What makes Dallas Austin so special that he gets away scot free with a crime that UAE nationals and expats alike - often younger, far less worldly people - get several years for?
What makes Dallas Austin so special that he gets away scot free with a crime that UAE nationals and expats alike - often younger, far less worldly people - get several years for?
I look forward to the next case involving drugs in the UAE and also to the inevitable legalization of drugs in Dubai that is now only a matter of time.
@axonsax There wont be any pardons for ordinary people, it will be the same as always: long jail terms followed by deportation. Blatantly unfair, but this is the UAE for you. They arrest people with heart medication or codeine, and getting people carrying cocaine off the hook, its a brilliant example of hypocrisy in this country.
Well considering the entourage of african american artists that have performed in Dubai over the last 2 years (many of which Dallas has worked with), Id assume that no one wants to piss off the hip hop community. If Dallas went to jail id be pessimistic about the frequency of up coming hip hop soul concerts in Dubai.
What surprizes me is how any of this even made it to the press!?!
It really is a tight line for the PR people here. Would justice be compromised over PR gain? Had this not gone out in the press, the problem would not be as compounded. The guy could go off the hook and no one would have to know this ever happened.
Lastly, why was this idiot carrying the drugs in his pocket!?
Ok seriously ,, I understand alot of people are pissed off about him getting the pardon I am but you ever stop to think that this type of judgement is not constrained to the UAE.
MONEY TALKS!
Anywhere in the world with the amount of money and connections this austin guy has he woulda gotten out (except maybe in Libya).
Its just the way we as people in a society set things up.
Dubai isn't going to go against the norm just for some cocaine posession.
Shit I've seen people walk out for less.
I can't believe you're all pissed off about this like its something new.
Break the cycle and start spreading good deeds all around instead of whining about this would you please?
This is interesting. I wonder if this becomes a landmark case (aka Roe v. Wade) that will lead to less harsh penalties on drug users, and the recognition that drug use is a MEDICAL and SOCIAL issue, and not a criminal one.
You don't say? Now cookies too? Shucks :-) How do I get em? Wait? Is there a catch here? Will I find myself in Disneyland (slammer) with the General Population awaiting a pardon should I get those c's?
Starling (friend of Emirates Economist) here: I have three posts on this topic over at my blog, The Business of America is Business, where I address some of the issues raised in the comments. At the end of the last post I have a few comments about what will happen to the next American to get caught with drugs... it has already happened. See what the judge said..
in the case of Prasad Bidappa he had to invest money in the country. Was over a million dirhams. that was oart ofthe deal. It merely confirms that if you have the money you can get away with it.
I know this ass who drives around with out a driving license in Dubai for the past 10 years. boldy says " I have the money and the contacts. "
Winona Ryder - community service for shop lifting. IF you ask me with all that money she earned from Girl Interupted she shouldn't have to shop lift and she should have set a role model. She should be punished for getting off that easy for stealing. Stealing is stealing no matter what but she STILL WALKED AWAY. She's got 3 movies coming out this summer.
Robert Downie Jr.? PLEASE A month in jail and rehab hardly counts as punishment for the amount of drugs he was pulled in for the first time around? He should still be in jail even if it was for his own personal use. He crossed the border from posession to suspected trafficking.
Christian Slater? That one isn't even worth commenting on. He's not suffering from hard times now is he.
Tommy Lee is just fucked. What he got doesn't even count as punishment for the crime.
Last but not least the most inventive one of all. Martha Stewart. Are you kidding me? Did you see the facility she was jailed at? More like a godamned resort that was fenced off all the more better to keep the evil prying papparazi away.
It certainly did not hurt her standings either with the masses after she got out that she was in jail. Her stock soared after it and I mean soared.
So where exactly in all of this is there punishment that is supposed to detour the perpetrator from the crime once again?
Money talks and bullshit walks ..
so I suggest you start walking on out of here anon.
I can't even believe you would bring those up as examples.
Now lets get back to real life scenarios.
Colored dude gets busted in states with over 15 grams of marijuana and barely enough to snort a line of coke.
What's he get?
a year in jail with consideration for time served.
