Snow in the desert!

[GhaleonOne]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051127/lf_afp/uaedubaiski

That's insane. I can't imagine how much it would cost to build something like that.

[Shiva Indis]

The wealth of the UAE must be truely staggering. I hope for their sake that their bid to become a hub for tourism pays off, because I'm kind of concerned about what the fate of the Arab nations will be now that 1st world nations are starting to seriously look for alternatives to oil.

[phyco126]

Nice. I want to have just a very small share of their wealth

[Kizyr]

Yay, wealth of the UAE, built on the backs of migrant laborers who get about a tenth of the rights as nationals.

I got a lot of issues with the opulence of many of the Arab states. UAE and Saudi are pretty high up there. Though, admittedly, Dubai is a very lovely city. KF

[LuciaOne]

Woah, that's amazing! I bet like 99% of the people over there haven't seen snow in person.. now they can have fun in fake snow, hehe.

[Greensky]

That's amazing. I want to go there. Lol.

[PrettyGirlJean]

Wow. Those peeps must really want to ski for them to build such an elaborate environment O,O I'll have to read the full article soon... it's much too late now. Interesting about using real snow... guess I'll have to read the rest to find out how they intend on using real snow exactly.

[phyco126]

Makes me want to build a 10 by 20 feet room with snow makers, so me and my friends can have snow fights in 100 degree weather Ah, to be rich and miserable instead of poor and miserable...

[Zophar]

Dude, that is awesome. I have got to go there sometime. Then again, it should be awesome since it cost so much.

[Shiva Indis]

Yay, wealth of the UAE, built on the backs of migrant laborers who get about a tenth of the rights as nationals.

I got a lot of issues with the opulence of many of the Arab states. UAE and Saudi are pretty high up there. Though, admittedly, Dubai is a very lovely city. KF

With good reason too, there is a dark side to their wealth, and it I think it's only right to make people aware of it. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4236123.stm

[Kizyr]

Yay, wealth of the UAE, built on the backs of migrant laborers who get about a tenth of the rights as nationals.

I got a lot of issues with the opulence of many of the Arab states. UAE and Saudi are pretty high up there. Though, admittedly, Dubai is a very lovely city. KF

With good reason too, there is a dark side to their wealth, and it I think it's only right to make people aware of it. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4236123.stm

Do you mean to say that justifies treating non-citizens like third-class?
Had non-citizens in the UAE the same rights that non-citizen immigrants here do, there wouldn't be that sort of mess.

There's a joke in the UAE, that you know you've been there for too long when you get rear-ended by a national, and your first instinct is to rush out and apologize for being in their way. KF

[Alunissage]

I'm utterly confused. I admit I know nothing at all about the UAE besides that they show up in drop-down country lists right before the U.S., but how does the story she linked about child smuggling and abuse suggest justification?

[GhaleonOne]

I was wondering the same thing. I'm a bit confused here myself.

[Shiva Indis]

Perhaps Kizyr is upset because the article I chose is a sort of follow-up - it's been a couple of years since limitations were imposed on who can be a camel jockey; and it kind of has an up-side - some of the children are getting care and treatment now. I didn't chose this article because it discusses the (marginal) efforts to improve the situation. The shame (and it does shame us all as human beings) is that this sort of this sort of thing goes on AT ALL. I read over a handfull of articles on the topic, and picked this one because it gave a decent overview and was written fairly recently.

[Kizyr]

Perhaps Kizyr is upset because the article I chose is a sort of follow-up - it's been a couple of years since limitations were imposed on who can be a camel jockey; and it kind of has an up-side - some of the children are getting care and treatment now. I didn't chose this article because it discusses the (marginal) efforts to improve the situation. The shame (and it does shame us all as human beings) is that this sort of this sort of thing goes on AT ALL. I read over a handfull of articles on the topic, and picked this one because it gave a decent overview and was written fairly recently.

...then I'm not getting what your point was.

Most of my information comes from a mixture of news articles and folks who've lived for a few years in the UAE or other Gulf States (Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, etc.). KF

[Alunissage]

Isn't she just supporting your point, which is that the wealth is built on the downtrodden and mistreated and that there's reason to have issues with the UAE?

Maybe you thought she was just responding to your comment about Dubai?

[phyco126]

Well, regardless what either of you too mean, I want to point out one thing. The UAE, Sudan, and other countries on that list arn't the only countries in the world that smuggles children for private use and other's gains. As a matter of fact, there are hundreds and thousands of child smuggling right here in the united states, and there are many cases of child prostitues, sex slaves, and anything else the person who "owns" them did to them.

I do also realize why the article was chosen, as it deals with UAE and perhapes it's dark-side to it's wealth, but if anyone is going to be mad at one country, then you might as well be mad at the rest in the world.

[Kizyr]

Phyco, that's just one aspect of a worldwide problem, and not the point of what we were talking about. It's just the point of that one article.

What I'm referring to is the problem of importing migrant labor and treating them like third-class citizens, even if they make up a majority of your country. It's a problem in a lot of countries (here included), but I find it particularly notorious in the Gulf States. It happens in countries with a sudden influx of wealth over a few decades, who don't have the population necessary to start using that wealth to create an infrastructure. It works fine if you accord them the same rights, but not if you treat them as lesser people.

SI, the reason I'm confused is because I mentioned that as a problem, and your first line was "with good reason", which sounded like it was saying that migrants are treated poorly with good reason. ...judging by context, I'm guessing now that that's not what you meant... So, uh, I'd like it if you could clarify {^^}. KF

[phyco126]

Oh, well, I understand now. Sorry You know, the mention of wealth reminds me of my roomate who was station in Kuwait (for the first time, a couple of years before the war.) He took pictures of Ferries that people where driving around. He parked in one spot, saw one, and took a picture, then another one pulled up right next to it. He said that people in Kuwait where so freaking wealthy, that it wasn't even funny.

[Shiva Indis]

SI, the reason I'm confused is because I mentioned that as a problem, and your first line was "with good reason", which sounded like it was saying that migrants are treated poorly with good reason. ...judging by context, I'm guessing now that that's not what you meant... So, uh, I'd like it if you could clarify {^^}. KF

Ah, that's cool. I was responding to your statement, "I've got a lot of issues with the opulence of many of the Arab states." When you're familliar with the sort of abuses that go on (and it seems to be pretty personal for you), your position is justified.