It is literally slavery. I don't care how beautiful or futuristic a building is, or how clean the streets are, it would disgust me if people are being exploited for it.
Literal definition of slavery. Also, Damon implied that it may be worth it for some people to move to the UAE because there's no income tax and still the system "works", if not supposedly better than the West. But the system only works and is only a utopia for white westerners who move in there with unimaginable amount of capital. The system doesn't "work" for the very working class people who literally serve as the backbone the entire country run on.
Absolutely, at my hotel in the marina there was a Filipino waitress that my family got served by a few times. We’re afghan-Americans so we are accustomed to tipping, the waitress always tried to refuse. She was lovely, She eventually told us that they took her passport and she gets one paid trip home PER YEAR. She did it because it’s decent money by their home country’s standards, but they literally hold you hostage. I noticed on the streets there were hardly any Arabs, there were many Indians, Pakistanis, Philippines, Africans. Lovely safe country, and as an American it’s hard to judge other counties, but the labor practices are terrible human rights violations that the rest of the world just ignores…
It might not be 100% right but it’s not like these workers aren’t aware of the restrictions of travel. Also keep on mind they’re living in HEAVEN compared to their third-world country where they could barely find ends meet. Pls don’t be so dramatic and problematic. This is why the West will always be in the past.
It broke my heart when Fatima said that all the control is to protect women and make sure they are well. Guurrrrl what are those men protecting the women from? THEMSELVES
@@modkip25but men never control themselves anywhere around the world….compare to r@ p rates around the world and here very low cases or women getting harassed in Dubai Yk?
please be realistic for a second, u can’t get every man to stop doing the bad things they’re doing but u can do your best to protect the women around you. It’s very idealistic to think we should control the men but it’s never gonna happen bc there will unfortunately always be bad people
Girl pls. WHERE in the world can i go and feel comfortable as a woman all alone at night or whenever?? It’s the reality for everywhere in the world. As saudis and emirates we care A LOT for our kids and daughters. That’s why we don’t kick them out of the house at 18. That’s why they have curfews. That’s why u don’t see arab strippers. Thats why u don’t see homeless arabs. It’s not just cause we’re rich. Theres a lot of broke arabs but we LOOK OUT for each other. We PROTECT each other. Something the independent westerners don’t understand
In other countries, people protest, because they have the right to protest. Their protests are actually a sign of wellbeing, they are allowed to let their voices hear and speak up. In Dubai people don't have the right to protest.
as a local of dubai we don’t need to protest we solve the problem like one big family. watching people protest in other countries is kind of funny to us and rude and stupid way to solve problems
I spent a chunk of my childhood in Dubai (2001-2008, when the city experienced its first boom), that was ages ago and I haven't been back in 10 years so it's obviously changed since. I loved living in Dubai, it was a fun place to grow up (best birthday parties ever ngl), but one of the memories that has stuck with me was when my mom would drive us to school in the mornings and we'd be on like Sheikh Zayed Rd and pass buses squeezed full of construction workers. At the time I felt really uncomfortable when they would stare at us from the bus, but looking back I realise why. Like there I was, an 8 year old in my perfectly laundered school uniform, bow and all, sitting in an air conditioned car that costs 50x their yearly salary, being driven to a private school that they would never be able to afford for their own children. It's such a stark contrast, but obviously I didn't fully understand that as a child. Living in Dubai as an "expat" (for the record I hate that word) has a lot of perks and I understand why so many people love living there. Like with any "expat" life, you can afford things that you wouldn't back home - the big house with a garden and pool, domestic helpers, private school for the kids, etc. But that's possible because of exploitative labour practices. Of course this isn't a problem exclusive to Dubai (wealth disparity is something I've seen in every city I've ever lived in, and human rights violations happen in every country), but it's just something I find particularly hard to ignore in Dubai. Also, I swear there was at least 1 fire in the Burj Khalifa while it was being built and that construction workers died because of the fire/jumping off the building to escape it. But I can't find anything online to confirm it. Either my memory is wrong or it's been scrubbed from the internet. I think it's great that you tried to show a different side to Dubai, not the typical glitz and glam everyone sees on Instagram. Looking back I think growing up in Dubai gave me a lot of beautiful memories and a lot of benefits in life (becoming a fluent English speaker, the level of education I received, being exposed to different cultures), so while there are issues I criticise, I will always have a certain love in my heart for it. Also this comment is already faaar too long, but if you want to see something more historical & nature-y I recommend going to Hatta and Hatta Heritage Village
We always have room to grow and expand our beliefs regardless of previous knowledge so if you're interested, read on. I really saw this video and thought it's my time to shine lmao. I'm an Iraqi woman who has been living in the States (mostly California) since I was 4 but my family and I regularly travel to Dubai very often and let me tell you... - Fatima was right about the princess treatment and that comes from the religious aspect of holding women in high regard (which I know is hard for Westerners to grasp when it comes to Islam and believe me, this is coming from a non-religious Muslim woman) BUT the part she left out is that it isn't so much to appease as much as it is sublimate any desire for independence which is interpreted as insolence or rebelliousness. It is very much 'bird in a golden cage' treatment and as Dostoyevsky said 'the best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he’s in prison.' - Dubai IS high quality and it's known for top-notch service because being offered the opportunity to work there is a privilege unfortunately. The stakes are high and no one (the working class) engages in risky behavior that might jeopardize that so it ensures safety in a very authoritarian way. - EVERYONE in Dubai judges harshly, especially anyone who works in a customer service position. They immediately size you up and if you don't appear wealthy or worse, new money, they will discriminate and walk all over you which is ironic as hell because girl you and I are both in the same boat? WHERE is the class consciousness bestie? Sometimes you need to act a fool and be rude back in order for them to offer a modicum of decency (which is exceptionally hard to do when you know they're just trying to make a living and more often that not, support family back home). - It IS boring as hell. Sometimes you just wanna touch non-artificial grass and be out in nature without having to pay for a theme park ticket to a butterfly garden. It wasn't really built until the 1980's so there isn't much history and anything of artistic interest is shipped in from abroad. How many times can you go shopping or journal in a cafe overhearing 'friends' compete with one another? It is very much the LA of the Middle East. - Please think critically in identifying what is culture and what is religion, most of it is conditioning that is so embedded into the culture, it becomes conflated as religious doctrine. Please know which is what. Not directed at Damon, but everyone reading this comment. We always have room to change our minds and not give our power over to limiting beliefs. ALL that to say, please don't be prejudiced and make snap judgements y'all. '“It is necessary to remember, as we think critically about domination, that we all have the capacity to act in ways that oppress, dominate, wound (whether or not that power is institutionalized). It is necessary to remember that it is first the potential oppressor within that we must resist - the potential victim within that we must rescue - otherwise we cannot hope for an end to domination, for liberation.” - Bell Hooks
Also wanted to add that despite everything I said, I really do love being there lol! The food is on point, the spas and beauty clinics/plastic surgery related stuff is actually a much better deal as it is relatively less expensive than the States but infinitely better quality somehow. My botox is botox-ing correctly over there 😂 It's just that being there for more than a month is wack unless you have relatives/friends/community.
Dubai being LA of the Middle East is so true. Even though I love travelling to new cities, LA is the last city I'd visit, it always seem boring. I think the reason is because I've seen it in Dubai. Whenever I see vlogs of ppl in LA it feels a lot like Dubai and other gulf cities which I personally despise.
This is so interesting to read, consider and understand. Thank you so much for sharing Zahra! May I ask what line of work or study you are in? Hope you don't mind me asking out of curiosity. It's just that you sound like you would make a great Journalist or Lawyer.
dubai is a case study in modern-day patriarchal capitalism. you really glossed over the indentured servitude issue… big yikes. i think UAE’s new and meticulously constructed wealth divide makes my tummy hurt. a bunch of the wives and daughters of the royal families of the UAE have literally fled the country seeking asylum from human rights violations in. their. own. family.
This one was real boo boo for me... I wish (and I know it's difficult; they're afraid to speak openly about their experiences) you'd also spoken to a migrant worker, in addition to the "local" Emirati. The dark side of what goes into building and maintaining that city takes away any joy I can find in visiting... And although I know you're all about going a bit more than surface depth and really getting into the local culture of a place you visit, I'd argue that at only five percent of the local population, a native Emirati's experiences and culture doesn't adequately cover the experiences of the remaining 95 percent of the inhabitants...
Serious question: do you think that those migrants are living any better back in their home countries? Have you ever asked yourself why does Dubai get migrants by the millions when then KNOW what they're getting into? Do you think they're better off when they're being exploited by western companies factories in their home countries? This holier-than-thou attitude is nothing but western hypocrisy through and through. Either you're ignorant that YOUR country treat ppl from third world countries WAY worse (yes I don't even know your country but I already bet half of your economy is based on exploitation), you just don't see it because it's done far away from you.
I feel like you have misunderstood this place a bit, its clean and nice because they exploit people to do this, so this is the side you see but its not the truth, those workers on the bus live in awful awful conditions 100s of people crammed into one room and not allowed to go back to their country if they want to as you said passports taken away. Domestic workers are nice because they are scared not to be nice to westerners. The Dubai that you saw is not the Dubai that 10000s of migrant workers live this side of Dubai you saw is reserved for western people to come spend their money at the expense of the labourers that keep the country afloat. I get the point of this video but maybe educate yourself a bit more on what actually goes on behind the scenes and don't act to blase when talking about what is essentially slavery.
There is lots of investigation about what people do or don't, so locals are scared about braking the law regarding making Dubai look good The laws are religious and policial If locals do something illegal is like they lost their life family friends and also jail law problem situations
Serious question: do you think that those migrants are living any better back in their home countries? Have you ever asked yourself why does Dubai get migrants by the millions when then KNOW what they're getting into? Do you think they're better off when they're being exploited by western companies factories in their home countries? This holier-than-thou attitude is nothing but western hypocrisy through and through. Either you're ignorant that YOUR country treat ppl from third world countries WAY worse (yes I don't even know your country but I already bet half of your economy is based on exploitation), you just don't see it because it's done far away from you.
The "extra degree or two" is not the right way to think of it; each degree causes massive ecological shifts that have ramifications for us in terms of economic growth, food production, and border security (refugees when 2C makes certain places unlivable). Even Dubai is at risk of "just a degree or two".
Nothing lasts forever, including the climate. It always shifts, like with the ice age. Carbon is bad and we’re speeding things up a bit, but we’re on our way regardless.
