Dubai Consumer Mirror

Sunday, July 12, 2009

The Economist gets on the 'Dubai bashing' bandwagon

Throughout this blog, you can find loads of Dubai criticism posts. I try to highlight things I believe should be corrected, and I do it because I live here and don’t want to deal with such crap. Whether anyone sees or reacts to my critiques, that’s a different story. At the end of the day, I am just another “blogger” that no one cares about what I do or say.

But when The Economist says something, everyone shuts up, holds breaths and for what could be ground breaking news or dark hidden secrets its investigative reporters will unearth.

I received via Twitter today a story The Economist did on Dubai. I stopped everything I was doing and immediately sank in the gradually flaming words as they built up to what I was hopping to be, the greatest plot unveiling since the Season 4 Finale of Lost.

One paragraph after another, everything so far was an amalgamation of old news that is already public knowledge. I gasped a when the name “Nasser al-Shaikh” popped and I thought.. finally!!, maybe the Economist was tipped to the controversial departure of this gentleman...

....Some think he was blocked from looking too closely into the accounts at Nakheel, among other firms....

"Some think"? What is this? Perez Hilton's blog? .. Oh well, moving on.

Again, another old story after another and a desperate attempt to put the article in a perspective, the editor is trying shape and shove down readers’ throats. I couldn’t find anything that could be officially defined as News.

The way I see it, The Economist failed to do nothing but fish for a piece of the action in the 'lets bash Dubai' game.

Two thumbs down.

posted by moryarti at 7/12/2009 08:53:00 AM

5 Comments:

  • You're right, there is nothing there that's new news and not common info. It didn't look like tgey did a thorough case study but rather sat down with a couple of western bankers and parroted their opinions.

    By Blogger KJ, at July 12, 2009 at 9:59 AM  

  • I agree on the no new news bit. looks like the magazine is only expressing an opinion.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 12, 2009 at 10:12 AM  

  • I think you're being a bit harsh. IMHO it's just a simple folo / wrap story. Nothing unusual about that... I didn't feel it was bashing at all. Pretty balanced in my view. U can also see some DXB related stories on my blog at www.amazingwomenrock.com

    By Blogger amazingsusan, at July 12, 2009 at 10:23 AM  

  • Thanks Susan.

    You see, I just don't like it when reporters talk without having anything to say.

    lived here for a very long time and I owe this place a lot for what/how I am. If i see something wrong, i will bring it out and propose ways to correct it, if i can.

    But just to bash the place for the heck of it, and because everyone else is doing it, I find myself completely against it and will stand up and defend Dubai.

    By Blogger moryarti, at July 14, 2009 at 3:24 PM  

  • "But just to bash the place for the heck of it, and because everyone else is doing it,"

    Unfortunately, it's how most media work these days. There's little to zero sense of accountability or substance in the sort of drivel shoved our way as journalism - both at the liberal and the conservative media. I believe, the Media, here in America, is the single largest evil, often cloaking themselves using "Freedom of speech" rights. Sort of feels like a loose cannonball on red bull.

    By Blogger rosh, at July 14, 2009 at 9:04 PM  

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