A YEAR did you hear me a year for two joints and half a line of the white stuff. This is all with the recommendation that he was a first time offender.
Meanwhile pretty white boy that was caught with him carrying a hell of alot more coke (enough to put a horse out) and no marijuana gets what? Say it with me now 400 hours community service with time spent. Which works out to somewhere around 200 comm. service hours. Daddy was a big shot lawyer from out of town who knew public defender with money.
Give me a break with all you ass wipes out here trying to make it like Dubai is third world and the west out there is some kind of fantasy land utopia where we're all treated equally. It isn't you're all disillusioned, ungreatful, and surely unaware that you're lucky to be here flashing the bling that you are.
If any of you really cared for the values you try to make the rest of the world believe that you uphold by speaking out against such unfairness as is the case with the pardon granted to mr. austin you would be more concerned with the little kids getting a much shorter end of the stick out there somewhere and trying to do something about it. But you're not.
What did they get? A slap on the hand? Poor little girlies, unfortunate women.
I hardly call that succesful prosecution.
You're missing the point.
The point is the more money you have the less likely you're punishment is going to be a punishment by definition or achieve the objective of setting an example of your actions and the consequences of one.
The idea of punishment was put forward as a mechanism to control society and to define right and wrong. When punishment no longer serves that purpose it is not worthy of being seen as one.
The point is that I don't get why you're all making it out to be a big deal when obviously he has the influence to get off here, the same way he would have gotten off much easier had he been caught in the states.
little Kim was just released yesterday from jail for lying under oath. Her punishment ten months of jail?
That hardly constitutes a relevant enough punishment for lying while having sworn to not lie.
You do see where I am going with this?
It's the normal thing to happen for Austin to get a pardon.
When you stop buying american, when you stop eating american, when you stop speaking american, when you stop watching american, when you stop listening to american, and finally when you speak up against the unjustness of american and the false american dream you will have earned the right to call someone that.
I agree with you BK. Regardless of the place Money talks.
BUT. You don't see such pardons anywhere else. I mean you atleast get a sentence (even if it is community service - which is not that easy - just so you know).
My point is that when people are caught for Codeine they end up in jail for a long time so why not Dallas Austin?
It also gets extra sickening when this country/region keeps on and on about their values and moral superiority over everyone.
So if you are going to take the moral high road then they bloody well should follow it to the tee and not when it suits them.
EM I can't believe you're still asking why not Dallas Austin?
You should be asking why he came in here with that shit anyways knowing full well he would be caught with it?
Not why did those two get a larger sentence and he got a pardon?
Codiene or not we all admit its a stupid law but so is not being allowed to have gay sex in the state of missouri or something. It's still a punishable felony there.
You're taking this the wrong way. Road of high morality or not, this is Dubai and that is the states.
They both aim to present themselves as something they are not toting big words and passionate mantras and love and equality for all speeches when if you ask me the states has a worse record in upholding those morals they preach.
Don't preach if you don't practice.
Fight for freedom and democracey? More like fight for oil and power.
Please the argument of moral high ground has no place in this debate or blog at all.
No offense to you but we all have no place talking about morality.
Morality with the way we propegate it as people is all talk even amongst ourselves.
Dallas Austin being pardoned is not a sign of Dubai being this or that. ITs more a smart PR move on their part for one and two, when you're not powerful enough don't piss off the dude with the guns.
Strategically it was a better choice for all.
However those who would like to argue that it is not fair and this would have never happened in the western world, please remind yourselves that it was only until 50 years ago or so that the black population of america was allowed a voice and to this day they are mostly confined to projects and ghettos with stereotypes flying all around about them.
Let me also remind you that those who are remotely arab looking are at the risk of being subjected to invasivee searches and involuntary submission to things against their will.
Let me also remind you of the torture going on in some prisons around the world.
And last but not least, let me also remind you of the most recent attacks carried out against the people of Gaza in the name of retrieving a captive soldier from the hold of Hamas where it was just a few hours earlier Hamas agreed to discussions and negotiations.
How the hell is this a great PR move? If anything this destroys whatever credibility they have.
Basically advertises to the world that they will nail you if you are one of the poor, but will let you get away with anything if you have a high enough profile.
