Carigamers
Official Forums => News => Sick Sad World => Topic started by: woodyear99 on April 08, 2009, 01:53:51 PM
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I always read about the mega projects in Dubai, this great city being built in the desert. After reading this article though I dunno if I would want to visit this place, so many issues and the whole place not even sustainable.
LONG READ AHEAD
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http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html)
The dark side of Dubai
Dubai was meant to be a Middle-Eastern Shangri-La, a glittering monument to Arab enterprise and western capitalism. But as hard times arrive in the city state that rose from the desert sands, an uglier story is emerging. Johann Hari reports
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
"The wide, smiling face of Sheikh Mohammed – the absolute ruler of Dubai – beams down on his creation. His image is displayed on every other building, sandwiched between the more familiar corporate rictuses of Ronald McDonald and Colonel Sanders. This man has sold Dubai to the world as the city of One Thousand and One Arabian Lights, a Shangri-La in the Middle East insulated from the dust-storms blasting across the region. He dominates the Manhattan-manqué skyline, beaming out from row after row of glass pyramids and hotels smelted into the shape of piles of golden coins. And there he stands on the tallest building in the world – a skinny spike, jabbing farther into the sky than any other human construction in history."
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read this article yesserday as well
have a gorgeous super hottey friend living and working in dubai ( her super hottness is totally irrelevant but had to be mentioned none the less) and her comments on this is that most of the pop wouldnt notice the slowdowns because their wealth is spread over much more than just mega contruction.
Those people over there spend millions of dollars to have the privelege of having the equivalent of PCM 001 as their license plate number. the lower the number the more shekels they willing to payzors.
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Hmm does crixx comments have anything to do with the article I have no idea... one must wonder though if this is not simply the west/Developed nations trying to discredit the east as always? I mean ALL places have issues. I mean just look at T&T. We are putting the vagra.... I mean socially displaced OUT OF THE WAY and we're building a wal... I mean berb to block the betham... they are doing what they should have done long ago but Only NOW for the summit. On the other hand we've all seen the wonders of Dubai through national geo or other such super building documentaries but is it really SO surprising to know they have their own social issues? of course not and also are they not allowed to have laws to protect their very society? So some couple moved to dubai mismanaged their money and ended up in the slammer... let's see... a westerner with prolly little real respect for the society they are moving to (cause they didn't care to find out these things AHEAD OF TIME) and suffers the law?
Last I heard Ignorance of the LAW is NO excuse... it'd be the equivalent of a man name Mohammed getting deported to guantanamo for tax evasion... but would they see it that way? I highly doubt...feh
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Consider the fact that our 'goodly' PM went to Dubai recently, and professed to us the wonders of that country, and its role as the 'financial powerhouse of the Middle East'.
Consider, also, that the so-called 'financial centre' that is now part of the much vaunted Port-of-Spain waterfront project, is somewhat influenced by the 'Dubai model'.
I leave it to you dear GATTers, to make the connections...
We...are...DOOMED!!! :(
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there's always a catch...
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So all those 'asian' workers... they're being kept here against their own will.. forced to wash themselves in teh public eye close to zen with nicely dressed birds passing by in their automobiles... forced to eat stray dogs and work on our tall buildings... O_O
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makes you shudder huh 'asian' looking guy
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*W1nTry pays no attention to Kraeoss and continues to drive rivets into steel beam*
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I agree that all countries have issues but many are not aware of the current problems in Dubai. Everything I have seen in terms of documentaries etc. on Dubai has been only positive with no problems whatsoever. If the plight of the workers is true to a large extent I do not see how anyone can condone such actions, poor working conditions is one thing but the supposed deceit involved in luring these people across is unacceptable. Then again the accuracy of these reports are also in question, these people could just be mad about all the work they had agreed to and looking for an easy way out.
Most disturbing tho is the sustainability of all this development. I assumed that they were using next gen technology to quell the desert. Unfortunately it may be Desert 1 City 0 in the end.
Our resident builder, Redlum agrees lol.
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I would be inclined to believe that there are workers there who were suckered in. The question is whether the authorities really allowed this and then allowed the recruiters to just walk free... in this world anything is possible. If the reports are accurate and this is going on then that's just sad... if on the other hand if it's exagerated as let's face it sensational news sells, not colums about garage sales... then shame on the reporter... I guess unless you go to see for yourself you'll never really know...
