It seems progress toward education is valued now, more than ever. It seems that they are doing a much better job at using their oil money for their progression into the 21st Century.
It only makes me nervous to see them accelerate their education policies and job creations, while in America we see dwindling funds for our education system. I currently work in an elementary school, and its an embarrassment to see the lack of progress we are making.
I always know from history that it takes a challenge or a kick in the rear for us to get things moving as a country. I just hope that we do not fall behind.
I think almost everyone can agree that it is nice to see such progress in an area that was, until not long ago, a very backwards place. I am sure the people appreciate it and in the long run it can only do good for everyone. Like the gentleman before me commented it is also nice to see oil money being spent on something useful for their society. I am always disheartened by the subject of oil but in this instance I am glad to see it do some good. I also have to agree on one more note left by the previous commenter. All of the Middle Eastern countries and China are deveoping at astounding rates. Their systems of education improve substantialy almost every day while here in America our education is at best stagnant. I am glad for the people of the Middle East but I also hope that America can set itself back on the right track( with a little motivation)!
I think Nick has it spot on! its great that the middle east is investing in its future. While its early days yet, it has a lot of potential to help improve the educational standards of people in the area, as well as providing a base for many people in surrounding nations to get an education (like all those people who cannot afford to go to the US or Europe to get an education, or people who are rejected visa's because their name sounds too terrorist-like). Throughout history, University's have always been places where revolutions start and where real change can start to happen (like democracy), instead of an Imperialistic State (such as the US) forcing a regime change (like in Iraq), only to go and completely mess the whole thing up and then do a runner when things get messy (like the locals realising that the new government is actually worse than the old one)...
Hello, I read with amazement your views on the backwardness of M.EAST education and how happy you are to see that things are improving and that money is being spent in the right way.
While I am pleased with your good will toward us, your fellow human being, I can't help but agree with you about the poor level of the U.S. education.
The middle easter universities and colleges always produced the finest scientists and engineers. The education standard is higher then anything the U.S. has to offer right from Kindergarden up to and including highschool. Indeed, a high school degree from the middle east is equivalent to a year of college in the U.S.
As for the money being spent in a good way, I hope that all countries follow the same model fopr natural resources that is being followed in the Emirates. Islamic law mandates that money from natural resources gets spent on public good, not for the benefit of Shell and Mobil and Esso, so I guess, there's another thing you folks can learn from us.
p.s. The word Technology has its origin in the arabic word, tikania, which was romanized when westerners got educated in Muslim Spain.
. . . I get plenty of students from the middle east, quite frankly my sample from the middle east has been abysmal. I know this is anecdotal, but I've been teaching for almost twenty years.
It's funny, but many in American academe are hoodwinked into thinking that foreign nationals are brighter than their American counterparts. Actually, as a graduate of Columbia University's School of Engineering, I welcomed foreign nationals because I knew their educational arrogance usually translated to pushing me towards the top of the grade scale. That is, I worked my ass off when they were posturing about their supposed superiority.
Email ronald(dot)bannon(at)gmail(dot)com if you want a Free iPod.
If Qatar spends money right, they're the only Muslim country that does
If Qatar spends money right, they're the only Muslim country that does. Usually it's the royal family with trillions and every one else with an income of $50 a year.
I find this poster's comments strange. I do agree that the Western press is biased in it's opinion of the rest of the world. But for someone from the MiddleEast to claim that the education there is much better than that in the US, is downright ridiculous !!
If is such good education that prevails in these countries, why would a select royal few still be dictating what their people should and shouldn't be doing. Also, why would we not be seeing more inventions and medical breakthrough's coming from this region..........forget all that, how about more "freedom of speech and action" for the women who live there.
Mr.Poster.....please present some facts to prove your point.
Fact is while U.S. Education might be 'worse that you think' its still better than the lack of academic institutions in middle eastern countries. Just last week i found out my old University (Middlesex Uni, from UK) has got a campus in Dubai! Obviously these institutions must be doing something right....
1: Thnaks for posting your replies: Here are some answers:
To graduate from High school/Enter a University, a student in the middleeast must complete at least 13 years of schooling, and p[ossibly 14. When transfering to a U.S. university or Junior college, a student is usually guaranteed a 30 to 4o semester hours of credits. Some of those credits are eaten away if the student does not have sufficient English language skills.
