Hallucinogenic fairy tale
December 3rd, 2009
I’ve rarely read writing this good on the absurdities of Dubai and the hubristic vision of its despotic ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al-Maktoum. My favourite quotes from Charlie Brooker’s hilarious take on the sheer vulgar insanity and unsustainability of the place, published in Monday’s Guardian, are as follows:
“In the cold light of 2009, Dubai resembles a mystical Oz that was somehow accidentally wished into existence during an insane decade-long drugs bender.
“It was a modern dreamland. A concrete hallucination. A sarcastic version of Las Vegas … It had immense off-shore developments: man-made archipelagos that resembled levels from Super Mario Sunshine … [One] consisted of artificial islands representing every country in the world in miniature. As if that wasn’t enough, a proposed future development called The Universe would depict the entire solar system …
“Now it’s in trouble, the world’s financial markets seem shocked and surprised, like Bagpuss being disappointed to learn that the mice from the mouse organ couldn’t really create an endless supply of chocolate biscuits from thin air. They should’ve phoned me for advice …
“The world’s tallest skyscraper, the Burj Dubai, is due to open in January. It looks like an almighty shard of misplaced enthusiasm: a lofty syringe injecting dementia directly into the skies …
What Brooker doesn’t explore is that, without a form of slave labour, Dubai’s economic “miracle” would never have happened and none of these follies would have been built. Nor would its “wealthy” inhabitants have been able to enjoy such a sybaritic lifestyle. To get a feel for what I mean, take a look at this excellent photo essay by Lauren Greenfield.
- To read Charlie Brooker’s “Remember those dreamlike images of Dubai? Guess what. You were dreaming”, published in the Guardian on 30th November 2009 in full, click here
- To read more on Dubai click here
- To read a more serious take on the over-reaction to the troubles of Nakheel and Dubai World from Wim Buiter’s Maverecon click here
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Short URL: http://www.ianfraser.org/?p=983
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