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Not really, in many oil-owning countries, people don't get a single dollar from it. There are a few exceptions like Norway, Brunei and Khazakstan, but that's about it. Oil doesn't make Russian or Arabian people wealthier, it makes the ruling elite wealthier.
What about the UAE ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Meneldil
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Originally Posted by doc_bean
Where's Fizzil when you need him? ~;)
:director: Hey Texan!
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I bet he's gone *cough* swimming *cough* again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mouzafphaerre
Yes, I do agree that we should pay them equally to our other troops...and give them passports like we already do...any problems now?
No, things are not yet hunky-dory. As the Gurkha Welfare Trust puts it:Quote:
Originally Posted by ah_dut
If there was a minute's silence for every Gurkha casualty from World War 2 alone, we would have to keep quiet for two weeks. But silence will not help the living, the wounded and disabled, those without military pensions following World War 2 service or redundancy, or those left destitute by ill health or natural disasters. With their dependants, they number many thousands. They live in often harsh conditions, with no national health service, no public housing and no unemployment benefit.
It so and so, UAE citizenry enjoy a living standard that is up to par with western europe, but non-citizens, particularily the asian laborers (pakistanis, indians, filipinos) do not.Quote:
Originally Posted by doc_bean
Democracy is taking baby-steps though, just last week we had adverts for elections, and none of the elected people are from the royal family, they even allowed non-citizens to take government positions, which sounds good, at least.
Also in saudia the elite are kinda getting more generous to the saudi population, somehow the new king is far more open than his predecessor.
Qatar and Bahrain are pretty much the same with the UAE, Oman on the other hand, while qaboos did something pretty terrible to his dad, i think in the longer run he did benefit the omani people.
Thats the GCC currently in a nutshell.
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If there was a minute's silence for every Gurkha casualty from World War 2 alone, we would have to keep quiet for two weeks
And if there was a minute's silence for every casualty of the London Blitz we'd also have to keep quiet for two weeks. The Hunger-winter would take us three weeks. If it was soviet casualties we'd have to keep quite for up to 73 years, (depending on whose figures you believe.)
So? No one is saying casualties are a good thing.
The Trust is making a point about the numbers of Gurkhas who died for the UK. It is not pleading for a two minute, a two week or a two year silence, although the latter would be appropriate for some of your politicians.Quote:
Originally Posted by English assassin
The point is that they died fighting for someone else's country. Yours, to be precise -- oh, and mine too, indirectly.
The callousness of some of your comments amazes me.