On the Level: Airlines Cancel Flights. Oil Prices Skyrocket, Price for Ecology within Donald Trump's Reach
Weekend events in the Middle East have affected a number of travelers. Especially Dubai is a very popular destination for air tourism. At the same time, the countries where rockets are now exploding are leading oil distributors to world markets. The restriction of long international flights and the increase in oil prices is one of the things that could lead to more environmentally friendly functioning of society.
Heading to a sun-soaked vacation in one of the Arab Emirates in winter was an unheard-of luxury just a few years ago; today it has become a completely common part of travel culture.
People caught off guard by the sudden change in the security situation are even surprised at what is happening, and rockets exploding overhead spoil their vacations. This is how far mass tourism has come today.
Many Dubai vacationers probably do not concern themselves with the development of the international political situation in the region. They go to the Emirates to enjoy the sun and the benefits of oil wealth in the middle of the desert. They have no need to ponder the whims of Donald Trump.
Safety has become as taken for granted as the air we breathe, but nothing about these things is automatic. Isn't it logical to be concerned about whether I'll be safe with my family on vacation if I'm traveling thousands of kilometers? Enjoyment of a globalized world, where covering thousand-kilometer distances has become comparable to a trip to a neighboring city, completely suppresses this type of thinking.
We can compare them to the crowds of tourists caught off guard by fires or earthquakes in Greece. Both happen annually in the popular country full of islands.
"Dubai is being shelled and it's not pleasant. Missiles were flying directly over the area where I live. It was clearly stated 2-3 months ago that Dubai would be shelled if the Americans attacked Iran. No one was caught off guard, the air defense is working excellently. You can't sleep peacefully when rockets are exploding over your head,"
commented the situation in Dubai, well-known music producer Jaro Slávik, who has been residing in the country for a long time. He decided to leave the city after an Iranian drone was shot down over his head by a missile.
The detachment from reality can be taken to an even higher level than that of somewhat ignorant tourists. An unnamed real estate agent and participant in the reality show Survivor started cheerfully claiming on social media that nothing is happening in Dubai. Those interested in properties there could have similar impressions as a former judge from SuperStar.
For business, this is, of course, a devastating blow. Business simply has its risks. Ignoring the real situation, however, does not change the essence of the matter.
We can see with our own eyes the consequences of the change in the world order, primarily brought about by Donald Trump, on everyday life. With their policies, the "Trumpists" aim to put a stop to globalization and open the door to the rule of the strong over the weak, regardless of international law.
In such a world, there is significantly less room for joyful travel hopping by plane between countries thousands of kilometers apart. Alongside Trump's conservatives, this change in situation is also appreciated by their environmentally oriented fellow citizens, whether they are Americans themselves or their populist counterparts in Europe or elsewhere in the world.
Besides the extravagant flights to the Middle East, oil prices will also rise, and consequently, so will fuel prices. The carbon footprint could thus start to happily decrease. Bombing Iran probably won't bring Trump the coveted Nobel Peace Prize, but recognition from some environmental organization might be in play.
The price of oil has shot up at the fastest rate in the last 4 years; coincidentally, last week marked 4 years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Before the weekend, there was no sign at all of expensive fuel. If tourists start flowing back to Dubai once the situation calms down, there won't even be an environmental award left for Trump.
