Wake Up America! Our Dominance is not Assured…
From 1992-2006
Dubai is the fastest growing city on earth. For anyone who thinks the territories of Islam are an economic backwater, take a look at the building boom in Dubai in just 14 years. This view shows the same street in 1992 and 2006.
By comparison, look at what New York City has been able to build in the last 5 years on the site of the World Trade Center. The Freedom Tower (NYC), meant to be the tallest building in the world has yet to be started. In Dubai, on the other hand, the Burj Dubai is already under construction and will exceed the height of the Freedom Tower by about 300 meters.
The Burj Dubai
June 14th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Dubai’s growth is no doubt impressive if not spectacular and they’ve done a lot of things right. However, Dubai’s success is founded on the region being stable thanks to America. With neighbors like nuclear Pakistan next to nuclear India both of whom are near soon to be nuclear Iran, not to mention nutty Saudi Arabia, unstable Yemen, and numerous other crazed economies along the Persian Gulf. I see Dubai being nothing more than the sensual Disneyland for the Muslim world with some itinerant Euro’s and Americans doing business there. I would be far more concerned if the Islamic world were tackling illiteracy, which would provide the basis for a vibrant, acquisitive middle class. Yet, they aren’t and literacy across the Muslim world lingers around 66% with even greater disparities between Men and women. Even that stat is skewed because standard means to determine literacy goes no futher than the equivilent of a US 8th grade education. Throw in the lack of women’s rights and(this part is important)opportunity across the Muslim world and I see no chance of Dubai becoming more than an Island of sophistication in a sea of ignorance.
The smart money is still on Israel continuing to be successful because of its well educated populace, equality among the sexes, and free speech.