2: Arabs and Muslims have always contributed to world progress and civilization. As to why no scientific or engineering accomplishements are announced or shown in the middle east, is exactly why the US and Europe are trying to quench the Iranian Nuclear project and why they destroyed the Iraqui scientific infrastructure. BIASNESS, FEAR, PREJUDICE, IF I HAVE IT YOU SHOULD NOT. Eventually, most brilliant and productrive engineers end up working in the west so they can get a release and creative jobs, instead of working for dictators on criminal programs or in a bureaucratic position.
Last but not least, Why are all the western universities opening up in the Middle East? Because it is a world of Levis and coca cola, and having a degree from Texas A&M is more prestigious then the Arab University of Cairo, or Beirut. Besides, The Emirates can only by so much weapons, and somehow, they need to balance the trade deficit to make their buddy Bush & Cheney look a little better.
-"...the poor level of the U.S. education...The education standard is higher then anything the U.S. has to offer..." : While not american, nor "westerner" or having any personal interests into this, i'm wondering which nations landed on moon, invented antibiotics, quantas, logic, mathematics, geopolitics, chess, democracy, transparancy, etc... perhaps you never heard of anything of that, thanks to your super-fine-over-developped-arabo-islamo-fascist science ,sorry JUST knowledge, you do not need science, you use only MAGIC and witchcraft...
-"The word Technology has its origin in the arabic word, tikania, which was romanized when westerners got educated in Muslim Spain." The arab world, and the muslim world, took everything from old greek, and persians. arabs did not invent ANYTHING ! persian-iranian- ISLAMIZED populations gave to the Islamic Empire almost everything, while arabs did politics and poetry : pure exploitation of the historical and scientific heritage of colonized nations... "tikania" is not even an arab word. And for your information : the underdevoloppement state in which was europe in the "middle age" was not the rule, but the exception. The developpement state that islamic empire has known for a very limited time was not the rule, but the exception... -To sum up : you arrogance and ignorance are the best living examples one can have on the level of "brain" developpment of islamic world. Unfortunatly, this is not the mindset a civilisation should have to impose itself in the REAL world, not the petrodollars subventionned world... -One last lesson : you should not believe what I said, consult different and CONTADICTORY sources, use your brain at least ONE TIME, and know that there is no absolute, definitive truth :this is how SCIENCE works, if you can understand it...
All of those teachers that live and work in such a country as Qatar and live in houses or use almost any service, they generally are directly/indirectly responsible for what is one of the last places in the world that still has legalized slavery. Workers from throughout asia are constantly lied to and tricked into leaving their families at the promise of a better life and then forced to pay off their debt to these companies by most often hard labor 12-14 hours a day seven days a week while sleeping in crowded and often filthy housing. More often than not, these workers are paid little to nothing, if anything at all. The royal family of this country is essntially made a death pact with the united states of america, so as that there will be no questions asked about their labor practices so long as america as a nice shiny new place to launch its two important wars from. The entire country is a horrible example of waste and oppulence. All those who take part in this farce of education and sit in the fancy hotels or huge villas while insulated from the suffering required to make their daily enjoyment possible, should return to the country they came from and take a few courses from their schools humanities division.
same story in Kuwait, where you can see slaves waiting to be picked up by their new masters at the airport. there's a reaason why "construction in the middle east progresses much more rapidly than in the west."
notice the complete lack of Qataris in this story? gulf state arabs have typically never worked in their lives. the entire work force is expats. it will be interesting to read tomorrow's article. we'll see how they explain a culture that could not produce 60 freshman capable of studying at a university.
What do you think so called cheap labor from South America is? Its just abuse and slavery for poor people who escaped dire conditions in their country and come looking for work in America. Poor foreign workers working in American farmers face some of the worst conditions; and yet your groceries aren't cheap because their capitalist owners make all the money. Not to mention all the other jobs "Americans" don't want to do.
A little fact checking, please. "Qatar expects to ship 20 Billion tons of gas-to- fuel by 2015" (In sidebar). Am I not adding correctly? 20 Billion tons equals 40,000,000,000,000, that's Trillion, pounds. No matter what the gas-to-liquid conversion ratio, that's way more than their total reserves!!!...??? If a gallon weighs 16 pounds (approx) that's two and one-half Trillion gallons of fuel, a little over three years worth of TOTAL WORLD USAGE at current rates???!!! <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/qatar.html" target="_newWindow">http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/qatar.html</a> (This analysis estimated 910 TCF of reserves. At a normal gas to liquid reduction ratio, that would eliminate ALL their reserves in less than one year). Even if manufactured in conjunction with their oil production into fuel liquids, the numbers just don't work.
