Against Security
Harvey Molotch
Princeton University Press
This book is a triumph of marketing. Looking from the cover, it would seem to delve into the world of security in the post-September 11 world, a rich vein of perceived versus genuine public safety.
But if ever there was a book not to judge by its cover, it's this one. Molotch tackles the issue from an academic's perspective - he's a professor of sociology at New York University - by judging authorities such as the Department of Homeland Security against the standard of what is reasonable to urbane city-dwellers when it comes to measures like full-body scans. Such authorities, of course, have to operate on the rule of taking every possible step.
And, despite the publishers' best efforts, it's not security against terrorism that is much of his focus. He says public toilets, for example, could be made safer and more user-friendly by being unisex, a proposition so deeply ensconced in the ivory tower and removed from reality that it defies parody.
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
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Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
How to donate
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Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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The six points:
1. Ministers should be in the field, instead of always at conferences
2. Foreign diplomacy must be left to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
3. Emiratisation is a top priority that will have a renewed push behind it
4. The UAE's economy must continue to thrive and grow
5. Complaints from the public must be addressed, not avoided
6. Have hope for the future, what is yet to come is bigger and better than before
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Director: Amith Krishnan
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