Damon couldn't get into a cafe because it was too hot, that will become far more frequent if we don't stop global warming, it clearly would matter to them
Probably a problematic ass thing to say but the way Damon feels about France and the French as a gay man who can live there peacefully (for the most part as there is prejudice everywhere) is the same way cishet Muslim women feel about Dubai. If I visited Paris and was a hijabi, I'm sure I would have my fair share of unpleasant interactions where I felt unsafe as well. Both experiences are valid because they are lived.
first of all this is not problematic at all! and honestly i totally agree with you, i guess its just religious differences between the 2 countries that have negative effects on visitors from either end
Being muslim is not illegal in Paris, and it is not punishable by imprisonment. You will not be thrown in a jail for up to 15 years simply for being muslim. It is your right to feel unsafe in France. Islamophobia is a very real thing that deeply affects people's lives, but to say it is the same as homophobia in a country like UAE is not just ignorant, inappropriate and dishonest, it is cruel.
Maybe weird to say, but people protesting might not only be a bad sign. In the Netherlands I’m glad its happening more, since I believe it strengthens the democracy through people being more involved with politics. For the UAE… is protesting allowed?…
@@damondominique of course I agree that it would be best if people would not have to protest! And looking back now my initial comment is quite priviledged when thinking about the protests we've seen against racism, sexual violence, health disasters caused by companies and more in recent years. When writing it I was thinking about for instance the middle class protesting inflation, which for them is not the same level of threat like the previously mentioned topics, and how I think that can be actually quite good for improving the stability of a country. Ok quite niche, sorry ;)
@Lotte Fonteijne I agree with you. I definitely believe that if women, forced laborers, lgbtq people, environmentalists etc would protest if they could. But even if there weren't these major issues, because democracy breeds differing opinions, there would still be protests about like you said inflation or against the meat industry and smaller stuff bc if ppl are allowed to practice freedom of speech they will.
@@damondominique a lack of protests doesn't mean a lack of things to protest. That's so ridiculous. I guess you'd think the people in North Korea are happier than the west because they don't have protests either and can present a clean modern place to visitors and hide all the human rights atrocities.
always found that a bit idiotic. protesting strengthens the democracy? yea lots of that here in south america, gotta love it! /s nobody cares about democracy or protesting if people are happy and have nothing to protest about. we arent naturally political creatures so when we actively get involved in that is because something is really wrong
"i feel like when you set rules people dont like you" damon thats all you have to say about a place where LGBT people are jailed or killed for being themselves?
Those are your priorities. To a lot of women in the UAE they're ok trading that with being always financially supported and protected by their men, never having to worry about working or taking on any responsibilities. The men literally dedicate their lives for them, and they seem to like it. To each to their own I guess.
@@sofiyaa7 who are we to judge whether they "seem" to like it but actually hate it or if they "really" like it though? What do we base that on? I personally know a lot of women who like living like that. When I was younger I used to judge them, that come on, who wants to live like that? But then after becoming an adult, I realised that the alternative isn't that appealing either. Having to take responsibilities in your hands gives you some freedom but it isn't easy, and it can cause tremendous stress. One of life's biggest stress sources are financial responsibilities. Some people don't want to deal with that and they 'can', these women can leave all that work to the men, and the men don't seem to mind it, they'll happily work their asses off because they believe it's their duty. Because that's the culture they both grew up in. It just works for them.
Then don’t. Fatima was a little naive and perpetuated a long held stereotype. She was speaking about her personal family experience.That is NOT how all females in Dubai or the UAE live.
@@easynow7801 I'm not saying all females in UAE live like that. I'm just so shocked and deeply saddened that people in this day and age think like that. Regardless if it's Dubai or any other place. You think we've come so far as human race and then you hear stuff like this. 😔
every culture and religion is different, you might not fathom this, but if its normal for someone else and they not complaining about it, I don't see a problem
it happened last november! i made an entire ig story then just…deleted it and let it go. but w the whole NFT thing, i can now understand + have experienced an actual case for why they’d be useful. anyway, felt fitting to talk about it now!
Mediocrity is the enemy of greatness was the quote Damon was looking for lol and it’s true. That copycat creator will have to keep copying others for new ideas and eventually it’s gonna show. When they have to come up with something original, they won’t know how to because they never practiced or exercised that skill. ‘Greatness’ of their content will never be achieved because a creative downfall usually happens to people who only know how to mimic and copy. They never work on the skill of learning to reinvent and rebrand yourself. They only know how to steal ideas and claim them as their own. Their mediocrity is the enemy to them ever achieving authentic success that stands the test of time. Not to be dramatic but there is a special place in the rock bottom realm for those that plagiarize and copy shamelessly. They don’t know how to create new ideas when people call them out for their lack of creativity.
@@got2bjoshyea but it’s still not cool. And I bet if Damon didn’t delete his reaction and posted it-the other girl’s followers would’ve come out to hate on him. People can’t admit when someone they admire is inauthentic so they lash out on the original creator as a “bitter” person who didn’t execute the idea as well as the copycat anyway, just to be spiteful. Ironically they see someone fighting for their own original idea as that being the only one they can come up with, that’s why they’re making a “fuss” about it on social media. I’ve seen it happen to many creators who got copied and called it out. Some people defend them but then there’s the toxic swarm of people who lash out on the original one instead. Best to keep your own style and continues creating new ones but now be aware of those that only know how to mimic others.
NFTs unfortunately do little to nothing to solve the issue you described with someone copying your creative ideas a little too brazenly. You propose that they provide a record of a date of creation - but that function is already perfectly well fulfilled e.g. by TH-cam’s upload date on videos. Saving the same thing on a blockchain has a single advantage: It would remove the need to trust Google not to silently and secretly change that date in their database just to fuck with you. But is that even anyone's concern in this case? It seems like what you are looking for is not making that record more unfalsifiable with complex technology, but some kind of enforcement of your creative rights - such as what copyright law and the judicial system provide, ultimately a working democracy with rule of law (powered by taxes, I might add). The blockchain world has no equivalents to any of that. (Although in this particular case: A certain way of styling video captions is unlikely to reach the threshold to be considered a protected creative work under copyright law. But I totally get the annoyance when someone just copy/pastes something you carefully crafted.) Anyway: Our society runs on trusted and centralised institutions, and despite what the crypto folk say, that’s mostly fine. We can always improve them (more oversight, fairer access, etc.), but there's no need to replace them with blockchain infrastructure where supposedly you “don’t have to trust anyone” (except, of course, its programmers) - which really just turns out to mean that there's nobody trustworthy around, e.g. your unregulated, anonymously run crypto bank can and probably will take off with your savings any day now, because that's their most profitable strategy. A lot of the people who claim they can solve real-world problems on a blockchain - with cryptocurrencies, NFTs, metaverse, etc - are actually just trying to convince you to buy into the system because they stand to financially benefit from that: Recruiting additional believers boosts the speculative assets at the center of all these technologies, which they've gambled on. Their coins, ape pictures, plots of virtual land, etc. are use- and worthless if nobody believes in them, but increasingly valuable the more people do. Convincing people that that stuff is somehow the future (and better yet, can make you rich) with fancy conferences and vague marketing language pays off more & faster than actually doing any work solving anyone's actual problems on the blockchain - so why even bother with that part? Because of that dynamic, most things promoted in that field are, sadly, a grift not worth paying attention to... except maybe if you want to get in on the scam.
Thank you for saving me the time from writing out basically all of this.. 😅 It had to be said, and you def explained at least one part of all of the incorrect or non-nuanced things said in this video.
I have no doubt Dubai seems great to a rich white male tourist...but if you're part of 95% of the country, the experience is very different from this video...
Fatima: UAE is great, not what you see in the media at all! Also Fatima: I'm a woman so I must sit in the backseat, cover my head and body, not speak around my family, and I have a curfew and can't see nightlife. Me: 🤔 I'm a little worried Fatima is going to get in trouble if her parents or friends see this video of her. Love your videos, Damon. They are like movies. And your editing is fire 🔥
As a middle eastern woman myself who had lived both in Arabia and Europe. What she said isn't necessarily untrue or contradicting, she still thinks her country is great despite all the restrictions. i.e. To a western woman, that kind of life seems like hell, but can you believe that to her and many Emarati women, 'your' life seem like hell? it's just very different perspectives. Women in UAE adhere to a very strict "protocol" but the they also are very "spoiled" by their men. The men in their lives (whether fathers, brothers, uncles or husbands) literally dedicate their lives for their women, they'd do everything for them. The women never have to worry about being financially supported or having big responsibilities because the men will always support them. But as everything in life, everything has pros and cons. When you depend on someone you lose some of your freedom, but you also gain freedom in other ways (e.g. being stress free, at least financially). A western woman sees freedom in gaining financial independence by working and gaining money herself, an Emarati woman might find that a loss of freedom, that "my man will work for me, why do I need to work and trouble myself?" how many western women find themselves under a lot of life stresses, sometimes freedom means more responsibility and more stress. So, it's not a black and white situation. Feel free to ask me anything if you're curious :) p.s. I personally chose the western life style (that's why I live in Europe now), I chose to sacrifice comfort for freedom and independence. But my mother, sisters, aunts and many friends are still living happily in Arabia under the same rules Fatima lives under and they love it and prefer it. They hate the western life style, they think I'm crazy for choosing to live in Europe, they think life is so hard for women in Europe. I fully understand why they choose to live that life, because it still is a good comfortable life to them.