It is also a well documented fact, that the so called planner of 9/11 Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was employed directly by the government of Qatar as some sort of an engineer while he was actually very busy planning various terrorist attacks. This is stated in the 9/11 commission report. This wonderful government also made sure this person could escape from american capture. This government is run by the United States of America. They supported the previous coup that led to the current ruler being in power. Its a american manipulated country that is generally used as a runway and gas station. This is no conspiracy or random assertion, these are just the basic facts released in the 9/11 report, the actual stories told as "rumors" going around the streets of Qatar take away all of the prestiege and shine of such a terrible small country.
How much is Shell Oil paying for this fluff reporting
I truly wonder why news.com is basiclaly printing a fluff story about the "great" things going on in Qatar. It is very common for oil companies to sponsor stories or events that make Qatar look much different than it already it. Yes, it is wonderful that they are building schools. Do not get me wrong on that part. It is still only 1% of the real story of what is going on in that country. I feel its horrible that news.com can be bought off so easily.
Every underdeveloped and undereducated country in the world wants to get into technology. What we really need is more MBAs. That way, we can keep the jobs here that are really productive, then outsource management.
>Oil companies also hope to use the Qatar >campuses to stem a growing shortage of >petroleum engineers.
is a lie. All such statements can safely be translated as:
>We're too cheap to pay for educated people to do >this job. We want a special visa program so >that we can import cheap slave labor. Here, >Mr. Chairman, please accept this bribe as a >small sign of our appreciation.
Barry hello. Saw your comment. I got that from the Qatar ministry, but it also may have been a typo on my part. In any event, changing the figure to 300,000 barrels of gas to liquids out of the Shell and ExxonMobil facilities a day. People measure in barrels anyway. thanks for the note.
Please send this report to President Bush. Tell him this is the way to bring democracy in the Middle East, not by force, antagonizing the native people,or attcking their leaders.
Canada does not have offical diplomatic relations with this country. There is no Diplomatic office in Qatar due to the numerous human rights violations by this country. I would like to know if these schools directly employ cleaning staff, security forces, and other various support staff at wages that would bring shame and numerous charges to them back in America. I wonder if the drivers that bring the teachers to school make more than 15 U.S dollars a day. It may be terrible in america now for all the low wage workers, but Qatar is such a terrible contrast, where it shows the true human greed in human society, where so many of these people are making at least $150,000(plus usually a car, house, living allowance) usually tax free, while people that actually make the country work would be lucky, if not blessed to make a mere $300 a month, minus expenses of course. There obviously is nothing illegal with it, cause its happening and no one will ever go to jail, but it really shows the strong moral character of these American/Canadian/European etc. rich westerners who are susposed to be people of moral strength, to show the rest of the so called "backwards" world what good people do, but simply the overseas premium that puts the kids through college and pays off the huge mortage back home. This cash so easily lets everyone look the other way. Iam not sure why iam ranting about this in an tech news site, but this is just a good as place as any. Ive lived in qatar before, and its a great place to live, with many great people, but it is simply such a pity and shame to see all this wealth contrasted against pure poverty and racism(if you think there is racism against workers in america, the racism against workers there is surreal, in your average business magazine, they actually print what you should expect to be payed based on your race/country of origin!!!!!) This country has so much promise, and shame on you news.com for not making that your first paragraph of your story, shame on you news.com for praising this country for paying billions of dollars so they can educate 63 people when they are too cheap to pay their workers much more than 63 cents per hour. Shame on you news.com for making sure this myth goes on and on, and your story for thursday looks like its just going to go on and on about how its alomst a joke in the gulf part of the arab world that the arabs dont work, and basically inslave asians to do the grunt work, and pay westerners to do everything else, news.com, your terrible
I work at a government school that employs part-time teacher who are being paid ~12/hr, without benefits. Of course this wage is being heavily tax, on average working Americans pay 50% in taxes. Oh, by the way, about 50% of the credit hours are taught by part-timers at my particular school. Consider that these teachers have to have a masters in a subject area, this translates to a very poor wage.
