Right-wing hysteria v the Dubai ports deal

I relentlessly criticize the left-wing media for lies, deceptions and omissions (LDOs). I take a back seat to no one smacking the left up side the head. So I wake up this morning with this tragic right-wing propaganda:

Because of the heightened concern over keeping America safe, it's amazing to think the federal government would put management of major U.S. ports in the hands of foreign companies.

Who do you think operates our ports now, you dimwit? And who would turn security of our ports over to a mere owner? Please.

Like the "emotional" "unpatriotic" left, our blindingly patriotic conservatives were first in line to savage our President, Secretaries of State and Treasury as political idiots for "turning our port security over to a terrorist organization" like the UAE (a totalitarian state of Muslims). As most knowledgeable patriots have come to realize, Muslims march to another tune. Theirs is a patient march toward the evangelical conversion of humanity by ANY MEANS to the cult of Islam and their "prophet" Mohammed.

It is easy to see why conservatives are upset. It took 4 entire years for the Republican administration to identify the "terrorist" enemy as Islamofascists preferring to "believe" like our liberal media still does that there is a mass of Muslims who have no interest in turning the world into a Caliphate. Such naive thinking doesn't warrant credibility at any level. Conservatives are well served to keep the pressure on an Administration that stumbles with a Harriet Miers when a Samuel Alito was in the wings.

There are two things wrong with our instant rejection of the UAE takeover of the present British management. First is the belief that intelligent and patriotic ministers of democracy like Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Condoleeza Rice, John Snow as well as George W. Bush would turn our very vulnerable target-rich ports over to our enemy. When you think about it, don't you question your knee-jerk rejection of their decision? Is there something you don't understand?

Second is the fact that the shipping business in the world is run by foreigners. Our brain-dead Congress has made so many restrictions on the business; everyone avoids flying the American Flag like the plague. With a "leftist-like" inflexibility is it any wonder that no American company ever bids for the management of the subject ports? And with customers like Wal-Mart cutting your profit margins to survival levels, why even bother.

I have been a subscriber to the Journal of Commerce, the bible of the shipping business for several years. It has informed me that the worldwide shipping business is world unto itself. When John Kerry was pounding on the electorate that he would protect Americans jobs, the JOC featured Kerry's picture on their cover and the accompanying article that blatantly stated that Kerry was "one of us" and to ignore his political pandering because “he is in our pocket”. Free trade from a "bought and sold man".

Shipping is the grease that makes the world's economic engine purr. Expenditures are measured in trillions not in millions or billions. To be competitive, governments the world over approve any expenditures to facilitate trade. As a result, you can ship products around the world cheaper than loading them on a truck and shipping them to the next town.

The rejection of Dubai Ports as the owner of the previously British management company sends a shot across the bow of Islam. It is too convenient to believe that some subtle management of this issue isn't involved. It is a remarkably convenient response to the militancy of an Islamic population gone berserk over cartoons. Hey fellas, you can't buy America even if you have the cash; because you are MUSLIMS. It is quite a message.

The propaganda, however, is an overblown response. Our ports operate under American laws. Our longshoremen are a patriotic mafia with millions of eyes searching for those who would jeopardize their $120,000-a-year jobs. Port security is overseen by the American Coast Guard and Homeland Security.

Plans, diagrams, electronic surveilance, security protection is available to all. Just visit any port and they will willingly show you how well-protected you are. Believe me there are no secrets. They are ready to blow a dingy out of the water that threatens a tanker. Dubai Ports would be out of that loop. Manipulating debits and credits is a far cry from manning the guns and radar.

Our ports are insulated from a passive management in Dubai. They operate under our laws with our people. What security secrets there are, are well known to world-wide port operators like Dubai already; security is a non-issue. However, conservative hysteria aside, what is the best course of action.

On one hand, if we approved the deal, we have an opportunity to demonstrate inclusion which could be used as a hammer over the Arab street. There is no doubt that such approval would be a priceless bit of Western propaganda. You have to believe W wants that tool.

Yet on the other hand, in the present clime, let's send a shot across Islam's bow. It would be a great counterpoint to the mushiness of our media and to our government's lingering inertia over publicly discussing the reformation of that political cult into a real religion. Let's reject the Dubai takeover.

But conservative’s best not jump out the window like their liberal opponents every time we are faced with a thorny issue. They always present opportunities. It is best to weigh the facts carefully and let the cauldron steep for a while. We don't want this conflict to last too long: we have an early tee time. And don’t be deceived, the operation of the ports would not change a whit under Dubai Ports, we would merely be sticking them with the bill.