@@yuzan3607 I liked Fatima a lot. I wasn't insulting her. When you say the men dedicate their lives for "their" women, you've said it all: they own their women. That idea opens the door for abuse. Could it work out well for a woman? Sure. Just give up the freedom to say and do what you want, obey your father/brother/husband, and a lot of the time the man that controls you will be kind to you. But if he isn't kind, you're in trouble. And if you make a mistake in your behavior your family could be shamed and you punished. No society is perfect, for sure. Sexism and misogyny exist in western cultures. But I don't believe that women should inherently, as part of societal laws, be treated as possessions. It means we're moving backwards instead of forwards. ☮
@@elizabeth5985 I'm not against a lot of what you said, but I still see both sides. What does it mean to "own" someone, is it really "owning"? I can argue that the women also "own" their men, they also control them when they demand things from them. Who really is the owner or controller? maybe it's just a different perspective. I don't think women in UAE are treated as possessions because that's too harsh of a word and I don't think a father, a brother or a husband treat their daughter, sister or wife as a "possession", if anything, I would think that they're treated like childeren. They're shielded/protected from a lot of things in life that the men take care of instead. A lot of women seem to like that treatment, and we cannot deny that fact and the experiences of these women. Just because you personally don't like to be treated like that, doesn't mean you can inflict your opinion on them. You can of course say your opinion there's no problem with that, but what Fatima said about UAE is not how media portrays it, what she meant is that the western perspective is always negative to how Arab women are treated, that they're oppressed ..etc. ignoring the fact that many of those women PREFER that life over the alternative (e.g. a wester lifestyle) I know that first hand because as I told you, women in my family and friends do prefer to live like that and wouldn't trade it. Abuse can happen in any situation, any lifestyle and in any kind of relationship. It's not really exclusive to this lifestyle. It's true that a woman abused by a man that provides for her is much more in trouble than an independent woman being abused by a man who she can leave any time. But again, there are pros and cons to each lifestyle. But it doesn't necessarily mean we're moving forward if we're adopting a western lifestyle (of women having to work and gaining same responsibilities and freedom of a man), maybe to each their own? if women in UAE want to live like that, then isn't that moving forward to them?
Girl ain't nobody controlling me!! Despite everything I'm still allowed to do whatever I want and need, just under a few set of "rules" that ultimately are to my benefit, princess treatment only baby 💗✨️
@@yuzan3607 Hi Yuzan, thank you for your perspective. Often times things are put very black and white, but it is interesting to see different point of views :)
I don’t watch anyone that puts as much effort and creativity into their videos as Damon. Your videos are like mini films, I’m feeling some 80’s vibes too and I’m living for it. You’re always so entertaining, continue to take care and enjoy your travels!
about the place being clean and people not paying taxes, we have to keep in mind there are almost the same number of people living in UAE as in Paris Having less inhabitants makes a huge difference Nice video ! ❤️
Wow! One of your best videos Damon! I feel like this is an amalgamation of all Damon’s characteristics and personality: the comedy, the philosophy, the interest for the future, and purely exploring the culture…thank you Damon!❤️
We left the middle east 15 years ago. I think the human rights violations are pretty bad- but whats worse is that it is not really discussed, or engaged with. Surprised especially that it didn't delve into the fact there is monarchy system in the country- a major point that affects what the conditions are like.
Fatima seems like a pretty cool and chill person, but some of her comments gave me low key Stockholm Syndrome vibes. Like "Yeah, we have all these limitations, but really it's cause they want us to be protected and happy." No girl, na-ah.
Especially when she tries to debunk western media and saying things like oh it’s all a lie you have to come and see it like now girl you just told us about your life and that does not seem appealing to me whether I’m a Westanna Africa or European or whatever it’s not it’s not dispelling anything that you’ve mentioned every rumour is true
Feeling protected and safe IS important. Dubai is so safe for women and if you have ever lived in Paris/London etc and then in Dubai you’d understand that. Can’t put a prize on safety. Id choose UAE government instead of any EU government any given day.
31:38 I have to respectfully disagree to calling the UAE a country that is "working towards a better future", when in that same country women are still treated as second-class citizens, workers are exploited and literally forced into labor, lgbtq+ people are still persecuted and there is so little regard towards sustainability. I understand that they are probably working on progressive things in other areas, but that is not enough to be able to say that they care about a better future. "better" ofc can be subjective, but then again, how can anything that violates human rights ever be good, or in this case, "better"? these things do not fit together for me.
Not sure about the "treating women as second class citizens". Looking at all the restrictions for women that Fatima was talking about yeah, I agree that it really feels like that and as explained by Damon from an happiness perspective it's not ideal. But it seems like they don't impose it to other people, which would be like Talibans in Afghanistan. Like Damon also say one of their life goals is to live close to their religion, not necessarily live happy. In my opinion the issue would be that they impose this culture to everyone living in Dubai, although there are also for sure UAE local women that don't want to live like that and are being imposed to do and yeah, that's not good at all.
What part of: "never having to work if you don't want to", "men will always take care of you", "you don't even have to do house work because you have maids", "you can study whatever you want to higher education level for free", "did I mention you do not have to work, but if you want you totally can", is second-class citizens to you?
To add to that, that there's e.g. "no protests" (31:29) - no meaningful public disapproval of the deeply misogynist, homophobic, classist etc. authoritarian system - can't somehow be twisted into an optimistic sign that they're on a great path towards making everyone happy and having everything figured out and will therefore one day soon get around to adding the missing little puzzle piece of ... _checks notes_ ... fundamental human rights. How clean and functional everything seems (to rich tourists) is instead an effect of "bread and games" appeasement, of successful repression, of tight social control, etc...
@@yuzan3607 the part of being a grown women with a middle schooler curfew, having to sit in the backseat because you are a women, not being allowed to speak your mind, having to have a Chaperon as a grown adult etc. you know that part that you decide to conveniently ignore.
This upload could’ve not come at a better time… it is pouring rain right now and I just got a small bowl of my favorite dessert! Thank you for this Damon 🌷
Can you send some rain to Dubai cuz word on the street is that they send drones up into the clouds and electrocute them to make fake rain (fact-check that...)
DAMONNN!!!! I'm late to this video but it was amazing. I live in Dubai and am an art teacher at the painting studio that you visited in Alserkal and I CAN'T BELIEVE I MISSED YOU. I have been following your videos for sooo many years now. I'm also from Van Wert, Ohio right across the boarder from Fort Wayne and I've always wanted to meet you. I'm so glad you made it to paint with us and experience the different sides of Dubai. Congrats on all of your success and all the best Damon you're amazing!!
I've always absolutely loved your videos.. honestly they could copy your thumbnail etc.. But They'll Never Be You! There's only 1 Damon Dom on TH-cam with this humor and awesome creative content!! 🎉😊
Damon, thoroughly enjoy your videos and all that but this has to be the worst series of takes I've head in quite a bit... like this would literally need a point-by-point rebuttal (on women's/minority/human rights or lack thereof, social safety nets or lack thereof, public transport or lack thereof, sewage systems or lack thereof, democratic systems or lack thereof, press freedom or lack thereof, dignity of labour & income/wealth equality or lack thereof et cetra). like if the UAE is to be the future, i'd cash-in an opt-out from life.
IMO Damon is talking about his experience and trying to show an alternative experience compared to what everyone’s preconceived notions are. He’s sharing another culture with us and is trying to have an open mind rather than applying what we already think of Dubai.
thanks for your commitment to being openminded, growing up ive been realizing how easy it is to fake that kind of mindset... deep down, openmindedness is stuff like this, going to the popular unpopular places and giving the people there a chance to speak. hats off!
Weird video. I found the cuts from fatima saying she would be scolded and punished for being with you to upbeat music and shots of the food to be insensitive and tone deaf. Also confused about where Fatima stands on the curfews etc, at first she said it was about controlling the women but then later contradicted herself and said it was cos they want women to be protected.
This was a really eye-opening video and I'm glad you discussed the good and the bad of your experiences! Personally, as someone who tends to get really bored by hyper-wealth, I never really had an interest in Dubai and the people I've known who called it home in their past or present gave it a mediocre rating. It was nice to see you have fun there and Fatima was so so sweet and funny. Loved seeing her! Honing in on the ending of your video, I do think that Dubai enjoys the luxury of being so heavily manufactured that the pristine exterior almost gives it away? Dirty streets, wars, and protests could be more rampant if there wasn't a culture in place that heavily scrutinized the slightest thing as not appearing old money enough, much less anything more than a little rowdy with your friends, y'know? And yes, the same thing can happen in places like the United States, the U.K., France, but at the very bare minimum least, there are measures in place in these countries to try and give people a chance at fighting back and claiming justice. Like, the smallest chance. No taxes are cool, but like they say, you're either gonna pay on the front end or the back end. I think Dubai has a little more chains in place than freedoms that makes it a brilliant place if you're someone who has never had to think about your name listed as victim to a hate crime lol. Most friends I've had wouldn't move back but they love visiting for two weeks a couple times a year, and I think most people would do well to have that experience! Thank you for giving us yet another tour around a place often discussed, hardly seen from a relatable perspective.
Damon , I just wanna say I love everything you create ! This whole video - the topics , the humour the relatability , the feeling of having to be restricted to what you can say or can't say and your honest thoughtful opinions on such a wide variety of topics is so engaging to watch . Forever a fan 🎉😊
I seriously do appreciate the way you walk through your thoughts and opinions on each place. Listening to your thought process has definitely given me a more well-rounded way of looking at new experiences in general, like trying to take in every part and see the good and the bad, etc etc.
Thanks for this video, which was entertaining and made me think! Towards the end when you were appreciating the cleanliness of the streets and the high level of service, it felt a bit like you were justifying the dark parts and actions of the UAE through it. I think those clean streets and good service are mainly a result of the country being rich because of oil and you already highlighted the questionable freedom of certain workers there. Is that really worth it? I would so much rather live in a city is a bit more dirty but has no modern slavery…
Exactly, Damon kinda lost me there. Countries that are rich will be clean. Pretty sure they pay higher taxes in Sweden than Bangladesh, and the former is definitely cleaner...
I think he was trying to look at the situation from the perspective of people who choose to live there moreso than try to justify it or present it as good enough for him
Why would you go to a place that was built by slaves who have their passports taken away and has almost no human rights laws? That's the confusing part.
That’s like saying why go to any country lol also the importance of travel is to understand what’s happening in the world hopefully in a respectful and unbiased way so people are fueled with the information and experiences to be able to amplify change at home and where ever else they go.
You wouldn't be able to go anywhere if you study history quite literally With your logic no one could ever step foot in germany due to atrocities commited by this country and so on...
I really appreciate that you create your own opinion about everything like I know that sounds obvious but like it is sooo easy to absorb other peoples' thoughts about a place and you're just like "lemme see first" and your perspective is so unique
I don’t think the issue is taxes - it’s mismanagement. Scandinavia and east Asia have HIGH taxes and are generally HIGHLY clean. Dubai you get “taxed” in other ways w the cost of living, not paying the lower class, less political freedom, etc
Yes, like I love Damon, but him talking about the exploitation and then few minutes after bringing up how they're able to keep the place clean and having to pay less in taxes was a bit annoying (then also adding that conservatives know how to run the economy). The issue is that the way the right run the economy kinda inherently goes against a lot of the left values about equality, which Damon seems to like. The mismanagment of taxes is definitely true and I'm from finland for the record. Like USA spends so much of that money in wars and not things that would benefit to average person. Finland is also going to get worse for the record and has been, but seems like we've managed to keep the progressive utopia image up.
