Comments on: Limits to Autocracy in Dubai? [The Economist] http://shehabhamad.com/blog/2009/07/13/limits-to-autocracy-in-dubai-the-economist/ shehabhamad.com/blog Sat, 29 Oct 2011 06:23:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Tom http://shehabhamad.com/blog/2009/07/13/limits-to-autocracy-in-dubai-the-economist/comment-page-1/#comment-253 Tom Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:15:43 +0000 http://shehabhamad.com/blog/?p=948#comment-253 Agree the last line is there more for its provocativeness than any kind of real observed trend. But I think the huge unknown is how loyal and submissive the citizens of the UAE will be to the current autocracy when it no longer builds their houses, bankrolls their businesses, educates their kids, pays them massive salaries etc. <br><br>"They look after us" seems to be the most common reasoning for accepting a system that has largely disappeared from the rest of the world, and I don't think anyone really knows what will happen when the Maktoums and Nayhans can no longer do that. Agree the last line is there more for its provocativeness than any kind of real observed trend. But I think the huge unknown is how loyal and submissive the citizens of the UAE will be to the current autocracy when it no longer builds their houses, bankrolls their businesses, educates their kids, pays them massive salaries etc.

“They look after us” seems to be the most common reasoning for accepting a system that has largely disappeared from the rest of the world, and I don't think anyone really knows what will happen when the Maktoums and Nayhans can no longer do that.

]]> By: Tom http://shehabhamad.com/blog/2009/07/13/limits-to-autocracy-in-dubai-the-economist/comment-page-1/#comment-218 Tom Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:15:43 +0000 http://shehabhamad.com/blog/?p=948#comment-218 Agree the last line is there more for its provocativeness than any kind of real observed trend. But I think the huge unknown is how loyal and submissive the citizens of the UAE will be to the current autocracy when it no longer builds their houses, bankrolls their businesses, educates their kids, pays them massive salaries etc. <br><br>"They look after us" seems to be the most common reasoning for accepting a system that has largely disappeared from the rest of the world, and I don't think anyone really knows what will happen when the Maktoums and Nayhans can no longer do that. Agree the last line is there more for its provocativeness than any kind of real observed trend. But I think the huge unknown is how loyal and submissive the citizens of the UAE will be to the current autocracy when it no longer builds their houses, bankrolls their businesses, educates their kids, pays them massive salaries etc.

“They look after us” seems to be the most common reasoning for accepting a system that has largely disappeared from the rest of the world, and I don't think anyone really knows what will happen when the Maktoums and Nayhans can no longer do that.

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