By the way, you're living in a country (US and Canada) that has an growing government that behaves quite badly. Governments, US in particular, are the greatest single threat that humanity faces.
While many of the statements Jim makes are valid (such as the poor pay rates of ex-pats), i think he misses the point of the original article. The article itself was just letting everybody know that Qatar wants to develop itself and be completely self-sufficient. Its a great shame that many people are paid poorly compared to our standards and to even Qatari standards, however, these people have come from countries where they wouldnt even have the chance of earning half of what they do in Qatar. Secondly, while it might be blatently racist with regards to pay and where you come from, at least its visible for all to see, unlike in the US where income differences are far greater between rich and poor and seem to be far more concealed from the public eye...
As a Canadian that has worked in the US/UK and now Qatar I have to say that your lack of seeing the big picture is naive. Change is never easy or simple and usually takes generations - the US/UK and Canada all have taken greater than 200 years of maturation to get to where they are now and they still have a long way to go... Should it only take 10 years in Qatar?
Your muse is simplistic and I think you should consider looking at history around the world and how long change and adaptation takes - even when everyone drives hard at change it takes decades - look around you: do women and men in the US/UK and Canada earn the same amount - "no" - agreed the disparity is greater in Qatar, but workers around the world (included those in US/UK & Canada) are taken advantage of daily, discriminated against, and under valued - but with the passing of each generation the size of middle class society grows.
I agree that it is not right to under value workers, but one needs to realise that time has proven the mechanism of change by either adaptation, or revolution. Society and the values of the mainstream never change overnight - many articles about the US/UK and Canada focus on the positive, so why not focus on the positive of Qatar - Or would you prefer that everyone only be negative about the middle east? Bad things happen everywhere!
wee dont ned none of dat stuf. i lerned evry ting i ned to no an i aint nevr ben to no skool. shucks, da only way ta stay warm at nite wid a book is to kep da fire a burnin
How about a true revolution in education, for the hundreds of thousands of low-paid workers, how about a proper mass-produced education system that truly takes advantage of every technilogical advance and give an education to all of these people in lieu of higher pay, so when they return to their home countries they have so much more to offer. That would make it to the cover of time magazine, an Arab country that is going beyond race and country of origin and reaching out and offering education to all the people that offer their service to build up a country like Qatar, that spend the prime years of their life working in the hot sun building these campus locations that produce 60 or so freshman, that would be a story that would mean something, and the technology exists to make that happen, surely the money exists to make that happen, as from an earlier comment from someone on this talkback talking about how the Arab world was essentially where technology started, thats why it started, there was no discrimination, no racism, no inequality. If the Emir wanted to truly create that society, he could do so tomorrow, all the problems of yesterday would be forgotten today and only the great change would be remembered. Stories like that deserve front page coverage by news.com, not 60 or so freshman going to school in a billion dollar project.
As a Canadian that has worked in the US/UK and now Qatar I have to say that your lack of seeing the big picture is naive. Change is never easy or simple and usually takes generations - the US/UK and Canada all have taken greater than 200 years of maturation to get to where they are now and they still have a long way to go... Should it only take 10 years in Qatar?
Your muse is simplistic and I think you should consider looking at history around the world and how long change and adaptation takes - even when everyone drives hard at change it takes decades - look around you: do women and men in the US/UK and Canada earn the same amount - "no" - agreed the disparity is greater in Qatar, but workers around the world (included those in US/UK & Canada) are taken advantage of daily, discriminated against, and under valued - but with the passing of each generation the size of middle class society grows.
I agree that it is not right to under value workers, but one needs to realise that time has proven the mechanism of change by either adaptation, or revolution. Society and the values of the mainstream never change overnight - many articles about the US/UK and Canada focus on the positive, so why not focus on the positive of Qatar - Or would you prefer that everyone only be negative about the middle east? Bad things happen everywhere!
Do you think the slaves in America back in the 1700's would have complained if their period of enslavement was reduced from almost 200 years to just 20? change does not take 200 years, when you think that way it shows you dont really know what change is, we are at the point in society that change can happen pretty quickly. and again, how many people are going to base their entire argument on some random facts from america, and not simply talk about Qatar, the emir could tomorrow change everything, its not appealing to a culture, its appealing to one person, does that make sense now? or would you rather be ignorant like most of the people for the next 200 years,
Its morons like you that ensure history will repeat itself over and over, as in your ignorance will be gladly passed on to your childern, their childern and on and on, its contagious.