I mean how much louder can they shout that they will bend over and spread 'em for the west....
Fer gads sake, if this is good PR, I shudder to think what is bad PR.
re: the vanity fair article. nothing in it was scandalous to say the least. there was glowing and practically blushing praise of shk ahmed bin saeed. and the usual bubble vs bangkok talk.
babykaos, I do agree with you, OJ Simpson is the best example here, how the American justice system failed. But not all of us live in the bling and the hypocrisy sometimes is just too much, especially since its always in your face how simple medication or even transporting alcohol from Ajman to Dubai (through Sharjah) can get an ordinary person into jail and someone "famous" getting off with cocaine does somehow take the biscuit.
but put in ur mind that what has been done is legal. The police done its job and handed it to the court and the court done its job and found him guilty.
41 Comments:
What makes Dallas Austin so special that he gets away scot free with a crime that UAE nationals and expats alike - often younger, far less worldly people - get several years for?
Wasta.
He's got the publicity... By the release, he could potentially get publicity to show the UAE as a "tolerant" country.
I'm afraid it isn't true.
I look forward to the next case involving drugs in the UAE and also to the inevitable legalization of drugs in Dubai that is now only a matter of time.
@axonsax
There wont be any pardons for ordinary people, it will be the same as always: long jail terms followed by deportation. Blatantly unfair, but this is the UAE for you.
They arrest people with heart medication or codeine, and getting people carrying cocaine off the hook, its a brilliant example of hypocrisy in this country.
Well considering the entourage of african american artists that have performed in Dubai over the last 2 years (many of which Dallas has worked with), Id assume that no one wants to piss off the hip hop community. If Dallas went to jail id be pessimistic about the frequency of up coming hip hop soul concerts in Dubai.
What surprizes me is how any of this even made it to the press!?!
It really is a tight line for the PR people here. Would justice be compromised over PR gain? Had this not gone out in the press, the problem would not be as compounded. The guy could go off the hook and no one would have to know this ever happened.
Lastly, why was this idiot carrying the drugs in his pocket!?
Ok seriously ,, I understand alot of people are pissed off about him getting the pardon I am but you ever stop to think that this type of judgement is not constrained to the UAE.
MONEY TALKS!
Anywhere in the world with the amount of money and connections this austin guy has he woulda gotten out (except maybe in Libya).
Its just the way we as people in a society set things up.
Dubai isn't going to go against the norm just for some cocaine posession.
Shit I've seen people walk out for less.
I can't believe you're all pissed off about this like its something new.
Break the cycle and start spreading good deeds all around instead of whining about this would you please?
This is interesting. I wonder if this becomes a landmark case (aka Roe v. Wade) that will lead to less harsh penalties on drug users, and the recognition that drug use is a MEDICAL and SOCIAL issue, and not a criminal one.
However, I wouldn't count on it.
Babykaos....Robert Downey, Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Martha Stewart, James Brown, Tommy Lee, Tom Sizemore
It's indeed a good PR exercise...the concept of justice has been flushed down the toilet...where else but in Dubai?
First Prasad Bidappa, now Dallas Austin...what does it matter (@ al-republican) whether he had em in his pocket or up his rectum...?
Martha Stewart? Dope? I thought she was in the slammer for taking people for a ride and ducking a call from the IRS?
Louis - did you ever try her cookies... man, outta this world dude...
You don't say? Now cookies too? Shucks :-) How do I get em? Wait? Is there a catch here? Will I find myself in Disneyland (slammer) with the General Population awaiting a pardon should I get those c's?
In Dubai, you really don't need to spend money on lawyers. You can just spend it on the judges.
Secret,
Starling (friend of Emirates Economist) here: I have three posts on this topic over at my blog, The Business of America is Business, where I address some of the issues raised in the comments. At the end of the last post I have a few comments about what will happen to the next American to get caught with drugs... it has already happened. See what the judge said..
Dubai Does Dallas
Dubai Does Dallas II: Independence Day
Dubai Does Dallas III: High at Friends Place or Friends in High Places?
Enjoy!
Good bye Mr. Austin
in the case of Prasad Bidappa he had to invest money in the country. Was over a million dirhams. that was oart ofthe deal. It merely confirms that if you have the money you can get away with it.
