What Scotiabank, and others like him are doing is something akin to a man who broke his toe and then yelling at his crutches because he needs them to get around for a while. Better to focus on healing, so he will not need them, and to focus on what he can still do well. Qatar is what it is: a small, petroleum-rich country that is trying desperately to find away to ensure that wealth and prosperity will outlast its lng reserves. Its situation is not unique; and most countries in this situation fail. The leadership of Qatar's attempted solution to be progressive and modernize is a laudable one, and just may beat the odds.

The key to success is for Qataris is to be realistic so that problems can be addressed rather than ignored and allowed to fester. I am here to teach, and I see this successful attitude in my best students, which gives me hope for this country and a sense that my brief time here will be well invested. But then comments such as those of Scotiabank (and yours above--although such remarks are rare for you) make me question that.