Hi! in your report named digital desert writer changed the name of PERSIAN GULF to arabian gulf. remember there is no arabian gulf in the world.Persian gulf is persian gulf and will be persian gulf forever.National geoghraphic made a mistake and changed this name to that false name. but after strong protest of iranians they changed their mind. U change your mind, unless we make u change your mind!!!
There is an Arab history in technology even if the current face of the Arab world does not reflect this.
We owe the Arab world a debt in their retrieval of the mathematics classics from the library at Alexandria. "A History of Mathematics" by Victor Katz devotes an entire chapter to Islamic contributions in the period 500-1400. They are at the highest level and command our respect.
Where I live in Israel we would not have been able to re-build the Hebrew language had it not been for the excellent grammatical studies that were done in Arabic in Spain 800-1000 years ago. The scholars were Jewish, but the intellectual climate was a feature of the Arabic speaking world in Spain at that time. I, for one, am grateful that this happened.
Perhaps Qatar will promote a friendly competition among themselves and Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon as well as Israel in developing centers of non-oil based Middle Eastern economies. Certainly the oil won't last forever and change is the only constant in this world.
In any event the capability is there as we know from the past and I hope they will be able to return to their earlier path of contributions to the rest of humanity.
Arab heritage -- please constructive contributions only
I feel sick when I read such racist and religious discussions. However, I feel I should state some facts for all contributors, with no exceptions.
First of all, none of you should mix between the Arab World and Islam. Islam exists much beyond the Arab world, and the Arab world is NOT exclusively composed by Muslims. Christians and even Jews are an integral part of the Arab world& and Christians have contributed greatly to the heritage of the Arab world their current and old legacy.. As an Arab Christian, I feel proud to be an Arab, and I feel proud to contribute to the Arab legacy for 2000 years.. The Arab world is not only the Arabian Gulf, it is a vivid combination of many religions, cultures, races, and even languages.. The Arab world have and still contributing heavily to the heritage of the world.. and if you want to talk about the past, you should remember the Pharos, the Phoenicians, etc..
So please none of you should use such religious/racist approach to address such techy/economic topic. All of you should check facts before addressing such issues.. Leave it to other places, not on our beloved and respected news.com.. and please give us your positive and constructive contributions, and stay away from racisms and religions..
I am very interested by your NB 0 .. I find it fascinatingly very correct.. Although I am not sure how much those terms/naming have impact, but I totally believe what you stated, and geographic naming is truly a better solution.. and with no doubt it helps minimize political manipulation.. you are correct that the term the Arab World is somehow racial and subject to political exploitation..
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It only makes me nervous to see them accelerate their education policies and job creations, while in America we see dwindling funds for our education system. I currently work in an elementary school, and its an embarrassment to see the lack of progress we are making.
I always know from history that it takes a challenge or a kick in the rear for us to get things moving as a country. I just hope that we do not fall behind.
Sure hope we wake up before that happens!
I read with amazement your views on the backwardness of M.EAST education and how happy you are to see that things are improving and that money is being spent in the right way.
While I am pleased with your good will toward us, your fellow human being, I can't help but agree with you about the poor level of the U.S. education.
The middle easter universities and colleges always produced the finest scientists and engineers. The education standard is higher then anything the U.S. has to offer right from Kindergarden up to and including highschool. Indeed, a high school degree from the middle east is equivalent to a year of college in the U.S.
As for the money being spent in a good way, I hope that all countries follow the same model fopr natural resources that is being followed in the Emirates. Islamic law mandates that money from natural resources gets spent on public good, not for the benefit of Shell and Mobil and Esso, so I guess, there's another thing you folks can learn from us.
p.s. The word Technology has its origin in the arabic word, tikania, which was romanized when westerners got educated in Muslim Spain.
my sample from the middle east has been abysmal. I know this
is anecdotal, but I've been teaching for almost twenty years.