@@loganyuhas6028 What about it? I'm going to an event to learn about future technology and the best ways to implement them...with other people interested in the same topics.
Someone said 'dont talk if you don't know ' but i think you're close to understand basic economy of (Scandinavia and east asia) Is not about how much taxes they pay, is about the right ratio between (citizens) and how many( business there is) For Scandinavia when they started their economy they bring taxes to (0 zero) to uplifting the economy and to create many new business (and that attracted more valuable profesionals and new business, and workers (so the ratio is good in Scandinavia there is have to be lots of business for 1 people, there is has to be many jobs many employment for 1 people) that's the ratio So for example American countries from north America and south America want to have that economy they have to create 2 more googles 2 more TH-cam's 2 more Instagram 2 more Walmart 2 more NASA 2 more silicon valley 2 more Uber 2 more Apple 2 more Amazon etc etc That's why Scandinavia is difficult to replicate because you have to drop taxes to zero and grow the ratio of employment rates , and then after 30 decades they can rise taxes (But there is a catch for Scandinavia and east asia both don't do so good but they have extra help from royalty family involved in common wealth that make economy pacts and those royals make super easy to get loans for the gountries, and east asia have "lowkey illegal economy " because they basically have prices for locals (they make them live poorly and everything is inexpensive) but they have international taxes and they charge normal taxes for foreign business and tourists Similar to china that have sweatshops business because there is national taxes and economy to keep prices dirt cheap, but there is high taxes for exporting products (so that's how they can make clothing in fast fashion that cost 8 euros 7 dollars) because they charge the sweatshops workers 0.1 dollar to make (the lower they can) That's how they keep national prices low, and exporting prices high So is not that easy for Scandinavia and east asia to just high taxes there is have to be a ratio between high number of citizens and high number of business and high employment rates If you make business pay high taxes in 2023 in north or south America, Australia and many European countries if you rise taxes in 2023 you will brake those businesses 😅 Venezuela cuba Russia north Korea did it before
I love that you're not afraid to respectfully criticize ALL countries/cultures on their BS. I feel like people only see criticizing western countries as acceptable bc lesbehonest people are afraid to look racist-- and it's sometimes a fine line between open-minded criticism and disrespect. You're a very worldly person who expresses your thoughts w/o being an a$$ and I'm out here tryna be you!!
Damon when are you coming to India?? I know you like some chaos and I definitely know you like exploring new cultures and unique places so I'm sure you'll loveee it here! And india is so diverse you can experience a whole new culture just by moving between cities
Let me set you up with a UAE itinerary: Nov-March for prime weather Nature: sure there’s desert, but Hatta for mountains, kayaking in Mangrove reserves (sometimes you’ll see flamingos), and go biking along that beach. Oyster farms (Dibba Oysters are award-winning) Chocolate factories Supper clubs Arab indie cinemas So many Museums The city and country have so much more to offer. Round 2 👀
I love how honest you are in all your videos, you give facts about the places you visit. Like if i wanna visit some place, i would definitely look at your videos in order to figure out the local culture and all sorts of differences that i would experience . Keep it up!
Lol, people can't protest if it's highly illegal to do so. While some stricter laws were relaxed in the past few years, flogging and death by stoning are still in legislation. "The Emirati Constitution guarantees the freedom to assemble peacefully but in practice protests are banned in the UAE." Strikes, Unions and Worker's Councils are also strictly banned.
I wish Damon would read more leftist political economy theories and anthropology research instead of lib self-help books. No hate- love the effort and visuals! But the social commentary would be so much richer with class and power analysis. Someone else here critiqued it first but the commentary on NFTs and the metaverse was giving tech bro capitalism. Unfortunately, social ills cannot be solved by selling products.
Ikr. He doesn't even need to read anything complicated like Marx or Engels. Just read Varoufakis and bell hooks and he's going to have way more meaningful analysis of capitalism and its byproducts (social oppression, lack of political rights, taxes, AI tech).
Hi Damon, I really like you and I think you are very intelligent and aware for a white man who’s come from a relatively comfortable background. But I feel at times you miss the mark. This happened last time when you want to another Islamic country as well. I wish you spoke more about the aspects of gender and the privilege this grants you compared to someone like Fatima, instead of making jokes or belittling the experience. Talking about her curfew and then showing you enjoying a night beach - an experience women cannot have, almost seemed like a laugh in the face moment. Maybe this is just coming from my female rage. It just did not hit the mark for me respectfully.
The original idea was to go to the night beach together, but she told me she couldn't go because of her curfew and that we should meet for lunch instead.
I am one of those youtube viewers who never comments but watches a ton of videos. But this video is an exception (I watch youtube videos every day since 2017 and this is my second comment). I'm originally Russian (Saint-Petersburg) living in Berlin for many years. I find this video so unique because of Fatima! Could you please talk more to Arabic women when you travel and when in Paris? They are underrepresented while they have so much to tell! Maybe you can just interview Fatima in a separate video? She looks like a girl who can handle all kinda weird stereotypical questions. What a girl!!!!!
I felt the same exact way when I was in Algeria. I respect the people there but I couldn't wait to get out haha. So many rules I couldn't keep up. Every other minute there was something being told to me that I couldn't do and as a woman I felt so discriminated against. Every restaurant would show me to the back where the bathrooms were located and sit me away from the men in which they had the prime spots in every restaurant. It was impossible to get coffee as every cafe was men only...the women had to make coffee at home or have their men bring cold espresso back. Phew it was exhausting honestly.
Damon, try come to South Africa 🇿🇦💗 really beautiful sights, diverse culture and languages and a country that is trying to be really progressive. It has its flaws but the people are amazing, friendly and really outspoken.
Just reacting to the climate change bit. As I understand it the world heating up a couple of degrees isn't as literal as you are portraying it, but rather what kind of processes these degrees are influencing. So it is not that Dubai will get 1 or 2 degrees hotter in the next years - and that is equally spread across the globe, but more that they might have more drought or floods or other disasters
It’s all well and good to appreciate the highlife of Dubai, the lack of income tax until you land yourself on the wrong side of the law and you realize that you have zero rights. Furthermore, Fatima was basically saying “I accept unequal treatment and being controlled by men because they give me a luxurious life”. This is a sad trade off.
I'm pretty sure you had no idea, but the irony was so thick when you talked about people swiping the work of others and then in the next clip went to a place that has very clearly copied what teamLab does. 😆
If they’re taking away their passports that’s actually considered forced labor…
It is literally slavery. I don't care how beautiful or futuristic a building is, or how clean the streets are, it would disgust me if people are being exploited for it.
Literal definition of slavery. Also, Damon implied that it may be worth it for some people to move to the UAE because there's no income tax and still the system "works", if not supposedly better than the West. But the system only works and is only a utopia for white westerners who move in there with unimaginable amount of capital. The system doesn't "work" for the very working class people who literally serve as the backbone the entire country run on.
Absolutely, at my hotel in the marina there was a Filipino waitress that my family got served by a few times. We’re afghan-Americans so we are accustomed to tipping, the waitress always tried to refuse. She was lovely, She eventually told us that they took her passport and she gets one paid trip home PER YEAR. She did it because it’s decent money by their home country’s standards, but they literally hold you hostage. I noticed on the streets there were hardly any Arabs, there were many Indians, Pakistanis, Philippines, Africans. Lovely safe country, and as an American it’s hard to judge other counties, but the labor practices are terrible human rights violations that the rest of the world just ignores…
It might not be 100% right but it’s not like these workers aren’t aware of the restrictions of travel. Also keep on mind they’re living in HEAVEN compared to their third-world country where they could barely find ends meet. Pls don’t be so dramatic and problematic. This is why the West will always be in the past.
It broke my heart when Fatima said that all the control is to protect women and make sure they are well. Guurrrrl what are those men protecting the women from? THEMSELVES
ikr 😭 What if men tried to control themselves and eachother instead, liiike 💀
That’s what i’m saying😭😭😭
@@modkip25but men never control themselves anywhere around the world….compare to r@ p rates around the world and here very low cases or women getting harassed in Dubai Yk?
please be realistic for a second, u can’t get every man to stop doing the bad things they’re doing but u can do your best to protect the women around you. It’s very idealistic to think we should control the men but it’s never gonna happen bc there will unfortunately always be bad people
Girl pls. WHERE in the world can i go and feel comfortable as a woman all alone at night or whenever?? It’s the reality for everywhere in the world. As saudis and emirates we care A LOT for our kids and daughters. That’s why we don’t kick them out of the house at 18. That’s why they have curfews. That’s why u don’t see arab strippers. Thats why u don’t see homeless arabs. It’s not just cause we’re rich. Theres a lot of broke arabs but we LOOK OUT for each other. We PROTECT each other. Something the independent westerners don’t understand
In other countries, people protest, because they have the right to protest. Their protests are actually a sign of wellbeing, they are allowed to let their voices hear and speak up. In Dubai people don't have the right to protest.
In Malaysia, we need to have permission from the government to protest. Imagine. Gosh
honey they live in luxury why protest ? no let steal like what happen in europen countries now a days ?
@@aalaal-uq8vx Honey, not everyone in Dubai lives in luxury.
no need to protest about anything we are happy
as a local of dubai we don’t need to protest we solve the problem like one big family. watching people protest in other countries is kind of funny to us and rude and stupid way to solve problems
I spent a chunk of my childhood in Dubai (2001-2008, when the city experienced its first boom), that was ages ago and I haven't been back in 10 years so it's obviously changed since. I loved living in Dubai, it was a fun place to grow up (best birthday parties ever ngl), but one of the memories that has stuck with me was when my mom would drive us to school in the mornings and we'd be on like Sheikh Zayed Rd and pass buses squeezed full of construction workers.
At the time I felt really uncomfortable when they would stare at us from the bus, but looking back I realise why. Like there I was, an 8 year old in my perfectly laundered school uniform, bow and all, sitting in an air conditioned car that costs 50x their yearly salary, being driven to a private school that they would never be able to afford for their own children. It's such a stark contrast, but obviously I didn't fully understand that as a child.
Living in Dubai as an "expat" (for the record I hate that word) has a lot of perks and I understand why so many people love living there. Like with any "expat" life, you can afford things that you wouldn't back home - the big house with a garden and pool, domestic helpers, private school for the kids, etc. But that's possible because of exploitative labour practices. Of course this isn't a problem exclusive to Dubai (wealth disparity is something I've seen in every city I've ever lived in, and human rights violations happen in every country), but it's just something I find particularly hard to ignore in Dubai.
