I really dislike the way people hate on Dubai. It's always the same dumb reasons with such an feeling of confidence. While others think its paradise but they know the truth! that is build on slavery of migrant workers. It has no culture! everything is fake!

You know the trope where you have a utopia where everyone is attractive, rich and healthy. Then you see there is a underground layer that is poor and does all the actual work but are not allowed to enter the utopia? That is western europe. We have outsourced all the factories and labour intensive industries to poor countries, limit migration and cut foreign aid spending all the while consuming everything those countries has to offer. Look how great we are as we increase the minimal wage such that the poorest among us can earn a living wage! Could we have used that same money to stop thousands from starving elsewhere? sure but they are not in our country!

I truly do not understand the mindset of these people. Imagine you are born in bangladash with a sick family member, unable to afford the medicine as there is no job opportunity. You have not finished education past primary school and you can only afford to feed your siblings grains. This is true poverty, not the western poor and is the reality for millions in underdeveloped countries. If they apply for legal asylum in a EU country they would get rejected as they are a 'economic migrant' (maybe if they say they are prosecuted for being gay they have a chance). Trying to cross illegally costs thousands they do not have, and has a high rate of fraud, abuse and dying at sea. Dubai would offer a job with good salary that allows someone to afford food, while be able to send back money to family and live in relative safety. Sure it's not great work but its better than what they had. These people are not dumb, they chose dubai because it was the best option available to them. How does anyone here in europe even dare to critique these countries as we leave those people to waste in their home countries. An average europian would not tolerate being in the same room as them, they would feel disgusted by their dirty and poor living situations all the while not giving them a helping hand. Instead our news articles are on the 70 year old who can not afford the name brand peanut butter anymore on a state pension while she lives in a half a million euro house.

There was this video of this afghanistan mother that sold here young (<12 year old) daughter to be married off to an adult men. When the interviewer asked the girl if she knew what it meant to be married to a man entails, the girl started crying. Not the standard child cry but the one that makes you think she is truly hurt. They visited the mother to see what would compel somone to sell their child off on such a young age. The mother said it quite plainly. She has 5 kids, husband is gone, no government support. Either she sells one kid to be married such the she can afford to feed her other kids or they all starve. She already sold an organ and there is no work for females there. She made the point that at least when married she can start her own family and be secure. She did not want to have to do it so soon but she felt she had no choice. I did not think I would side with the mother but honestly what else is she to do? Let her family starve out of principle? I would say sell everything else you own before your child, but she was already living in a cave with missing organs... She is not to blame, we are, as we sit in our luxury casting stones on the once that have to make actual tough choices. I think that scene is what made me believe in free borders being the only moral choice even if its wholly impractical.

Praise countries that accept migrants and raises their live from a 2 to a 4 while we sit at our 9. If I see a child drowning I will continue walking as my provided help would be way worse compared to that of an athlete swimmer. If the child drowns in the meantime, well not my fault. Pro swimmer or bust.