It's funny, but many in American academe are hoodwinked into
thinking that foreign nationals are brighter than their American
counterparts. Actually, as a graduate of Columbia University's
School of Engineering, I welcomed foreign nationals because I
knew their educational arrogance usually translated to pushing
me towards the top of the grade scale. That is, I worked my ass
off when they were posturing about their supposed superiority.
Email ronald(dot)bannon(at)gmail(dot)com if you want a Free
iPod.
If is such good education that prevails in these countries, why would a select royal few still be dictating what their people should and shouldn't be doing. Also, why would we not be seeing more inventions and medical breakthrough's coming from this region..........forget all that, how about more "freedom of speech and action" for the women who live there.
Mr.Poster.....please present some facts to prove your point.
To graduate from High school/Enter a University, a student in the middleeast must complete at least 13 years of schooling, and p[ossibly 14. When transfering to a U.S. university or Junior college, a student is usually guaranteed a 30 to 4o semester hours of credits. Some of those credits are eaten away if the student does not have sufficient English language skills.
2: Arabs and Muslims have always contributed to world progress and civilization.
As to why no scientific or engineering accomplishements are announced or shown in the middle east, is exactly why the US and Europe are trying to quench the Iranian Nuclear project and why they destroyed the Iraqui scientific infrastructure. BIASNESS, FEAR, PREJUDICE, IF I HAVE IT YOU SHOULD NOT. Eventually, most brilliant and productrive engineers end up working in the west so they can get a release and creative jobs, instead of working for dictators on criminal programs or in a bureaucratic position.
Last but not least, Why are all the western universities opening up in the Middle East? Because it is a world of Levis and coca cola, and having a degree from Texas A&M is more prestigious then the Arab University of Cairo, or Beirut. Besides, The Emirates can only by so much weapons, and somehow, they need to balance the trade deficit to make their buddy Bush & Cheney look a little better.
While not american, nor "westerner" or having any personal interests into this, i'm wondering which nations landed on moon, invented antibiotics, quantas, logic, mathematics, geopolitics, chess, democracy, transparancy, etc...
perhaps you never heard of anything of that, thanks to your super-fine-over-developped-arabo-islamo-fascist science ,sorry JUST knowledge, you do not need science, you use only MAGIC and witchcraft...
-"The word Technology has its origin in the arabic word, tikania, which was romanized when westerners got educated in Muslim Spain." The arab world, and the muslim world, took everything from old greek, and persians. arabs did not invent ANYTHING ! persian-iranian- ISLAMIZED populations gave to the Islamic Empire almost everything, while arabs did politics and poetry : pure exploitation of the historical and scientific heritage of colonized nations...
"tikania" is not even an arab word.
And for your information : the underdevoloppement state in which was europe in the "middle age" was not the rule, but the exception. The developpement state that islamic empire has known for a very limited time was not the rule, but the exception...
-To sum up : you arrogance and ignorance are the best living examples one can have on the level of "brain" developpment of islamic world. Unfortunatly, this is not the mindset a civilisation should have to impose itself in the REAL world, not the petrodollars subventionned world...
-One last lesson : you should not believe what I said, consult different and CONTADICTORY sources, use your brain at least ONE TIME, and know that there is no absolute, definitive truth :this is how SCIENCE works, if you can understand it...
notice the complete lack of Qataris in this story? gulf state arabs have typically never worked in their lives. the entire work force is expats. it will be interesting to read tomorrow's article. we'll see how they explain a culture that could not produce 60 freshman capable of studying at a university.
"Qatar expects to ship 20 Billion tons of gas-to- fuel by 2015" (In sidebar).
Am I not adding correctly? 20 Billion tons equals 40,000,000,000,000, that's Trillion, pounds. No matter what the gas-to-liquid conversion ratio, that's way more than their total reserves!!!...???
If a gallon weighs 16 pounds (approx) that's two and one-half Trillion gallons of fuel, a little over three years worth of TOTAL WORLD USAGE at current rates???!!!
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/qatar.html" target="_newWindow">http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/qatar.html</a>
(This analysis estimated 910 TCF of reserves. At a normal gas to liquid reduction ratio, that would eliminate ALL their reserves in less than one year).
Even if manufactured in conjunction with their oil production into fuel liquids, the numbers just don't work.
