West 'complicit' in Third world corruption

wrong. Times of economic crises are very bad for the art market so what you are saying doesn't hold up. Besides, art is a VERY risky investment as its value is only based upon what a buyer might be willing to pay; thus when the economy is down art is an EXTREMELY poor investment. The notion of spending at that high level as an investment is what made many people lose their shirt in the art market boom of the late 80s and early 90s. It's a subject I know a little about :-)

I refuse to drink the kool-aid! -- PM

brit,

i know it wasn't related with the topic,it was to add to Abdalaziz althani's comments, who implied here that Qatar's public money is not always spent in a transparent manner for the public's sake...

You've lost me.. What does this have to do with the post ??

In the current economic climate, many investors are once again turning to Art as a form of investment..

Interesting discussion with no restrictions - something rare in Qatar, I must say.

The other day I read that The Sheika and the Emir bought a painting that cost $72.84 million US$

Qatar’s ruling Al-Thani family is the mystery buyer of Mark Rothko’s White Center (Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose), 1950, which sold at Sotheby’s New York on 15 May 2007 for $72.8m - setting a record for the highest price ever paid for a work of post-war art at auction. The painting was consigned by David Rockefeller.

http://www.bellabelarus.com/en/content/view/84/11/

PM is by far the most intelligent person at QL.

Qatarita is by far the most well informed about qatar at QL.

And I'm proud to have met both of you.

That's better than some of the responses to a lot of my posts -- at least, I think it is .... :-)

I refuse to drink the kool-aid! -- PM

PM . You make the discussion here worth my typing and staring at the screen all this time ...

And to think I was expecting a boring late night on QL. You and Abdalaziz have made sure that hasn't happened :-)

I refuse to drink the kool-aid! -- PM

I've liked PM all along, she has guts to debate, which brings me to point out the obvious...where are the rest of people?

Not scared I hope ;)

This is small talk

If you can show me where I wrote that, I would appreciate it. I didn't say that and don't feel that. I do believe criticism is healthy.

And why would you bring race into this issue?

BTW, I'm not Qatari so he isn't really "MY" beloved Emir :-)

I refuse to drink the kool-aid! -- PM

PM ... Nice one ... I don't know about you Qatarita but I'm beginning to like PM even though she uses the acronym PM

PM ...My being critical of the corruption of the Prime Minister is interpreted by you to be disrepectful !!!!

How exactly ? I thought the House of Parliament and capitol hill encouraged healthy debates or do I have to be white or at least descend from your "beloved Emir" for you to acknowledge my right make observations?

I haven't claimed anything you say is heresay. If you will point out where I did, I will edit that response because truly I do believe you write with firsthand knowledge.

And I am not saying the system is not corrupt here. Frankly I am not privy to much information and you will agree the media isn't really allowed to cover it anyway. I know about Kuwait because I was married to a Kuwaiti and their media tends to put more out there than Qatar does.

As for what I make here -- lol Do you know of any well-paying job opportunities? I'd definitely be interested. Send me a private message if you have any suggestions. :-)

I refuse to drink the kool-aid! -- PM

I wait in fear for your disrespect :-)

I refuse to drink the kool-aid! -- PM

Strange you mentioned the other day that kuwait has corrupt leaders yet by suggesting that I claim the system is corrupt here is heresay?

I guess maybe this little comment you just made can help me address your question; in your case maybe the role you play here is to defend the system...Wonder how much the pay off would be for that kind of thing :)

Moderator note: please refer to the Community Guidelines points 4, 11 and especially 11

You two seem to share some common opinions, so I thought you might have ideas about the role expats play in propping up (or not supporting) the corrupt system that you are both saying exists here.

If you don't want to address it though, that's fine :-)

I refuse to drink the kool-aid! -- PM

PM that question was asked by Abdulaziz, Pray tell, why are you asking me to address it?

"Yet all of you at Qatar living seem oblivious to that fact. I wonder who pays your salaries ?"

I refuse to drink the kool-aid! -- PM

PM, Your question regarding what in general, was it aimed at Abdulaziz's comment on the CrimeMinister?

Or reagring the thread or my comment?

Sorry I didnt get your question...

What would you have expats do?

I refuse to drink the kool-aid! -- PM

Transparency has no credability what so ever.

When I read their fictatous report stating that Qatar was one of the least corrupt country in the Gulf, I emailed EVERY SINGLE OFFICIAL in their website with detailed information on the judicial system, the Governmental ILLEGAL appropriation of land in Qatar the list goes on and on.

I invited them to investigate my sources and reivaluate their findings.

However, not one of the 32 emails I sent to every single member of transparancy.org even responded.

Qatar is investing heavily...Organised crime often does

I refuse to drink the kool-aid! -- PM

Qatar has by far the most corrupt Prime Minister in the whole world. Yet all of you at Qatar living seem oblivious to that fact. I wonder who pays your salaries ?

THe weeds are more than the decent ones. so how are you going to differentiate.

These guys talk a lot about ethics and stuff but when it comes to their personal profir ethics take a back seat and greed takes over.

Even the accounting firms are not immune from it then what about the companies for which they do the accounting??

Many of these corrupt "western" multi nationals, about which you speak, are in fact partially owned by "eastern" and "mid-eastern" investors, often by way of government investment agencies.

"only mad dogs and englishmen go out in the midday sun"

as are the governments in these countries.

in Egypt, many people working for the Government won't even take meetings with NGOs that are trying to create programs and spend money to improve life for their underpriveleged unless they get a kickback.

___________________________________________

"Even a stopped clock gives the right time twice a day." Withnail & I

Of course Multi nationals are corrupt, that's how they became multi nationals. :P Down with Globalization! Let's all go back to living in caves!

"I fight with love and I laugh with rage, you have to live light enough to see the humor and long enough to see some change." Ani Difranco

"Qatar ‘least corrupt among Arab states’Published: Thursday, 27 September, 2007, 02:26 AM Doha Time

Staff Reporter

QATAR was placed on the 32nd position on the 180-nation global corruption list, making it the least corrupt among all the Arab countries, according to the 2007 report released by Transparency International (TI) in Berlin yesterday.

The Corruption Perception Index (CPI) synthesises corruption-related data from expert surveys carried out by a variety of reputable institutions.

According to Transparency International, the global coalition against corruption, Myanmar and Somalia are the most corrupt countries, and New Zealand, Denmark and Finland the least corrupt nations of the world.

TI has developed an index from 0 to 10 comprised of surveys of specialists, opinion leaders, business officials and human rights monitors who live, work or travel extensively in each of the countries ranked. The higher the score, the less corrupt the country. Qatar has scored 6 points in the index.

The following are the ranks of some of the countries in the region. The United Arab Emirates - 34th place (CPI 5.7), Bahrain - 46 (5), Oman - 53 (4.7), Kuwait - 60 (4.3) and Saudi Arabia - 79 (3.4)".

West does not have to do these studies to make up these stories PM.

Check out the way the multinationals operate in may parts of the world

to know the way they corrupt people to get contracts.

The big corporations wine and ine people in position to get them to approve their contracts.

Now if anyone were to deny this it would be a big joke.