I know this ass who drives around with out a driving license in Dubai for the past 10 years. boldy says " I have the money and the contacts. "
Sad
Babykaos,
For god's sake, George Bush's daughters were successfully prosecuted in America for underage drinking.
You won't ever see something like that anywhere in the Middle East.
Winona Ryder - community service for shop lifting. IF you ask me with all that money she earned from Girl Interupted she shouldn't have to shop lift and she should have set a role model. She should be punished for getting off that easy for stealing. Stealing is stealing no matter what but she STILL WALKED AWAY. She's got 3 movies coming out this summer.
Robert Downie Jr.? PLEASE A month in jail and rehab hardly counts as punishment for the amount of drugs he was pulled in for the first time around? He should still be in jail even if it was for his own personal use. He crossed the border from posession to suspected trafficking.
Christian Slater? That one isn't even worth commenting on. He's not suffering from hard times now is he.
Tommy Lee is just fucked. What he got doesn't even count as punishment for the crime.
Last but not least the most inventive one of all. Martha Stewart. Are you kidding me? Did you see the facility she was jailed at? More like a godamned resort that was fenced off all the more better to keep the evil prying papparazi away.
It certainly did not hurt her standings either with the masses after she got out that she was in jail. Her stock soared after it and I mean soared.
So where exactly in all of this is there punishment that is supposed to detour the perpetrator from the crime once again?
Money talks and bullshit walks ..
so I suggest you start walking on out of here anon.
I can't even believe you would bring those up as examples.
Now lets get back to real life scenarios.
Colored dude gets busted in states with over 15 grams of marijuana and barely enough to snort a line of coke.
What's he get?
a year in jail with consideration for time served.
A YEAR did you hear me a year for two joints and half a line of the white stuff. This is all with the recommendation that he was a first time offender.
Meanwhile pretty white boy that was caught with him carrying a hell of alot more coke (enough to put a horse out) and no marijuana gets what? Say it with me now 400 hours community service with time spent. Which works out to somewhere around 200 comm. service hours. Daddy was a big shot lawyer from out of town who knew public defender with money.
Give me a break with all you ass wipes out here trying to make it like Dubai is third world and the west out there is some kind of fantasy land utopia where we're all treated equally. It isn't you're all disillusioned, ungreatful, and surely unaware that you're lucky to be here flashing the bling that you are.
If any of you really cared for the values you try to make the rest of the world believe that you uphold by speaking out against such unfairness as is the case with the pardon granted to mr. austin you would be more concerned with the little kids getting a much shorter end of the stick out there somewhere and trying to do something about it. But you're not.
So how's this Anon.
Shove it!
Oh and to EM,
You call that succesful prosecution?
What did they get? A slap on the hand? Poor little girlies, unfortunate women.
I hardly call that succesful prosecution.
You're missing the point.
The point is the more money you have the less likely you're punishment is going to be a punishment by definition or achieve the objective of setting an example of your actions and the consequences of one.
The idea of punishment was put forward as a mechanism to control society and to define right and wrong. When punishment no longer serves that purpose it is not worthy of being seen as one.
The point is that I don't get why you're all making it out to be a big deal when obviously he has the influence to get off here, the same way he would have gotten off much easier had he been caught in the states.
little Kim was just released yesterday from jail for lying under oath. Her punishment ten months of jail?
That hardly constitutes a relevant enough punishment for lying while having sworn to not lie.
You do see where I am going with this?
It's the normal thing to happen for Austin to get a pardon.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
frankly, i think mo is a ho to the us and this just proves it.
Anon @16:06
So are you!
When you stop buying american, when you stop eating american, when you stop speaking american, when you stop watching american, when you stop listening to american, and finally when you speak up against the unjustness of american and the false american dream you will have earned the right to call someone that.
So we're all hos to the american system.
BK,
I agree with you BK. Regardless of the place Money talks.
BUT. You don't see such pardons anywhere else. I mean you atleast get a sentence (even if it is community service - which is not that easy - just so you know).
My point is that when people are caught for Codeine they end up in jail for a long time so why not Dallas Austin?