Barry Dennis
410-591-1900
Columbia, Maryland
>Oil companies also hope to use the Qatar
>campuses to stem a growing shortage of
>petroleum engineers.
is a lie. All such statements can safely be
translated as:
>We're too cheap to pay for educated people to do
>this job. We want a special visa program so
>that we can import cheap slave labor. Here,
>Mr. Chairman, please accept this bribe as a
>small sign of our appreciation.
Why do I think this? Because it's true.
who are being paid ~12/hr, without benefits. Of course this
wage is being heavily tax, on average working Americans pay
50% in taxes. Oh, by the way, about 50% of the credit hours are
taught by part-timers at my particular school. Consider that
these teachers have to have a masters in a subject area, this
translates to a very poor wage.
By the way, you're living in a country (US and Canada) that has
an growing government that behaves quite badly. Governments,
US in particular, are the greatest single threat that humanity
faces.
Your muse is simplistic and I think you should consider looking at history around the world and how long change and adaptation takes - even when everyone drives hard at change it takes decades - look around you: do women and men in the US/UK and Canada earn the same amount - "no" - agreed the disparity is greater in Qatar, but workers around the world (included those in US/UK & Canada) are taken advantage of daily, discriminated against, and under valued - but with the passing of each generation the size of middle class society grows.
I agree that it is not right to under value workers, but one needs to realise that time has proven the mechanism of change by either adaptation, or revolution. Society and the values of the mainstream never change overnight - many articles about the US/UK and Canada focus on the positive, so why not focus on the positive of Qatar - Or would you prefer that everyone only be negative about the middle east? Bad things happen everywhere!
Your muse is simplistic and I think you should consider looking at history around the world and how long change and adaptation takes - even when everyone drives hard at change it takes decades - look around you: do women and men in the US/UK and Canada earn the same amount - "no" - agreed the disparity is greater in Qatar, but workers around the world (included those in US/UK & Canada) are taken advantage of daily, discriminated against, and under valued - but with the passing of each generation the size of middle class society grows.
I agree that it is not right to under value workers, but one needs to realise that time has proven the mechanism of change by either adaptation, or revolution. Society and the values of the mainstream never change overnight - many articles about the US/UK and Canada focus on the positive, so why not focus on the positive of Qatar - Or would you prefer that everyone only be negative about the middle east? Bad things happen everywhere!
in your report named digital desert writer changed the name of PERSIAN GULF to arabian gulf. remember there is no arabian gulf in the world.Persian gulf is persian gulf and will be persian gulf forever.National geoghraphic made a mistake and changed this name to that false name. but after strong protest of iranians they changed their mind. U change your mind, unless we make u change your mind!!!
current face of the Arab world does not reflect this.
We owe the Arab world a debt in their retrieval of
the mathematics classics from the library at
Alexandria. "A History of Mathematics" by Victor
Katz devotes an entire chapter to Islamic
contributions in the period 500-1400. They are at
the highest level and command our respect.
Where I live in Israel we would not have been able
to re-build the Hebrew language had it not been for
the excellent grammatical studies that were done
in Arabic in Spain 800-1000 years ago. The
scholars were Jewish, but the intellectual climate
was a feature of the Arabic speaking world in Spain
at that time. I, for one, am grateful that this
happened.
Perhaps Qatar will promote a friendly competition
among themselves and Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon
as well as Israel in developing centers of non-oil
based Middle Eastern economies. Certainly the oil
won't last forever and change is the only constant
in this world.
In any event the capability is there as we know
from the past and I hope they will be able to return
to their earlier path of contributions to the rest of
humanity.
First of all, none of you should mix between the Arab World and Islam. Islam exists much beyond the Arab world, and the Arab world is NOT exclusively composed by Muslims. Christians and even Jews are an integral part of the Arab world& and Christians have contributed greatly to the heritage of the Arab world their current and old legacy.. As an Arab Christian, I feel proud to be an Arab, and I feel proud to contribute to the Arab legacy for 2000 years.. The Arab world is not only the Arabian Gulf, it is a vivid combination of many religions, cultures, races, and even languages.. The Arab world have and still contributing heavily to the heritage of the world.. and if you want to talk about the past, you should remember the Pharos, the Phoenicians, etc..
So please none of you should use such religious/racist approach to address such techy/economic topic. All of you should check facts before addressing such issues.. Leave it to other places, not on our beloved and respected news.com.. and please give us your positive and constructive contributions, and stay away from racisms and religions..