Also, I swear there was at least 1 fire in the Burj Khalifa while it was being built and that construction workers died because of the fire/jumping off the building to escape it. But I can't find anything online to confirm it. Either my memory is wrong or it's been scrubbed from the internet.
I think it's great that you tried to show a different side to Dubai, not the typical glitz and glam everyone sees on Instagram. Looking back I think growing up in Dubai gave me a lot of beautiful memories and a lot of benefits in life (becoming a fluent English speaker, the level of education I received, being exposed to different cultures), so while there are issues I criticise, I will always have a certain love in my heart for it.
Also this comment is already faaar too long, but if you want to see something more historical & nature-y I recommend going to Hatta and Hatta Heritage Village
great comment.
There's nothing wrong with the word expat, it just means someone is not a tourist but isn't staying permanently
Beautifully written - a testament.
@@npineapple3077just a fancy word that privileged people use to distance themselves from immigrants looking for a better life 🙂
wait your mom drove you to school? Weren't women allowed to drive there only in 2017 or something?
I'm uploading this from jail.
Don't forget to get that passport stamped in Dubai jail😅
Like the real housewives episode😂❤
Now that's a good video
"[Gay] to jail!" Also, I'm the person who took this from 69 likes to 70. Sorry.
Sorry but the thumbnail you're talking about is from cannes film festival not yours. Better go apologize to her before she sues you😂
We always have room to grow and expand our beliefs regardless of previous knowledge so if you're interested, read on.
I really saw this video and thought it's my time to shine lmao. I'm an Iraqi woman who has been living in the States (mostly California) since I was 4 but my family and I regularly travel to Dubai very often and let me tell you...
- Fatima was right about the princess treatment and that comes from the religious aspect of holding women in high regard (which I know is hard for Westerners to grasp when it comes to Islam and believe me, this is coming from a non-religious Muslim woman) BUT the part she left out is that it isn't so much to appease as much as it is sublimate any desire for independence which is interpreted as insolence or rebelliousness. It is very much 'bird in a golden cage' treatment and as Dostoyevsky said 'the best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he’s in prison.'
- Dubai IS high quality and it's known for top-notch service because being offered the opportunity to work there is a privilege unfortunately. The stakes are high and no one (the working class) engages in risky behavior that might jeopardize that so it ensures safety in a very authoritarian way.
- EVERYONE in Dubai judges harshly, especially anyone who works in a customer service position. They immediately size you up and if you don't appear wealthy or worse, new money, they will discriminate and walk all over you which is ironic as hell because girl you and I are both in the same boat? WHERE is the class consciousness bestie? Sometimes you need to act a fool and be rude back in order for them to offer a modicum of decency (which is exceptionally hard to do when you know they're just trying to make a living and more often that not, support family back home).
- It IS boring as hell. Sometimes you just wanna touch non-artificial grass and be out in nature without having to pay for a theme park ticket to a butterfly garden. It wasn't really built until the 1980's so there isn't much history and anything of artistic interest is shipped in from abroad. How many times can you go shopping or journal in a cafe overhearing 'friends' compete with one another? It is very much the LA of the Middle East.
- Please think critically in identifying what is culture and what is religion, most of it is conditioning that is so embedded into the culture, it becomes conflated as religious doctrine. Please know which is what. Not directed at Damon, but everyone reading this comment. We always have room to change our minds and not give our power over to limiting beliefs.
ALL that to say, please don't be prejudiced and make snap judgements y'all. '“It is necessary to remember, as we think critically about domination, that we all have the capacity to act in ways that oppress, dominate, wound (whether or not that power is institutionalized). It is necessary to remember that it is first the potential oppressor within that we must resist - the potential victim within that we must rescue - otherwise we cannot hope for an end to domination, for liberation.” - Bell Hooks
Also wanted to add that despite everything I said, I really do love being there lol! The food is on point, the spas and beauty clinics/plastic surgery related stuff is actually a much better deal as it is relatively less expensive than the States but infinitely better quality somehow. My botox is botox-ing correctly over there 😂 It's just that being there for more than a month is wack unless you have relatives/friends/community.
Dubai being LA of the Middle East is so true. Even though I love travelling to new cities, LA is the last city I'd visit, it always seem boring. I think the reason is because I've seen it in Dubai. Whenever I see vlogs of ppl in LA it feels a lot like Dubai and other gulf cities which I personally despise.
the mixing of culture and religion is a very good point and people never seem to recognise where one begins and the other ends.
Droppin knowledge. Damn I didn't expect bell hooks and Dostoyevsky today.
This is so interesting to read, consider and understand. Thank you so much for sharing Zahra! May I ask what line of work or study you are in? Hope you don't mind me asking out of curiosity. It's just that you sound like you would make a great Journalist or Lawyer.
dubai is a case study in modern-day patriarchal capitalism. you really glossed over the indentured servitude issue… big yikes. i think UAE’s new and meticulously constructed wealth divide makes my tummy hurt.
a bunch of the wives and daughters of the royal families of the UAE have literally fled the country seeking asylum from human rights violations in. their. own. family.
This one was real boo boo for me... I wish (and I know it's difficult; they're afraid to speak openly about their experiences) you'd also spoken to a migrant worker, in addition to the "local" Emirati. The dark side of what goes into building and maintaining that city takes away any joy I can find in visiting... And although I know you're all about going a bit more than surface depth and really getting into the local culture of a place you visit, I'd argue that at only five percent of the local population, a native Emirati's experiences and culture doesn't adequately cover the experiences of the remaining 95 percent of the inhabitants...
especially when that 5% are granted free education, healthcare, housing, that the 95% of people who build their city don't get.
Remember when Damon hyped up Israel
@@esetavarda1049in one of his visits to Palestine he recognized the US support for Israel through weapon sales. Pretty sure he’s not pro-israel
Serious question: do you think that those migrants are living any better back in their home countries? Have you ever asked yourself why does Dubai get migrants by the millions when then KNOW what they're getting into? Do you think they're better off when they're being exploited by western companies factories in their home countries?
This holier-than-thou attitude is nothing but western hypocrisy through and through. Either you're ignorant that YOUR country treat ppl from third world countries WAY worse (yes I don't even know your country but I already bet half of your economy is based on exploitation), you just don't see it because it's done far away from you.
I feel like you have misunderstood this place a bit, its clean and nice because they exploit people to do this, so this is the side you see but its not the truth, those workers on the bus live in awful awful conditions 100s of people crammed into one room and not allowed to go back to their country if they want to as you said passports taken away. Domestic workers are nice because they are scared not to be nice to westerners. The Dubai that you saw is not the Dubai that 10000s of migrant workers live this side of Dubai you saw is reserved for western people to come spend their money at the expense of the labourers that keep the country afloat. I get the point of this video but maybe educate yourself a bit more on what actually goes on behind the scenes and don't act to blase when talking about what is essentially slavery.
There is lots of investigation about what people do or don't, so locals are scared about braking the law regarding making Dubai look good
The laws are religious and policial
If locals do something illegal is like they lost their life family friends and also jail law problem situations
actually the main reason is because they have loads of oil
a much-needed slap
Preach
Serious question: do you think that those migrants are living any better back in their home countries? Have you ever asked yourself why does Dubai get migrants by the millions when then KNOW what they're getting into? Do you think they're better off when they're being exploited by western companies factories in their home countries?
This holier-than-thou attitude is nothing but western hypocrisy through and through. Either you're ignorant that YOUR country treat ppl from third world countries WAY worse (yes I don't even know your country but I already bet half of your economy is based on exploitation), you just don't see it because it's done far away from you.
The "extra degree or two" is not the right way to think of it; each degree causes massive ecological shifts that have ramifications for us in terms of economic growth, food production, and border security (refugees when 2C makes certain places unlivable). Even Dubai is at risk of "just a degree or two".
this !!!
I think he meant in Fahrenheit tho not celsius
Nothing lasts forever, including the climate. It always shifts, like with the ice age. Carbon is bad and we’re speeding things up a bit, but we’re on our way regardless.
Damon couldn't get into a cafe because it was too hot, that will become far more frequent if we don't stop global warming,
it clearly would matter to them
Probably a problematic ass thing to say but the way Damon feels about France and the French as a gay man who can live there peacefully (for the most part as there is prejudice everywhere) is the same way cishet Muslim women feel about Dubai. If I visited Paris and was a hijabi, I'm sure I would have my fair share of unpleasant interactions where I felt unsafe as well. Both experiences are valid because they are lived.
first of all this is not problematic at all! and honestly i totally agree with you, i guess its just religious differences between the 2 countries that have negative effects on visitors from either end
very well said
absolutely great comparison & very true!
❤
Being muslim is not illegal in Paris, and it is not punishable by imprisonment. You will not be thrown in a jail for up to 15 years simply for being muslim. It is your right to feel unsafe in France. Islamophobia is a very real thing that deeply affects people's lives, but to say it is the same as homophobia in a country like UAE is not just ignorant, inappropriate and dishonest, it is cruel.
we appreciate the work you put in these long ass videos so much!
Thank you for commenting ❤Cuz it's 1:30am and I'm the last one in the coworking space! 🤣
Maybe weird to say, but people protesting might not only be a bad sign. In the Netherlands I’m glad its happening more, since I believe it strengthens the democracy through people being more involved with politics. For the UAE… is protesting allowed?…
The protests are great! But what's even better is if people didn't *have* to protest. The point is that the people are unhappy!
@@damondominique of course I agree that it would be best if people would not have to protest! And looking back now my initial comment is quite priviledged when thinking about the protests we've seen against racism, sexual violence, health disasters caused by companies and more in recent years. When writing it I was thinking about for instance the middle class protesting inflation, which for them is not the same level of threat like the previously mentioned topics, and how I think that can be actually quite good for improving the stability of a country. Ok quite niche, sorry ;)
@Lotte Fonteijne I agree with you. I definitely believe that if women, forced laborers, lgbtq people, environmentalists etc would protest if they could. But even if there weren't these major issues, because democracy breeds differing opinions, there would still be protests about like you said inflation or against the meat industry and smaller stuff bc if ppl are allowed to practice freedom of speech they will.