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When I think about it though would the government there really want to expose these companies. They are in fact building their city at an agreed price. Any legal issues would cost business and in turn cost the local government more $$$ and failing projects. I agree sensational news sells and you could go to any country and put a "dark" spin on things. Even in sweet tnt...
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Believe me, the construction business is a sneaky SOB, especially with HUGE contracts like in Dubai, remember, the way it works is that BIDS are put out to several "qualified" contractors who then do their best to come up with what they consider a "good" bid to get the job. The Architects and Owner then decide based on the bids who to hire for the job. If they choose the dirt cheapest bid out there, then obviously the contractor who bid the lowest is going to find ways to cut corners in order to complete the contract and still make a profit, if that means trapping workers there to complete the project and pay them the minimum amount of money, then thats what they will do...
There is no obligation for the Gov't to investigate the contractor who they hired as the cheapest. They want the project completed by all means necessary. By hiring the cheapest they obviously won't expect the workers to be living like kings cause they know how the business works...its Sad but true...
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Believe me, the construction business is a sneaky SOB, especially with HUGE contracts like in Dubai, remember, the way it works is that BIDS are put out to several "qualified" contractors who then do their best to come up with what they consider a "good" bid to get the job. The Architects and Owner then decide based on the bids who to hire for the job. If they choose the dirt cheapest bid out there, then obviously the contractor who bid the lowest is going to find ways to cut corners in order to complete the contract and still make a profit, if that means trapping workers there to complete the project and pay them the minimum amount of money, then thats what they will do...
There is no obligation for the Gov't to investigate the contractor who they hired as the cheapest. They want the project completed by all means necessary. By hiring the cheapest they obviously won't expect the workers to be living like kings cause they know how the business works...its Sad but true...
Exactly they would be shooting themselves in the foot if they investigate and condemn this. As a matter of fact I am sure they have the police actively shutting down protesters.
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WOW, Redlum...the similarities of what you said there to 'sweet' TnT are rather telling...
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WOW, Redlum...the similarities of what you said there to 'sweet' TnT are rather telling...
Its the same all over the world Arc...that's why there is also cutting corners where SAFETY is concerned..The cheapest Contractor will not pay attention to safety, hence accidents on jobsites become the norm. Why just the other day I read in the Express online about a 19 year old who fell 17 stories to his death there in sweet TnT...
Where was OSHA? That project is SUPPOSED to be shut down until an investigation is made into his death and the Contractor is supposed to show safety records and daily logs...but its "sweet" TnT, so people can die on job sites and the project can proceed, cause there is a deadline to meet...forget about worker safety, they don't matter....
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http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html)
It's an old article but I doubt most have read it.
Sahinal Monir, a slim 24-year-old from the deltas of Bangladesh. "To get you here, they tell you Dubai is heaven. Then you get here and realise it is hell," he says. Four years ago, an employment agent arrived in Sahinal's village in Southern Bangladesh. He told the men of the village that there was a place where they could earn 40,000 takka a month (£400) just for working nine-to-five on construction projects. It was a place where they would be given great accommodation, great food, and treated well. All they had to do was pay an up-front fee of 220,000 takka (£2,300) for the work visa – a fee they'd pay off in the first six months, easy. So Sahinal sold his family land, and took out a loan from the local lender, to head to this paradise.
As soon as he arrived at Dubai airport, his passport was taken from him by his construction company. He has not seen it since. He was told brusquely that from now on he would be working 14-hour days in the desert heat – where western tourists are advised not to stay outside for even five minutes in summer, when it hits 55 degrees – for 500 dirhams a month (£90), less than a quarter of the wage he was promised. If you don't like it, the company told him, go home. "But how can I go home? You have my passport, and I have no money for the ticket," he said. "Well, then you'd better get to work," they replied.
Sahinal was in a panic. His family back home – his son, daughter, wife and parents – were waiting for money, excited that their boy had finally made it. But he was going to have to work for more than two years just to pay for the cost of getting here – and all to earn less than he did in Bangladesh.
All for nought...
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sick stories like that abound the world over...
dark side to every place i guess... cause i know a good few people that dubai has been really kind to.With this story published though, i hope he gets the help he deserves
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This article was posted a few weeks ago.
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This article was posted a few weeks ago.
http://www.carigamers.com/cms/forums/index.php/topic,16358.0.html (http://www.carigamers.com/cms/forums/index.php/topic,16358.0.html)
Merged with the original topic started by woodyear99, on April 8th