Long term effects

1. 55

   Dame Scribeposted 13 years ago

   I read this article
   
   http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-5 … influence/
   
   I found it interesting how he is managing his nation and others feel he's the cause of their problems. What do you think the long term effects of his nation will be with everything, near, practically, free?

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   1. 73

      Ralph Deedsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Qatar's citizens' wealth is built almost entirely on oil rather than industriousness and virtue. This makes me wonder what will happen when the oil is depleted. The history of Detroit which was over-dependent on its oligopoly of car and truck production. Now that foreign imports and transplants have broken the oligopoly Detroit is a disaster area. Venezuela and Saudi Arabia are examples of oil dependent countries. Neither is a paragon of democracy.

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   2. 80

      junksellerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      If they are smart, which they seem to be, they will use their wealth to build future economies based around renewable energy and sustainable development. Masdar City is a perfect example. It's in the UAE, not Qatar, but it is an entire city built to be sustainable and also contains the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, which is a graduate level university focusing on renewable energy and sustainable development. There's no reason Qatar couldn't undertake similar projects.
      
      Qatar has just put up money to build a $1.1 billion polysilicon production plant. http://cleantechnica.com/2012/05/31/sol … con-plant/ and there are other examples of their interest in renewable energy.
      
      The Middle East is really a great place to develop and deploy solar technologies because of, obviously, the amount of sun they get. They also have an enormous surplus of unemployed youth. If done right, I see no reason why countries like Qatar couldn't become at least regional leaders, if not world leaders, in solar technologies.
      
      Kind of funny if they can build this future economy by selling fossil fuels to countries that refuse to move forward (like us).

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2. 55

   Dame Scribeposted 13 years ago

   Hi Ralph that's what I was wondering too. What will happen when it runs out? he gets over run? I think as a leader, he has his heart in the right place for his people but there's got to be a long term plan for sure. Hope he's got other projects in the works or least investigating prospective idea's to not be oil dependent

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   1. 72

      Jed Fisherposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Astounding at first, but really it’s something we see around us every day. We see families succeeding with one wage-earner providing for the rest. That country is governed as though it were a family.
      We’re accustomed to an economic system where our most basic instincts of greed and fear control us. We expect to have to struggle, to work hard, to achieve anything and within that thought process we expect those more fortunate to use their advantage against us and we see that as fair.
      But a country run as a family, with an entirely different definition of compensation that transcends the concept of money, allows those people to transcend greed and fear. What happens long-term? Sharing, enjoying the company of others, the value of intellectual capital flourishing when people use their brains for something other than scheming to make money, certainly that can continue long after their oil is gone.

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3. 55

   Dame Scribeposted 13 years ago

   To transcend and rise above the greed etc., that arises, maybe. Knowledge could be gained if the education is mandatory and available for all his citizens and not just the few. Knowledge can take one's imagination and creativity to many levels. I think it's a interesting path he's chosen and definitely would be a test of strength, for all, to survive without dependence. I do love how he's using their nations' wealth to educate his people and care for them. A great person indeed. I just hope there's long term plans though to survive for all those in his nation.

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4. 55

   Dame Scribeposted 13 years ago

   I'm just curious if they can meet, match and grow the same monies, gained from their oil- with other sources. Wealth shouldn't be dependent on just one resource but on several, to maintain a economy.

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5. 55

   Dame Scribeposted 13 years ago

   Now, that's really great, hopefully he's really going to move his nation forward in a most fantastic way. Science and technology would be a excellent start and yes, all that sun should be harnessed and put to good use. I agree also with that lack of our own nations not moving forward except for the few (like for the rich)

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