@@damondominique a lack of protests doesn't mean a lack of things to protest. That's so ridiculous. I guess you'd think the people in North Korea are happier than the west because they don't have protests either and can present a clean modern place to visitors and hide all the human rights atrocities.
always found that a bit idiotic. protesting strengthens the democracy? yea lots of that here in south america, gotta love it! /s
nobody cares about democracy or protesting if people are happy and have nothing to protest about. we arent naturally political creatures so when we actively get involved in that is because something is really wrong
"i feel like when you set rules people dont like you" damon thats all you have to say about a place where LGBT people are jailed or killed for being themselves?
Could not imagine not being allowed to go places without someone accompanying me, a curfew or not being allow to speak my mind.
Those are your priorities. To a lot of women in the UAE they're ok trading that with being always financially supported and protected by their men, never having to worry about working or taking on any responsibilities. The men literally dedicate their lives for them, and they seem to like it. To each to their own I guess.
@@yuzan3607 yeah they “seem” to like it
But have you considered that it's very clean?
@@yuzan3607 girl shut up no we’re not happy about it don’t talk on behalf of us
@@sofiyaa7 who are we to judge whether they "seem" to like it but actually hate it or if they "really" like it though? What do we base that on?
I personally know a lot of women who like living like that. When I was younger I used to judge them, that come on, who wants to live like that?
But then after becoming an adult, I realised that the alternative isn't that appealing either. Having to take responsibilities in your hands gives you some freedom but it isn't easy, and it can cause tremendous stress. One of life's biggest stress sources are financial responsibilities. Some people don't want to deal with that and they 'can', these women can leave all that work to the men, and the men don't seem to mind it, they'll happily work their asses off because they believe it's their duty. Because that's the culture they both grew up in. It just works for them.
damon you're spoiling us with all these videos!!! honestly i aint complaining tho, they're a perfect mood lifter during exam season
"It would be a shame to my family. There would be scolding or punishment" for interacting with another human being... wow... I can't even fathom this.
Then don’t. Fatima was a little naive and perpetuated a long held stereotype. She was speaking about her personal family experience.That is NOT how all females in Dubai or the UAE live.
@@easynow7801 I'm not saying all females in UAE live like that. I'm just so shocked and deeply saddened that people in this day and age think like that. Regardless if it's Dubai or any other place. You think we've come so far as human race and then you hear stuff like this. 😔
thats just khaleeji/muslim culture ;) u dont have to fathom this hahah we as emiratis do not care about what white people think of us and our culture.
every culture and religion is different, you might not fathom this, but if its normal for someone else and they not complaining about it, I don't see a problem
@@awarenessofday1105 it's all about control. people (and governments) need to let go of control, we will all be happier.
I love the subtle calling out of the creator who copied your thumbnails - you were direct but did it tastefully. I see you boo!
it happened last november! i made an entire ig story then just…deleted it and let it go. but w the whole NFT thing, i can now understand + have experienced an actual case for why they’d be useful. anyway, felt fitting to talk about it now!
@@damondominique Don't feel bad. It means you made it. the same thing happened to Babish and CineBinge's thumbnail design.
Mediocrity is the enemy of greatness was the quote Damon was looking for lol and it’s true. That copycat creator will have to keep copying others for new ideas and eventually it’s gonna show. When they have to come up with something original, they won’t know how to because they never practiced or exercised that skill. ‘Greatness’ of their content will never be achieved because a creative downfall usually happens to people who only know how to mimic and copy. They never work on the skill of learning to reinvent and rebrand yourself. They only know how to steal ideas and claim them as their own. Their mediocrity is the enemy to them ever achieving authentic success that stands the test of time. Not to be dramatic but there is a special place in the rock bottom realm for those that plagiarize and copy shamelessly. They don’t know how to create new ideas when people call them out for their lack of creativity.
@@got2bjoshyea but it’s still not cool. And I bet if Damon didn’t delete his reaction and posted it-the other girl’s followers would’ve come out to hate on him. People can’t admit when someone they admire is inauthentic so they lash out on the original creator as a “bitter” person who didn’t execute the idea as well as the copycat anyway, just to be spiteful. Ironically they see someone fighting for their own original idea as that being the only one they can come up with, that’s why they’re making a “fuss” about it on social media.
I’ve seen it happen to many creators who got copied and called it out. Some people defend them but then there’s the toxic swarm of people who lash out on the original one instead. Best to keep your own style and continues creating new ones but now be aware of those that only know how to mimic others.
NFTs unfortunately do little to nothing to solve the issue you described with someone copying your creative ideas a little too brazenly.
You propose that they provide a record of a date of creation - but that function is already perfectly well fulfilled e.g. by TH-cam’s upload date on videos.
Saving the same thing on a blockchain has a single advantage: It would remove the need to trust Google not to silently and secretly change that date in their database just to fuck with you. But is that even anyone's concern in this case?
It seems like what you are looking for is not making that record more unfalsifiable with complex technology, but some kind of enforcement of your creative rights - such as what copyright law and the judicial system provide, ultimately a working democracy with rule of law (powered by taxes, I might add). The blockchain world has no equivalents to any of that.
(Although in this particular case: A certain way of styling video captions is unlikely to reach the threshold to be considered a protected creative work under copyright law. But I totally get the annoyance when someone just copy/pastes something you carefully crafted.)
Anyway: Our society runs on trusted and centralised institutions, and despite what the crypto folk say, that’s mostly fine. We can always improve them (more oversight, fairer access, etc.), but there's no need to replace them with blockchain infrastructure where supposedly you “don’t have to trust anyone” (except, of course, its programmers) - which really just turns out to mean that there's nobody trustworthy around, e.g. your unregulated, anonymously run crypto bank can and probably will take off with your savings any day now, because that's their most profitable strategy.
A lot of the people who claim they can solve real-world problems on a blockchain - with cryptocurrencies, NFTs, metaverse, etc - are actually just trying to convince you to buy into the system because they stand to financially benefit from that: Recruiting additional believers boosts the speculative assets at the center of all these technologies, which they've gambled on. Their coins, ape pictures, plots of virtual land, etc. are use- and worthless if nobody believes in them, but increasingly valuable the more people do.
Convincing people that that stuff is somehow the future (and better yet, can make you rich) with fancy conferences and vague marketing language pays off more & faster than actually doing any work solving anyone's actual problems on the blockchain - so why even bother with that part? Because of that dynamic, most things promoted in that field are, sadly, a grift not worth paying attention to... except maybe if you want to get in on the scam.
Thank you for saving me the time from writing out basically all of this.. 😅 It had to be said, and you def explained at least one part of all of the incorrect or non-nuanced things said in this video.
I have no doubt Dubai seems great to a rich white male tourist...but if you're part of 95% of the country, the experience is very different from this video...
Fatima: UAE is great, not what you see in the media at all!
Also Fatima: I'm a woman so I must sit in the backseat, cover my head and body, not speak around my family, and I have a curfew and can't see nightlife.
Me: 🤔
I'm a little worried Fatima is going to get in trouble if her parents or friends see this video of her.
Love your videos, Damon. They are like movies. And your editing is fire 🔥
As a middle eastern woman myself who had lived both in Arabia and Europe. What she said isn't necessarily untrue or contradicting, she still thinks her country is great despite all the restrictions. i.e. To a western woman, that kind of life seems like hell, but can you believe that to her and many Emarati women, 'your' life seem like hell? it's just very different perspectives. Women in UAE adhere to a very strict "protocol" but the they also are very "spoiled" by their men. The men in their lives (whether fathers, brothers, uncles or husbands) literally dedicate their lives for their women, they'd do everything for them. The women never have to worry about being financially supported or having big responsibilities because the men will always support them. But as everything in life, everything has pros and cons. When you depend on someone you lose some of your freedom, but you also gain freedom in other ways (e.g. being stress free, at least financially).
A western woman sees freedom in gaining financial independence by working and gaining money herself, an Emarati woman might find that a loss of freedom, that "my man will work for me, why do I need to work and trouble myself?" how many western women find themselves under a lot of life stresses, sometimes freedom means more responsibility and more stress. So, it's not a black and white situation.
Feel free to ask me anything if you're curious :)
p.s. I personally chose the western life style (that's why I live in Europe now), I chose to sacrifice comfort for freedom and independence. But my mother, sisters, aunts and many friends are still living happily in Arabia under the same rules Fatima lives under and they love it and prefer it. They hate the western life style, they think I'm crazy for choosing to live in Europe, they think life is so hard for women in Europe. I fully understand why they choose to live that life, because it still is a good comfortable life to them.
@@yuzan3607 I liked Fatima a lot. I wasn't insulting her. When you say the men dedicate their lives for "their" women, you've said it all: they own their women. That idea opens the door for abuse. Could it work out well for a woman? Sure. Just give up the freedom to say and do what you want, obey your father/brother/husband, and a lot of the time the man that controls you will be kind to you. But if he isn't kind, you're in trouble. And if you make a mistake in your behavior your family could be shamed and you punished. No society is perfect, for sure. Sexism and misogyny exist in western cultures. But I don't believe that women should inherently, as part of societal laws, be treated as possessions. It means we're moving backwards instead of forwards. ☮
@@elizabeth5985 I'm not against a lot of what you said, but I still see both sides. What does it mean to "own" someone, is it really "owning"? I can argue that the women also "own" their men, they also control them when they demand things from them. Who really is the owner or controller? maybe it's just a different perspective.
I don't think women in UAE are treated as possessions because that's too harsh of a word and I don't think a father, a brother or a husband treat their daughter, sister or wife as a "possession", if anything, I would think that they're treated like childeren. They're shielded/protected from a lot of things in life that the men take care of instead. A lot of women seem to like that treatment, and we cannot deny that fact and the experiences of these women. Just because you personally don't like to be treated like that, doesn't mean you can inflict your opinion on them. You can of course say your opinion there's no problem with that, but what Fatima said about UAE is not how media portrays it, what she meant is that the western perspective is always negative to how Arab women are treated, that they're oppressed ..etc. ignoring the fact that many of those women PREFER that life over the alternative (e.g. a wester lifestyle) I know that first hand because as I told you, women in my family and friends do prefer to live like that and wouldn't trade it.
Abuse can happen in any situation, any lifestyle and in any kind of relationship. It's not really exclusive to this lifestyle. It's true that a woman abused by a man that provides for her is much more in trouble than an independent woman being abused by a man who she can leave any time. But again, there are pros and cons to each lifestyle. But it doesn't necessarily mean we're moving forward if we're adopting a western lifestyle (of women having to work and gaining same responsibilities and freedom of a man), maybe to each their own? if women in UAE want to live like that, then isn't that moving forward to them?
