| HN Mirror

Not a bad analogy (despite the fecal reference). Arguably the U.S. should also have been sanctioned by the world community for the abuses at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, Bagram and elsewhere. Not to mention for the conditions endured by prisoners in solitary confinement in its own domestic system.

But what you need to understand is that the UAE is perfectly aware of its horrendous human rights record, and so undertakes "feel good" campaigns like this "good drones" program (and its partnership with NYU... and all the scholarships, and funding for the arts) specifically to distract your attention, and to burnish its image.

And BTW, speaking of shit:

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - An American held in the United Arab Emirates for nine months for his role in an online parody video about youth culture in Dubai said Friday that he was scared at times and was kept in filthy conditions where guards "shouted at everyone like dogs."

...

Cassim said he stayed for about two months in the Dubai jail, where guards "shouted at everyone like dogs" and conducted room searches in full riot gear. The food was abysmal, and for a time Cassim ate just enough bread to keep himself going.

He said the conditions were unsanitary. Blankets were shared without being washed, and 130 people had to use a communal bathroom.

"The smell was horrendous," he said, adding that he thought the toilets were made of clay until one detainee cleaned them - only to find they were metal and had been covered with caked-on feces. When the communal sink was cleaned with bleach, he said, black maggots crawled out from the tile.

http://www.aol.com/article/2014/01/17/american-recounts-expe...