Dubai, the jewel of the United Arab Emirates, brings that old story back to the modern world. Many of you have seen the emails with photos of a desert bunker that in only thirty years became one of the worlds most futuristic looking metropoli. With expats from all over the world, million dollar hotels, and constant celebrity appearances ranging from Lindsey Lohan to Robert DeNiro, Dubai seems a true victory for capitalist ambition. Foreign investors and poor Arab workers flocked to the great city, lured by promises of great fortune and comfortable lifestyles. But what lies at the heart of the success of this once quiet desert village, and how will this define its future? Johann Hari's eye-opening report from the Independent shows us how Dubai is less like a paradise and more like Pleasure Island.Thursday, April 9, 2009
Lessons from Sodom
Whether you believe in the old story from the Torah or not, God's destruction of Sodom and Gemmorah as described in the book of Genesis provides a timeless lesson that transcends both society and religion: when people ignore basic human decency and civility and become entangled in a self-indulgent, hedonistic culture, eventually, they are doomed to chaos and destruction.
Dubai, the jewel of the United Arab Emirates, brings that old story back to the modern world. Many of you have seen the emails with photos of a desert bunker that in only thirty years became one of the worlds most futuristic looking metropoli. With expats from all over the world, million dollar hotels, and constant celebrity appearances ranging from Lindsey Lohan to Robert DeNiro, Dubai seems a true victory for capitalist ambition. Foreign investors and poor Arab workers flocked to the great city, lured by promises of great fortune and comfortable lifestyles. But what lies at the heart of the success of this once quiet desert village, and how will this define its future? Johann Hari's eye-opening report from the Independent shows us how Dubai is less like a paradise and more like Pleasure Island.
Dubai, the jewel of the United Arab Emirates, brings that old story back to the modern world. Many of you have seen the emails with photos of a desert bunker that in only thirty years became one of the worlds most futuristic looking metropoli. With expats from all over the world, million dollar hotels, and constant celebrity appearances ranging from Lindsey Lohan to Robert DeNiro, Dubai seems a true victory for capitalist ambition. Foreign investors and poor Arab workers flocked to the great city, lured by promises of great fortune and comfortable lifestyles. But what lies at the heart of the success of this once quiet desert village, and how will this define its future? Johann Hari's eye-opening report from the Independent shows us how Dubai is less like a paradise and more like Pleasure Island.
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