Girl ain't nobody controlling me!!
Despite everything I'm still allowed to do whatever I want and need, just under a few set of "rules" that ultimately are to my benefit, princess treatment only baby 💗✨️
@@yuzan3607 Hi Yuzan, thank you for your perspective. Often times things are put very black and white, but it is interesting to see different point of views :)
I don’t watch anyone that puts as much effort and creativity into their videos as Damon. Your videos are like mini films, I’m feeling some 80’s vibes too and I’m living for it. You’re always so entertaining, continue to take care and enjoy your travels!
He took himself his inspiration from film, maybe that's where she took it also, because I can name at least 5 films that have similar thumbnails.
about the place being clean and people not paying taxes, we have to keep in mind there are almost the same number of people living in UAE as in Paris
Having less inhabitants makes a huge difference
Nice video ! ❤️
Wow! One of your best videos Damon! I feel like this is an amalgamation of all Damon’s characteristics and personality: the comedy, the philosophy, the interest for the future, and purely exploring the culture…thank you Damon!❤️
Thank you!!!! Personally it was one of my favorites in the past year ❤
We left the middle east 15 years ago. I think the human rights violations are pretty bad- but whats worse is that it is not really discussed, or engaged with. Surprised especially that it didn't delve into the fact there is monarchy system in the country- a major point that affects what the conditions are like.
Fatima seems like a pretty cool and chill person, but some of her comments gave me low key Stockholm Syndrome vibes. Like "Yeah, we have all these limitations, but really it's cause they want us to be protected and happy."
No girl, na-ah.
Especially when she tries to debunk western media and saying things like oh it’s all a lie you have to come and see it like now girl you just told us about your life and that does not seem appealing to me whether I’m a Westanna Africa or European or whatever it’s not it’s not dispelling anything that you’ve mentioned every rumour is true
LOL u all are funny, she has to give a balanced view- the authorities watch YT too!
@@minaa.1984 So she has to watch what she says in fear of the authorities?
it does seem a bit extreme but its whats worked for em
Feeling protected and safe IS important. Dubai is so safe for women and if you have ever lived in Paris/London etc and then in Dubai you’d understand that. Can’t put a prize on safety. Id choose UAE government instead of any EU government any given day.
Fatima is such a vibe , we love her !!
I already knew y'all were gonna love Fatima!
31:38 I have to respectfully disagree to calling the UAE a country that is "working towards a better future", when in that same country women are still treated as second-class citizens, workers are exploited and literally forced into labor, lgbtq+ people are still persecuted and there is so little regard towards sustainability. I understand that they are probably working on progressive things in other areas, but that is not enough to be able to say that they care about a better future. "better" ofc can be subjective, but then again, how can anything that violates human rights ever be good, or in this case, "better"? these things do not fit together for me.
totally agree
Not sure about the "treating women as second class citizens". Looking at all the restrictions for women that Fatima was talking about yeah, I agree that it really feels like that and as explained by Damon from an happiness perspective it's not ideal. But it seems like they don't impose it to other people, which would be like Talibans in Afghanistan. Like Damon also say one of their life goals is to live close to their religion, not necessarily live happy.
In my opinion the issue would be that they impose this culture to everyone living in Dubai, although there are also for sure UAE local women that don't want to live like that and are being imposed to do and yeah, that's not good at all.
What part of:
"never having to work if you don't want to", "men will always take care of you", "you don't even have to do house work because you have maids", "you can study whatever you want to higher education level for free", "did I mention you do not have to work, but if you want you totally can", is second-class citizens to you?
To add to that, that there's e.g. "no protests" (31:29) - no meaningful public disapproval of the deeply misogynist, homophobic, classist etc. authoritarian system - can't somehow be twisted into an optimistic sign that they're on a great path towards making everyone happy and having everything figured out and will therefore one day soon get around to adding the missing little puzzle piece of ... _checks notes_ ... fundamental human rights.
How clean and functional everything seems (to rich tourists) is instead an effect of "bread and games" appeasement, of successful repression, of tight social control, etc...
@@yuzan3607 the part of being a grown women with a middle schooler curfew, having to sit in the backseat because you are a women, not being allowed to speak your mind, having to have a Chaperon as a grown adult etc. you know that part that you decide to conveniently ignore.
Requesting an updated new notion tour of how you plan your videos. You mentioned it in your live and im intrigued
That poop mall anecdote got me scrambling for the defibrillator… to resurrect me from the laughter that turned out my lights 😭🤣
Very funny anecdote.
can't believe you made me watch a 37min vlog about DUBAI and i loved every second of it
there is nothing more interesting on youtube, maybe internet, than this guys videos
this is like a free inspiration box
thank you
Damon noooo 😭 nfts are horrible for the environment! There’s some really great videos on TH-cam about it if you want to look into it more
“I got news for y’all I like air conditioning” 😂😂
As do Trixie and Katya.
Damon's charisma, storytelling and creative expression is through the roof.
I got inspired by Fatima. If and when you find yourself in Manila, I can be your Fatima. Great video, Damon!
This upload could’ve not come at a better time… it is pouring rain right now and I just got a small bowl of my favorite dessert! Thank you for this Damon 🌷
Can you send some rain to Dubai cuz word on the street is that they send drones up into the clouds and electrocute them to make fake rain (fact-check that...)
DAMONNN!!!! I'm late to this video but it was amazing. I live in Dubai and am an art teacher at the painting studio that you visited in Alserkal and I CAN'T BELIEVE I MISSED YOU. I have been following your videos for sooo many years now. I'm also from Van Wert, Ohio right across the boarder from Fort Wayne and I've always wanted to meet you. I'm so glad you made it to paint with us and experience the different sides of Dubai. Congrats on all of your success and all the best Damon you're amazing!!
I've always absolutely loved your videos.. honestly they could copy your thumbnail etc.. But They'll Never Be You! There's only 1 Damon Dom on TH-cam with this humor and awesome creative content!! 🎉😊
Damon, thoroughly enjoy your videos and all that but this has to be the worst series of takes I've head in quite a bit... like this would literally need a point-by-point rebuttal (on women's/minority/human rights or lack thereof, social safety nets or lack thereof, public transport or lack thereof, sewage systems or lack thereof, democratic systems or lack thereof, press freedom or lack thereof, dignity of labour & income/wealth equality or lack thereof et cetra). like if the UAE is to be the future, i'd cash-in an opt-out from life.
IMO Damon is talking about his experience and trying to show an alternative experience compared to what everyone’s preconceived notions are. He’s sharing another culture with us and is trying to have an open mind rather than applying what we already think of Dubai.
thanks for your commitment to being openminded, growing up ive been realizing how easy it is to fake that kind of mindset... deep down, openmindedness is stuff like this, going to the popular unpopular places and giving the people there a chance to speak. hats off!
Weird video. I found the cuts from fatima saying she would be scolded and punished for being with you to upbeat music and shots of the food to be insensitive and tone deaf. Also confused about where Fatima stands on the curfews etc, at first she said it was about controlling the women but then later contradicted herself and said it was cos they want women to be protected.
This was a really eye-opening video and I'm glad you discussed the good and the bad of your experiences! Personally, as someone who tends to get really bored by hyper-wealth, I never really had an interest in Dubai and the people I've known who called it home in their past or present gave it a mediocre rating. It was nice to see you have fun there and Fatima was so so sweet and funny. Loved seeing her!
Honing in on the ending of your video, I do think that Dubai enjoys the luxury of being so heavily manufactured that the pristine exterior almost gives it away?
Dirty streets, wars, and protests could be more rampant if there wasn't a culture in place that heavily scrutinized the slightest thing as not appearing old money enough, much less anything more than a little rowdy with your friends, y'know? And yes, the same thing can happen in places like the United States, the U.K., France, but at the very bare minimum least, there are measures in place in these countries to try and give people a chance at fighting back and claiming justice. Like, the smallest chance.
No taxes are cool, but like they say, you're either gonna pay on the front end or the back end. I think Dubai has a little more chains in place than freedoms that makes it a brilliant place if you're someone who has never had to think about your name listed as victim to a hate crime lol. Most friends I've had wouldn't move back but they love visiting for two weeks a couple times a year, and I think most people would do well to have that experience!
Thank you for giving us yet another tour around a place often discussed, hardly seen from a relatable perspective.
the cinematography on this vid is amazing, wow, the color correction wow, everything about it wow
never been that quick to give this Damon Daniel Dubai Dominique’s video a click!! xx
Welcome. Come in, come in! Just gotta put the hors d'oeuvres in the oven and set the table, but please, make yourself at home!!!
''You tell me if its good'' girl, that's how I feel when they expect me to try the wine before pouring full glass
Damon , I just wanna say I love everything you create ! This whole video - the topics , the humour the relatability , the feeling of having to be restricted to what you can say or can't say and your honest thoughtful opinions on such a wide variety of topics is so engaging to watch . Forever a fan 🎉😊
Damn Damon I don't know you've managed to come to so many wrong conclusions in one video 😅 oh well, still really fun video as always
yall need to chill forreal
@@tksmisu yeah sorry I'm not going to be chill about the way people are treated in UAE
DAMONNNNN absolutely outdoing yourself with the beach-underwater scene 🔥
I seriously do appreciate the way you walk through your thoughts and opinions on each place. Listening to your thought process has definitely given me a more well-rounded way of looking at new experiences in general, like trying to take in every part and see the good and the bad, etc etc.
absolutely IN LOVE with damon's filmography & edits
Thanks for this video, which was entertaining and made me think! Towards the end when you were appreciating the cleanliness of the streets and the high level of service, it felt a bit like you were justifying the dark parts and actions of the UAE through it. I think those clean streets and good service are mainly a result of the country being rich because of oil and you already highlighted the questionable freedom of certain workers there. Is that really worth it? I would so much rather live in a city is a bit more dirty but has no modern slavery…
Exactly, Damon kinda lost me there.
Countries that are rich will be clean. Pretty sure they pay higher taxes in Sweden than Bangladesh, and the former is definitely cleaner...
I think he was trying to look at the situation from the perspective of people who choose to live there moreso than try to justify it or present it as good enough for him
Why would you go to a place that was built by slaves who have their passports taken away and has almost no human rights laws? That's the confusing part.
