David Conn on Abu Dhabi and Human Rights

[rick773]

david conn on usmanov <a class="postlink" href="http://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/sep/26/topstories3.mainsection?guni=Article:in%20body%20link" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/se ... ody%20link</a>

david conn on liverpool's blighting of anfield area
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/jun/24/liverpool-houses-landlord" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.theguardian.com/football/201 ... s-landlord</a>

david conn on the glazers
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2012/jul/04/manchester-united-glazers-shares-debt" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.theguardian.com/football/blo ... hares-debt</a>

david conn on abramovich
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/sports-breakfast/130702/conn-abramovichs-ten-years-chelsea-owner-200759" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/sports ... ner-200759</a>


This isn't a vendetta against us and whilst I've enjoyed our success these past few years, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel uncomfortable about where our money has come from. All fans with this kind of ownership should.

Interesting he writes so many articles about foreign ownership . So I can assume no English owner has ever made their money in a non scandalous way. I'm sure the standards working in the factories churning out mike Ashley's many discount clothing lines for are wonderful , and again how many articles get written negatively about spurs ownership? I guess he can be hopeful if he writes enough silly shit our owner will bounce and he can write a sequel to his fcum book and people will buy it thinking it's actually about city again

 

[Rascal]

Is that you rascal?

As somebody who did not renew there STs when Shinawatra took over and as somebody who until last season didnt attend a game again i have to say Conns story tugs at me.

The saving grace and i say that with a heavy heart is that Shinawatra was complicit in HR abuse whilst Mansour is not.

My beliefs cost me the chance to see us win trophies as my tickets had gone but i would make the same decision tomorrow if proof was god forbid released.

I Liked you then and even more now rascal for standing up to your principals... and I really mean that... it takes a big mind/heart to follow it!

Thanks my friend.

It was not easy to walk away from something i have always loved so much

 

[cleavers]

I'd love to know what would happen in good old britain, if 94 senior people plotted to kick the queen out, and replace her (them) with some fundamentalist catholic (or even c of e) ruler with no democracy.

I don't imagine there would be any torture at all.......

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

I'd love to know what would happen in good old britain, if 94 senior people plotted to kick the queen out, and replace her (them) with some fundamentalist catholic (or even c of e) ruler with no democracy.

I don't imagine there would be any torture at all.......

I don't reckon 25 of them would be walking the streets!

 

[cleavers]

I'd love to know what would happen in good old britain, if 94 senior people plotted to kick the queen out, and replace her (them) with some fundamentalist catholic (or even c of e) ruler with no democracy.

I don't imagine there would be any torture at all.......

I don't reckon 25 of them would be walking the streets!

I don't reckon 1 of them would....

None story, by a bitter idiot.

 

[SWP's back]

Compared to Thaksin, the current owner is like mother Theresa. Least we are heading the right way.

I take it you didn't see the Mother Theresa thread

Lol very true. The woman.

 

[maurizio]

Looks like its the lead sport story in the Guardian tomorrow. Will no doubt be part of all rag musings and sanctimonious arse talk for ever more, forgetting how bad Usmanov and the Glazers are.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Well said PB, sums up my own thoughts on the subject.

If there is any evidence to directly link Sheikh Mansour to it, let that be the article. Not some spurious bollocks about Khaldoon accompanying Sheikh Mohammed to discuss military cooperation and contracts.

That's a nonsensical position in many ways. Sheikh Mansour is part of the Abu Dhabi/UAE establishment. Of course he didn't beat or mistreat prisoners himself but he is part of the regime which does. You cannot deny that.

I've no problem with Abu Dhabi not being particularly democratic as I think that the Western model is not necessarily appropriate for all countries at a given point in time (if ever). But you of all people, one of the most politically aware posters on here, should be able to separate your love for City from justified criticism of human rights issues.

ADUG are very sensitive about bad press. Hopefully something like this will shock them into corrective action and doing the right thing. Surely that's something you should be supporting?

-- Tue Jul 30, 2013 7:15 pm --

I assume Russian and US owners will be subject to the same sort of press.

Unfortunately such press only applies to the Muslim owner. All the others are running such perfect and honest business models.

Conn has been critical of a number of owners over their links or business models. He's being entirely consistent. It's hypocritical to praise him for exposing the Glazers' financial shenanigans and criticise him when he has a go at our owners.

I agree with most of your points PB - especially if people have been sent to prison just for asking to vote or defending those who did. David Conn has the right to write his article and we dont know if articles like will help the population of the UAE or not.

However, recent history is littered with disasters from attempts to impose Western values on the Middle East. Iraq is one of several such cases. There is a reason why these values are called Western although some Guardian readers may disagree. It would be no surprise if the Abu Dhabi Government are scared of the events in Egypt where rushing in to elections before political parties could get organised properly to represent the range of the populations interests is resulting in scores of deaths in the streets.

As others have said, there is no evidence that Sheikh Mansour or Khaldoon have done anything wrong at this point - and please don't give me a lecture about guilt by association.

 

[EricBrooksGhost]

I'd love to know what would happen in good old britain, if 94 senior people plotted to kick the queen out, and replace her (them) with some fundamentalist catholic (or even c of e) ruler with no democracy.

I don't imagine there would be any torture at all.......

We could have an old school mass burning at the stake. Brilliant.

 

[I'm no cynic but...]

If Conn was really intent on voicing his opinions on such regimes, he would campaign for a boycott of the oil market as this is largely controlled by autocratic Middle Eastern states, of which Abu Dhabi is just one. But he won't as we are totally dependent on black gold. The hard fact is that Britain has extremely lucrative business activities with these wealthy nations, especially in the Defence industry, and if we were to take a moral stand against this, our contracts would merely be switched to Russia, China, India or France who would each have no such issue, and we in Britain would be left with egg on our national face.