seven years and is married to a Saudi. She says slavery still exists in KSA and a friend of hers saw slaves chained up in an outhouse in a grand mansion he pottered around. A young leftwing feminist Romanian told me KSA is the best place to be a woman, as she was told by her Saudi girlfriends. She was there 6 months.
I much prefer the Emiratis' racism, which is direct and out in the open, than the Western version, which is cloaked in sophistry, linguistic tricks, and logical fallacies. The older I grow, the more I appreciate unblemished honesty - even if it is unpleasant or unpalatable to me.
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It’s just been reported that Dubai is the most popular travel destination in the world.
ReplyDeleteA slave state city with buildings seemingly designed by Hitler’s architect Albert Speer and Victoria Beckham. Surrounded by sand.
I’d rather spend a weekend naked in a bus shelter in Doncaster, in January, than visit Dubai.
Rod
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/17378186/quit-boris-johnson-scandal-tarnishes-reputation/
Excellent. I hate Dubai but it's not the place's fault (actually it might be) https://pvewood.blogspot.com/2012/09/i-hate-dubai-but-its-not-places-fault.html
DeleteI disagree with both of you. People are dumber than in the West, but better looking and far happier. It's difficult to be misanthropic when the sun shines for 360 days each year, and when everyone is convinced there is an afterlife. Being surrounded by happy, cheerful people is not so bad (even if the intellectual level of conversations suffers). One can't have it all in one place. The mindless materialism can be annoying, but it's limited to a relatively small subset of the population. Once one leaves the main tourist attractions, normality takes over. Plus, the fact that those sheikhs built a wonderland in the desolate desert, and manage to keep it so clean (compare with what was achieved in Romania, for example) is quite impressive. As a side note, the Trucial States were very strongly influenced by the British, and like many ex British colonies or pseudo colonies, they thrive today.
ReplyDeleteAll this is true. I was just being told yesterday about how racist the Emiratis and Arabs in general are. My informant is an American friend who lived in KSA for seven years and is married to a Saudi. She says slavery still exists in KSA and a friend of hers saw slaves chained up in an outhouse in a grand mansion he pottered around. A young leftwing feminist Romanian told me KSA is the best place to be a woman, as she was told by her Saudi girlfriends. She was there 6 months.
DeleteI much prefer the Emiratis' racism, which is direct and out in the open, than the Western version, which is cloaked in sophistry, linguistic tricks, and logical fallacies. The older I grow, the more I appreciate unblemished honesty - even if it is unpleasant or unpalatable to me.
Delete