The Trial of Al Jazeera

To follow-up on Will's earlier post, here's a closer look at the debate over Al Jazeera English in Burlington, Vermont. Despite its reputation for open-mindedness, there are more than a few idiots in Burlington, with the Israel Center of Vermont and the Defenders Council of Vermont leading the way:

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Please be moral... Dubai needs you.

Here in the wonderful Emirate of Dubai where, if I so pleased, I could order greezy-ass Burger King for delivery, ski down a fake mountain in the middle of the desert, sip coffee in a cafe fully made of ice, take a boat ride through "Venice" and then drink my liver to mush in any number of clubs til' 3 AM or later (depends on your game with the bartenders...)

Laundry? Pick up and delivery... Maid? She'll be at your door within an hour of your call... English Pub, Irish Pub, Italian food, Japanese, Chinese, Tiki bars your fancy? They got it... Kenyan and Somali clubs? They got that too (with a pool table, thank God).

You can sit at a beach-side bar for hours marinating about sports, business, British people, construction (the city itself is still being built...) Central London, and how much France "sucks." I even had someone believe that I bought a large swath of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (though that was the Stella Artois talking but.....).

You see, Dubai is the land of random, senseless acts of apathy. Everyone here does nothing, says nothing, nor believes in anything that really matters. It's Stella or Fosters, Jumierah Beach Hotel or Madinat Jumierah , Real Estate business or Real Estate Development business. Thats why I wasn't too surprised when a friend and I were out all night introducing ourselves as "Sykes" and "Pico"(spelling by author) and not one silly soul got it.

I'm no longer surprised when people haven't a qualm with treating service workers like idiots, nor am I surprised when people look at me like a jack-ass for treating those same workers with respect. It's also pretty sad that many here assume it's ok to ignore the droves of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi construction workers when they cross the street (I've seen these poor guys endure many a near-death experience courtesy of British-driven SUV's). There are so many mistreated, underpaid, overworked and unrepresented workers here and the only problem people seem to have with it is that they can't stand a new detour in the road every time a new "super development" pops up.

I am, however, surprised that I can be in a city where, for all intents and purposes (and if you can afford it), you can do just about anything, get anything (aside from illegal substances that make you feel like you're cooler than you really are) and generally have the time of your life. Prostitution is rampant, drinking is everywhere, excesses of materialism flow like the Nile, money and power are the drugs of choice yet I click a link (secretdubai.blogspot.com) and I receive that page above! It politely states, "The internet is a powerful medium for sharing, and serving our daily learning requirements. However, the page you are trying to access may contain content that is not consistent with the moral, cultural and social values of the UAE..."

Pretty fucking ironic isn't it?

What could possibly so "immoral" with that blog? Is it porn? No. Is it selling illegal substances? No... Oh! (and this is a true story) Maybe the blogger was the poor guy who farted in an elevator while an Emirati woman was present and received 6 months in prison for "polluting the environment." Of course, farting in an elevator pollutes shit loads more than those oil industry guys, right? They, needless to say, are truly a moral bunch.

Does the crazy nightclub full of soon-to-be-naked partiers have a sign at the door that reads "hello, we know that alcohol is really gonna get you in the mood for a night that violates the moral, cultural and social values of the UAE, however since you are assumed to not be from here, it will be overlooked for the sake of foreign investment, which does NOT violate the moral, cultural and social values of the UAE?" Probably not, at least I haven't seen that one yet...

Do the multitude of work sites post signs for the workers reading "Salam, NOT getting paid a fair wage (or wages at all) does NOT violate the moral, cultural and social values of the UAE, thank you and have a great day."

I haven't seen those yet either.

Does destroying the natural coastline and coral reefs with new "mega-hotels" violate anyones morals here? How about the air-pollution from the nearby refineries? Anyone's values?

So there... Perhaps that's my problem with it; there is no moral, cultural or social value in ignoring the most striking contradictions or banning their acknowledgment. However it does seem, and sadly so, that if you value truth and justice, there is somehow a contradiction with the "morals."

Oh, I get it now.

I just really wish I could read "Secret Dubai."

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