All of western society was built by slaves
That’s like saying why go to any country lol also the importance of travel is to understand what’s happening in the world hopefully in a respectful and unbiased way so people are fueled with the information and experiences to be able to amplify change at home and where ever else they go.
lmao most places that aren’t europe were built on the back of slaves
even places in europe we’re built on the back of slaves
You wouldn't be able to go anywhere if you study history quite literally
With your logic no one could ever step foot in germany due to atrocities commited by this country and so on...
I really appreciate that you create your own opinion about everything like I know that sounds obvious but like it is sooo easy to absorb other peoples' thoughts about a place and you're just like "lemme see first" and your perspective is so unique
Agreed that’s why I love his channel 💖💖
I don’t think the issue is taxes - it’s mismanagement. Scandinavia and east Asia have HIGH taxes and are generally HIGHLY clean. Dubai you get “taxed” in other ways w the cost of living, not paying the lower class, less political freedom, etc
This video low key gave ad for tech bro capitalism and I hated it but I love you Damon
Don't talk if u don't know anything.
Yes, like I love Damon, but him talking about the exploitation and then few minutes after bringing up how they're able to keep the place clean and having to pay less in taxes was a bit annoying (then also adding that conservatives know how to run the economy). The issue is that the way the right run the economy kinda inherently goes against a lot of the left values about equality, which Damon seems to like.
The mismanagment of taxes is definitely true and I'm from finland for the record. Like USA spends so much of that money in wars and not things that would benefit to average person. Finland is also going to get worse for the record and has been, but seems like we've managed to keep the progressive utopia image up.
@@loganyuhas6028 What about it? I'm going to an event to learn about future technology and the best ways to implement them...with other people interested in the same topics.
Someone said 'dont talk if you don't know ' but i think you're close to understand basic economy of
(Scandinavia and east asia)
Is not about how much taxes they pay, is about the right ratio between (citizens) and how many( business there is)
For Scandinavia when they started their economy they bring taxes to (0 zero) to uplifting the economy and to create many new business (and that attracted more valuable profesionals and new business, and workers (so the ratio is good in Scandinavia there is have to be lots of business for 1 people, there is has to be many jobs many employment for 1 people) that's the ratio
So for example American countries from north America and south America want to have that economy they have to create 2 more googles 2 more TH-cam's 2 more Instagram 2 more Walmart 2 more NASA 2 more silicon valley 2 more Uber 2 more Apple 2 more Amazon etc etc
That's why Scandinavia is difficult to replicate because you have to drop taxes to zero and grow the ratio of employment rates , and then after 30 decades they can rise taxes
(But there is a catch for Scandinavia and east asia both don't do so good but they have extra help from royalty family involved in common wealth that make economy pacts and those royals make super easy to get loans for the gountries, and east asia have "lowkey illegal economy " because they basically have prices for locals (they make them live poorly and everything is inexpensive) but they have international taxes and they charge normal taxes for foreign business and tourists
Similar to china that have sweatshops business because there is national taxes and economy to keep prices dirt cheap, but there is high taxes for exporting products (so that's how they can make clothing in fast fashion that cost 8 euros 7 dollars) because they charge the sweatshops workers 0.1 dollar to make (the lower they can)
That's how they keep national prices low, and exporting prices high
So is not that easy for Scandinavia and east asia to just high taxes there is have to be a ratio between high number of citizens and high number of business and high employment rates
If you make business pay high taxes in 2023 in north or south America, Australia and many European countries if you rise taxes in 2023 you will brake those businesses 😅
Venezuela cuba Russia north Korea did it before
Damon the capitalist lol
I love that you're not afraid to respectfully criticize ALL countries/cultures on their BS. I feel like people only see criticizing western countries as acceptable bc lesbehonest people are afraid to look racist-- and it's sometimes a fine line between open-minded criticism and disrespect. You're a very worldly person who expresses your thoughts w/o being an a$$ and I'm out here tryna be you!!
You’re literally one of my favorite TH-camrs lol 😂 your humor is unmatched.
"no filter just air pollution" I am rolling on the floor rn
I’m from the UAE and its so much fun seeing your perspective of our culture i hope u have fun here 🎉
i mean dubai does look like cyber punk ready sometimes
loved fatima vibe and outfit
If you visit Oman one day (around November) you will enjoy it more. Nature is beautiful there and life is more simple. Definitely recommend.
my weekly dose of visual treat. 🧡
“It’s just like there’s hope… I don’t know” - Damon 😂😂😂
Damon when are you coming to India?? I know you like some chaos and I definitely know you like exploring new cultures and unique places so I'm sure you'll loveee it here! And india is so diverse you can experience a whole new culture just by moving between cities
The comment section in this video is reminding me to go back and read some sections of Damon's book.
Damon, i love you so much!! Your videos honestly make me feel so much better. Your fan from Kyrgyzstan, in Central Asia 🤍
This video is qualllliittttyyyyyyyyyy ♥️ enjoyed it so much
OMG the "historic architecture with valet parking" building at 36:52 is actually the gym of my apartment haha
bro's a filmmaker now omg I loveeeee
Dubai is nice to visitors but sadly doesn’t treat the actual citizens there well :(
Let me set you up with a UAE itinerary:
Nov-March for prime weather
Nature: sure there’s desert, but Hatta for mountains, kayaking in Mangrove reserves (sometimes you’ll see flamingos), and go biking along that beach.
Oyster farms (Dibba Oysters are award-winning)
Chocolate factories
Supper clubs
Arab indie cinemas
So many Museums
The city and country have so much more to offer. Round 2 👀
Damon, if you plan to to visit Indonesia, I'll be happy to be your host, actually, I'll be thrilled!!!
Damoooon always killing it with these travel vlogsss,, can't wait to see you visit more middle eastern countries.. ahem. ahem... Lebanon..ahem
I love how honest you are in all your videos, you give facts about the places you visit.
Like if i wanna visit some place, i would definitely look at your videos in order to figure out the local culture and all sorts of differences that i would experience .
Keep it up!
Lol, people can't protest if it's highly illegal to do so. While some stricter laws were relaxed in the past few years, flogging and death by stoning are still in legislation.
"The Emirati Constitution guarantees the freedom to assemble peacefully but in practice protests are banned in the UAE."
Strikes, Unions and Worker's Councils are also strictly banned.
I wish Damon would read more leftist political economy theories and anthropology research instead of lib self-help books. No hate- love the effort and visuals! But the social commentary would be so much richer with class and power analysis.
Someone else here critiqued it first but the commentary on NFTs and the metaverse was giving tech bro capitalism. Unfortunately, social ills cannot be solved by selling products.
do u have any book recs for this? idk where i would start but im v curious
Ikr. He doesn't even need to read anything complicated like Marx or Engels. Just read Varoufakis and bell hooks and he's going to have way more meaningful analysis of capitalism and its byproducts (social oppression, lack of political rights, taxes, AI tech).
Hi Damon, I really like you and I think you are very intelligent and aware for a white man who’s come from a relatively comfortable background. But I feel at times you miss the mark. This happened last time when you want to another Islamic country as well. I wish you spoke more about the aspects of gender and the privilege this grants you compared to someone like Fatima, instead of making jokes or belittling the experience. Talking about her curfew and then showing you enjoying a night beach - an experience women cannot have, almost seemed like a laugh in the face moment. Maybe this is just coming from my female rage. It just did not hit the mark for me respectfully.
The original idea was to go to the night beach together, but she told me she couldn't go because of her curfew and that we should meet for lunch instead.
I am one of those youtube viewers who never comments but watches a ton of videos. But this video is an exception (I watch youtube videos every day since 2017 and this is my second comment). I'm originally Russian (Saint-Petersburg) living in Berlin for many years. I find this video so unique because of Fatima! Could you please talk more to Arabic women when you travel and when in Paris? They are underrepresented while they have so much to tell! Maybe you can just interview Fatima in a separate video? She looks like a girl who can handle all kinda weird stereotypical questions. What a girl!!!!!
Finally I've Been waiting for this video
can someone leave a comment about nfts being bad for the environment so i don't have to?
also as a lesbian i prefer human rights over a clean subway
My names Fatima too, I’m Mexican/Moroccan from LA. Crazy to see the other side
15:51 Here’s a quote for you, “Don’t be mediocre.”
Preach! That’s what my ‘always bein extra ass’ is talkin about!! Love it!
i find ur perspective so refreshing and unique
literally the best youtuber
AND YEAH IMMA FAVORITE THE COMMENT
@@damondominique AHHH DONT MAKE ME SMILE BOY
beautifully crafted like always damon
The guy serving Damon and Fatima tea 👀😍
I like Fatima a lot. You guys have great chemistry
I felt the same exact way when I was in Algeria. I respect the people there but I couldn't wait to get out haha. So many rules I couldn't keep up. Every other minute there was something being told to me that I couldn't do and as a woman I felt so discriminated against. Every restaurant would show me to the back where the bathrooms were located and sit me away from the men in which they had the prime spots in every restaurant. It was impossible to get coffee as every cafe was men only...the women had to make coffee at home or have their men bring cold espresso back. Phew it was exhausting honestly.
i love when you're introspective with us
Damon, try come to South Africa 🇿🇦💗 really beautiful sights, diverse culture and languages and a country that is trying to be really progressive. It has its flaws but the people are amazing, friendly and really outspoken.
Just reacting to the climate change bit. As I understand it the world heating up a couple of degrees isn't as literal as you are portraying it, but rather what kind of processes these degrees are influencing. So it is not that Dubai will get 1 or 2 degrees hotter in the next years - and that is equally spread across the globe, but more that they might have more drought or floods or other disasters
D: wait is it Fatima or Fateeeema?
F: it’s.. its.. Fatma.
💀😂❤️
You’re my favorite youtuber! Love your content. Keep up the good work❤️
yesss this is why I live for wednesdays! Thanks for letting us live vicariously through you Damon 😁
It’s all well and good to appreciate the highlife of Dubai, the lack of income tax until you land yourself on the wrong side of the law and you realize that you have zero rights. Furthermore, Fatima was basically saying “I accept unequal treatment and being controlled by men because they give me a luxurious life”. This is a sad trade off.
she didn't mean that you have to understand before you talk.
being queer you start out "on the wrong side of the law" there from the get-go
“Old traditional architecture…” as Damon pointing at an Egyptian style mall hahahahha
I'm pretty sure you had no idea, but the irony was so thick when you talked about people swiping the work of others and then in the next clip went to a place that has very clearly copied what teamLab does. 😆
Lol I love Damon. That’s literally me when I travel just going places with randoms 😭