A Few Words on the Dubai Ports World Imbroglio (Lileks, As Always, NAILS It...!)

James Lileks' Screedblog ^ | 02/22/2006 | James Lileks

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Ping

[flashbunny]

pong

[Reagan Man]

>>>>Advice to the administration: If you’re going to shoot yourself in the foot, don’t use a bazooka. You may aim for the pinky toe but there’s nothing left below the hip. The recoil should not be your first clue you grabbed the wrong gun.

Good stuff from James Lileks. I agree.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

The recoil should not be your first clue you grabbed the wrong gun.

Bazookas don't recoil.

[ARCADIA]

And we thought W had lost it when he nominated Miers, or when he ignored us on the southern border...leave it to Bush to dig an ever deeper and more confounding hole.

[Doofer]

I also predict that this we're about to see this thing turn into a firestorm.......

[Doofer]

Hey Doofer take your time and give your post a once over before hitting that post icon........[grin]

[Darkwolf377]

Completely Missing the Point ping!

I like Lileks but he's already behind the cycle on this.

I bet he modifies this position within a week.

[Slings and Arrows]

Change your password, you should - Yoda your account has hacked.

[freedom9]

No one's asking and no body's answering just why the U.A.E is pursuing the contract. What is their interest?

If it's purely financial, why shouldn't an American based firm be reaping the benefits?

I've read on these threads that only Haliburton would be capable of fulfilling the contract. I'm guessing the reason for that is capital. But wouldn't that be preferable to foreign interests and alleviate all the concern?

[ARCADIA]

Bazookas don't recoil.

He never said it had a recoil; perhaps it's the lack of recoil that provides the "first clue" ;-)

[Billthedrill]

Wait, study, read, reflect.

Please do. This is simply extremely interesting, and Bush's reaction more interesting still. A presidential veto over a matter such as this? Doesn't that strike anyone else as curious?

[liberty_lvr]

And it certainly doesn’t matter once the President gets all stern on the topic and insists he’ll veto any attempt to keep the deal from going through.

Bush veto something??

Suuuuurrre he will...

[ARCADIA]

Doesn't that strike anyone else as curious?

I thought he had hocked his veto pen on EBAY 6 years ago. Now what's it going to cost us to buy him a new one?

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

The UAE is not exactly stuffed stem to stern with pro-American individuals; the idea that the emirs will stand foursquare against infiltration by those who have ulterior motives is the sort of wishful thinking that makes buildings fall and cities empty.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

[jess35]

It would have been nice if he'd had a clue about his subject matter.

[de Buillion]

Sounds to me like someone should whisper in GWB's ear that this sounds like firing all the Secret Service agents and outsourcing their jobs to the French Foreign Legion.

On the other hand, it might be instructive to read picrell's thread of 9:45 pm on the 21st. I'm not claiming that that's what is going on here, but it should be considered. (Sorry, I don't know how else to reference that thread.)

[jess35]

If it's purely financial, why shouldn't an American based firm be reaping the benefits?

Because the contracts are OWNED by a British firm and no American company wanted the contracts at their sale price?

[Cannoneer No. 4]

The recoil should not be your first clue you grabbed the wrong gun.

Something which does not exist should not be the first clue?

Sounds to me like Lileks doesn't know a recoiless rifle from a rocket launcher.