<< Ever wondered why there are so few American shipping companies operating terminals overseas? >>

[1] RICO-racketeering mobbed-up unions and;

[2] More than seventy years, beginning approximately with the standover and shakedown "Democrat's" late twenties takeover of the House and concreted by the gangster-posing-as-a-politician-traitor, Roosevelt's and his activist-Soviet-agent salted "administration's move into our once most hallowed house -- and that obscene gang's tailoring of "laws" that, despite that they Absolutely killed America's shipping and stevadoring industries, gave their union crime-family members the maximum clout and;

[3] Their creation of fiat courts in place of Constitutional ones and their stacking with activist-"Democrat" "judges" who rubber-stamped all of the above and;

[4] Their replacement of all of America's public schools with effectively-totalitarian centralized-controlled, activist-"Democrat" mobbed-up-union-staffed, government indoctrination centers at which generations of America's children have been taught absolutely nothing about America and its Laws and its History and have been rewarded for their abysmal bloody ignorance with high-school diplomas they cannot read and ivy-league degrees whose closet academic equivilents are 1950 High School Diplomas!

Americans who are therefore totally ignorant as to why there are no American companies on the docks and no American Merchant Navy!

And who either have to ask and/or cannot answer queries like: "Ever wondered why there are so few American shipping companies operating terminals overseas?"

I don't know enough yet to analyze this article. The terminal operations were sold after Snow left. Sanborn is the sort of experienced industry professional that can work w/maritime interests. Both sorts of instances happen all the time in business and government.

I did notice that while NYDN said *terminal operations* first, they then reverted to *port control*. It also seemed to me that the 45-day review is in the event (such as now) that we have people raising concerns. The POTUS has another 2 days to officially institute the review and from reports, it looks like a done deal. The law and procedures are being followed. Were I to fault anyone, it would be the staff involved. Their main job is to protect their boss. Looks to me like they didn't. Perhaps there are so many really important issues going on that they made a call to not burden the bosses with something routine and the donks/RINOs/MSM took advantage of that. Not that I know. I am simply trying to put it into perspective.

The MSM has been after every Bush appointee since 2000. I have read slams of Snow for being an "access capitalist" and for not being as good a CEO as the writer thought he could be. There is so much snarkiness around today towards anyone who is Republican, corporate, successful, affluent or in a political position that I tend to take it under advisement when I read such things and refrain from judgment until I see a real smoking gun/red flag. As I understood it after O'Neill left, the job of Treasury Secretary has a good deal of salesmanship involved. Snow makes a better case to the public than did O'Neill, IMO. But what do any of us really know? I find I need 360 degrees of information these days, because I cannot trust the accuracy of the MSM. This issue has caused me to place Malkin, Coulter and Hannity into the same category as NewsMax or WND. As an information junkie, who also works full time, this is making it very difficult for me to have informed opinions on a lot of issues.

Personally: we haven't had an attack in the US since 9/11. We have busted many cells. We have intercepted individuals trying to smuggle themselves into the country via container. We have taken action against at least a couple of ships (that I am aware of, could be more) whose cargo at the least set off our alarms. The military folks I know and the ones whose generous sharing of their expertise on FR and on various blogs I have appreciated, think we are doing alright on port security. Not perfect and we could do better, but so far, so good and things are getting better all the time. In a flat market, my investments (passive) have done ok, for the most part. My personal business has been good to excellent, as has my husband's. I have no reason to distrust the administration and every reason to distrust not only the donks, but the so-called GOPers who are up for reelection.

Has anyone worried about the supply chain over the past 5 years? Prior to that? No one needs to micromanage every aspect of everything unless they are a control freak or trying to run a command economy. The donks and the unions have destroyed several industries already. Obviously, our economy would not survive federalization of our ports or another huge government bureaucracy or service union.

YYMV

Thanks Cindy! But you committing an act in the wind as far as the Bushbots are concerned. They aren't going to let little things like FACTS get in the way. I read the rant in this thread:

"Who do you think operates our ports now, you dimwit?"

Now there is an intelligent argument if I have ever heard one. Where is this guy's blog published? The Sandusky Middle School website?

The foreign operators of our ports did not have citizens from their countries flying planes on 9-11. Yes indeed Saudia does have air cargo terminals in the USA: Security of imports is under the operational control of the FAA and US Customs.
"The rejection of Dubai Ports as the owner of the previously British management company sends a shot across the bow of Islam. It is too convenient to believe that some subtle management of this issue isn't involved. It is a remarkably convenient response to the militancy of an Islamic population gone berserk over cartoons. Hey fellas, you can't buy America even if you have the cash; because you are MUSLIMS. It is quite a message."

Yes it is. Imagine saying to the people who gave birth to Islamofascism: Hey you attacked us. You have to prove your intentions toward us, not the other way around. Why we should be down kissing their lilly white a**es. No thanks!

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