Goodbye, Dubai (Protectionists Rejoice)

Los Angeles Times ^ | March 10, 2006 | The Editors

[RWR8189]

PROTECTIONISTS, REJOICE! The dastardly United Arab Emirates company that would have presumed to unload containers of underwear and toothpaste on U.S. soil has backed down, and it will now divest its U.S. port interests to an American entity. Rest assured, the nation is now safe from dangerous Middle Eastern accountants and port logistics specialists.

Dubai Ports World did what was necessary, if not necessarily fair, on Thursday by agreeing to give up the U.S. operations of its newly acquired British ports company. The House Appropriations Committee had voted 62 to 2 on Wednesday to block the deal; a similar bill was pending in the Senate.

Although President Bush rightly stood by the acquisition and vowed to veto any bill that stood in its way, he was fighting a losing battle that only deepened a growing rift in the Republican Party. Dubai Ports World officials wisely recognized that they had to put some distance between themselves and their new U.S. assets. The company probably will sell its U.S. assets or create a U.S. company with a separate board to run them.

Much as we wish it would go away, the fight may not be over yet.

For one, the terms of the divestiture remain unclear, and some members of Congress are demanding more details. Will it be enough for Dubai Ports World to create a U.S. subsidiary? Will it have to open headquarters in the United States? Pay its employees in dollars?

[Old_Mil]

Interesting how the Hysterics are so rabidly paranoid about Arabs.

I'm glad to see you continue the port-supporter tradition and lying to say that this is about Arabs. Regardless of how many times it is explained to you people that this is about Islam, you insist on substituting Arab for Muslim in an effort to portray your opponents as racist. Might fly at DU, won't fly here.

Funny how they fail to remember in their hysteria that the people doing the bulk of the fighting and dying on OUR side in the War on Terror are Arab Muslims.

You must be counting civilian collateral damage to come up with such an idea.

[Dominic Harr]

The committee looked at the evidence against Dubai regarding 911 and the money laundering it's banks play hide and seek with, and determined this not a wise idea. They voted 62-2.

Evidence? Congressmen? Are you serious? Suddenly we have FReepers claiming that Congressmen are serious, deliberative intellectuals who base decisions on evidence?

They're politicians. They did it cuz they thought it would buy them votes, same as always.

1. Media goes national with the story (lie), "Bush Selling US Ports To Arabs", whipping public into another frenzy over a lie (i.e. Katrina/Iraq/Economy/etc).
2. The Public, who never read past the headline, gets up in arms against something that is not happening -- again.
3. Congressmen who are up for re-election jump in front of cameras and microphones across the nation to give the people what they want ("The public wants something done, This is something, Therefore I will do this and the public will love me!").
4. FReepers admit this is all about 'gut feelings', and others proclaim how great it is that Congressmen now listen to the will of the mob.

Like NOW's support of Clinton after Lewinsky, this is a defining moment in the hearts of conservatives. Do you go with the vague 'fear' and 'feelings' and 'hunches', or do you decide to make policy and strategy decisions on all available evidence?

I find it very revealing that we have FReepers arguing against evidence and reason.

[Dominic Harr]

The hate filled simply screamed down the facts

My big concern is what this has done to the R party.

Their one selling point, the one thing that got them here, was the argument that when the D's put together one of their media-driven public scares in a quest for more govt control of things -- that the Rs would be the only ones who could stop them.

Most R voters by far have been 'holding our nose and voting for the lesser of two evils'. We feel that the Ds like Schumer and Hilly are dangerous, because they do things in this manner. They use the press to hype up lies, then use public opinion to justify another power grab for govt.

And now, we were just shown, the Rs will not stop them. In fact, we learned that Mike Savage will have Chuck Schumer on his program, as an ally.

This should be an *interesting* election.