It also gets extra sickening when this country/region keeps on and on about their values and moral superiority over everyone.
So if you are going to take the moral high road then they bloody well should follow it to the tee and not when it suits them.
Offtopic, but for everyones reading pleasure - Dreams
thank god i left dubai
EM I can't believe you're still asking why not Dallas Austin?
You should be asking why he came in here with that shit anyways knowing full well he would be caught with it?
Not why did those two get a larger sentence and he got a pardon?
Codiene or not we all admit its a stupid law but so is not being allowed to have gay sex in the state of missouri or something. It's still a punishable felony there.
You're taking this the wrong way. Road of high morality or not, this is Dubai and that is the states.
They both aim to present themselves as something they are not toting big words and passionate mantras and love and equality for all speeches when if you ask me the states has a worse record in upholding those morals they preach.
Don't preach if you don't practice.
Fight for freedom and democracey? More like fight for oil and power.
Please the argument of moral high ground has no place in this debate or blog at all.
No offense to you but we all have no place talking about morality.
Morality with the way we propegate it as people is all talk even amongst ourselves.
Dallas Austin being pardoned is not a sign of Dubai being this or that. ITs more a smart PR move on their part for one and two, when you're not powerful enough don't piss off the dude with the guns.
Strategically it was a better choice for all.
However those who would like to argue that it is not fair and this would have never happened in the western world, please remind yourselves that it was only until 50 years ago or so that the black population of america was allowed a voice and to this day they are mostly confined to projects and ghettos with stereotypes flying all around about them.
Let me also remind you that those who are remotely arab looking are at the risk of being subjected to invasivee searches and involuntary submission to things against their will.
Let me also remind you of the torture going on in some prisons around the world.
And last but not least, let me also remind you of the most recent attacks carried out against the people of Gaza in the name of retrieving a captive soldier from the hold of Hamas where it was just a few hours earlier Hamas agreed to discussions and negotiations.
No one has any claim to morality. None of us.
does anybody have a soft copy of the Vanity Fair article (from last month i think)- the issue was banned in this country?
BK,
How the hell is this a great PR move? If anything this destroys whatever credibility they have.
Basically advertises to the world that they will nail you if you are one of the poor, but will let you get away with anything if you have a high enough profile.
I mean how much louder can they shout that they will bend over and spread 'em for the west....
Fer gads sake, if this is good PR, I shudder to think what is bad PR.
If I ran a western airport, I would check all the arabs (I am an arab by the way) 'cos fact of the matter is most of the terrorism is by us arabs.
- Mo
Sick. Imagine the thousands in the UAE prisons who wont get to 'bling'.
A few months back, an Indian fashion designer also got a pardon for a similar case after his wife 'begged for mercy'.
earthbound misfit:-
re: the vanity fair article. nothing in it was scandalous to say the least. there was glowing and practically blushing praise of shk ahmed bin saeed. and the usual bubble vs bangkok talk.
can't really see why any of it would be banned.
love
anon 16:06
It wasn't banned...I picked it up here in Dubai...I guess it just sold out real quick..
Also happened to be a horribly written piece..
babykaos, I do agree with you, OJ Simpson is the best example here, how the American justice system failed.
But not all of us live in the bling and the hypocrisy sometimes is just too much, especially since its always in your face how simple medication or even transporting alcohol from Ajman to Dubai (through Sharjah) can get an ordinary person into jail and someone "famous" getting off with cocaine does somehow take the biscuit.
What the guardian makes of all this
Earthbound Misfit: I have a copy of that article. Email me at edrachman7@yahoo.com
of course, we do.
Madonna called up The People and offered to buy a house at Palm Islands, in exchange for Dallas Austin.
Well, I didnt like the idea of having him free.
but put in ur mind that what has been done is legal. The police done its job and handed it to the court and the court done its job and found him guilty.
The ruler decided to pardon him which is legal.
Not ethicial though.
It's all 'bout the money,
it's all 'bout the dum dum dum dum dum dum!
or..
Money talks, money talks,
dirty cash i want you,
dirty cash i need you.
or...
did he sing TLCs 'I aint too proud to beg'?!
har har
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