Posted on 03/01/2006 4:59:32 AM PST by FerdieMurphy
Last week, I skewered Democrat opportunists who have turned into tough-sounding profiling advocates to exploit the White House ports debacle.
Today, I must express bottomless disgust with those on the Right who have turned into mush-mouthed race-card players to shift blame away from President Bush for his miserable mishandling of the situation.
It's one thing for feckless grievance-mongers on the Left to accuse Americans genuinely concerned about national security of Islamophobia. It's quite another for the Right to sink to such a level in accusing all good-faith critics of demagoguery. Reasonable people can disagree on the process pitfalls and security implications of the deal. But the elite Right has simply lost its marbles:
Here's GOP strategist and Muslim voter outreach architect Grover Norquist in the Los Angeles Times dismissing critics of the deal: "The only whiners left by next week will be the registered bigots."
Conservative commentator Larry Kudlow: "This whole brouhaha surrounding the Bush administration's green-light to a United Arab Emirates company slated to manage six major U.S. ports has nothing to do with protecting homeland security. Allow me to give it its proper name: Islamophobia."
New York Times columnist David Brooks: "This Dubai port deal has unleashed a kind of collective mania we haven't seen in decades. First seized by the radio hatemonger Michael Savage, it's been embraced by reactionaries of left and right, exploited by Empire State panderers, and enabled by a bipartisan horde of politicians who don't have the guts to stand in front of a xenophobic tsunami."
The UAE is our "friend," we are told, and to question that assertion, we are scolded, is to engage in reckless prejudice and life-threatening insult. Yes, well, some friends are more equal than others. To instinctively trust a longtime, stalwart Western democracy more than an Arab newcomer with a mixed record on combating terror, international crime and Islamic extremism is not "Islamophobia." It's self-preservationism in a time of war.
We are at war, aren't we?
President Bush himself is ultimately responsible for encouraging the race-card players, thanks to his stunning comment that "those who are questioning" the deal need to "step up and explain why all of a sudden a Middle Eastern company is held to a different standard than a Great British company."
Yes, there are countless homegrown terrorists across England, where Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., the maritime company purchased by state-owned Dubai Ports World, operates. So what? So, now, a peaceful Western democracy that is infiltrated against its will by al Qaeda is on the same plane as an Arab federation whose ruling emiratis ran interference for Osama bin Laden before Sept. 11, which continued to be a logistical hub for al Qaeda for years after, which refuses to recognize the existence of Israel, bans our textbooks as "racist" because they point out Syria's state sponsorship of terrorism, and is boycotting Denmark over the Mohammed Cartoons?
Now, all the proselytizers who tell us to collect the dots and connect the dots want us to throw them all away lest we give offense?
Yes, the UAE has taken steps to cooperate in the War on Terror after the Sept. 11 attacks. Give them a pat on the back. But don't tell me that their actions over the past four years elevate them to the same level of partnership and trustworthiness as Great Britain.
That's offensive.
Perhaps Bush should consult with his own Justice Department, which understood the need for heightened scrutiny of Middle Eastern illegal aliens in the immediate aftermath of Sept. 11, and instituted temporary targeted fingerprinting and registration policies for Middle Eastern tourists, businessmen and students.
Bigots!
Perhaps he should ask his own Border Patrol, which is on heightened alert for illegal Middle Eastern border-crossers.
Bigots!
Perhaps he should ask his own FBI, which is zeroing in on mosques and Muslim charities instead of Lutheran churches and the March of Dimes in the domestic War on Terror.
Bigots!
(But don't bother asking Transportation Department Norm Mineta anything -- well, other than "Why the heck are you still here, Normie?")
The sad lesson of Portgate: Scream "racism" loud enough, and people will blame the messengers and back down. By the Bush standard, we who put American security above Arab sensitivity are all bigots now.
Re: your #10, I agree!
Doesn't even need to be a nuke. Fertilizer ship blew up in Texas City, 1947, damn near erased the whole town from the map.
DPW runs 4 ports in China, not that would make the least bit of difference to you. Do you suppose the Chinese don't care about port security?
When Muslims don't publicly come out and make statements against the thugs who willingly broadcast messages of hatred toward Americans in Allah's name; how do they think Americans will react? Let them whine and call us bigots. Why after only 4 years since an attack on our homeland does this administration make Americans look like the bad guy for not wanting this deal? I hope Congress calls his bluff and makes him use his damn veto. If that's what he wants his legacy to be, make him put his money where his mouth is. Kill this deal and sell them a Starbucks or a Pizza Hut if you must but keep them away from our ports!
michelle malkin ping
"The UAE is our "friend," we are told, and to question that assertion, we are scolded, is to engage in reckless prejudice and life-threatening insult."
No country/company/individual that continues to support Terrorist organizations is a friend of either myself or my country.
But I'm willing to wait and see what the review says before I make any final judgements on the case.
I have to say that sometimes the keywords people throw into these threads really crack me up. "McNabb is Arab?"
Well said. If Gens. Tommy Franks and Peter Pace believe the UAE is an ally in the WOT, that's good enough for me.
The "Kingdom" may be an ally, but are its "royal subjects"?
Excellent article by Malkin. I think that the immediate use of the "Islamophobia" card by Bush (and subsequent use of it by his lock-step sycophants) should be discussed as an issue entirely separate from the ports debacle. The ports debate is where it first emerged, but the fact that Bush would insinuate that about his own base, and the fact that so many Republicans would resort to use of the race card with nary a thought, is telling and disturbing all on its own.
And that terminal wasn't even run by Arabs!
We allow Chinese, Hong Kong, Singaporean companies to run port terminal contracts, not to mention Europeans, so it's a little hard to think of another reason why we're turning DPW down.
I suspect that many in the UAE are not friends, but fiends..
"Your idea is so totally impractical that it makes the head spin. Double the length of sea voyages and add in a quarantine and search period for all shipments? Are we going to individually break open every overseas container to search it?"
Is that right? Well maybe you better take a look at IMO. Because that is exactly what they plan to bring online. DbTalor is absolutely correct. But hey, why do any research?
"You expect such race mongering among the Teddy Kennedys of the world, but certainly not from conservatives. (Assuming they are, in fact, conservatives.)"
I share your bewilderment at the uncharacteristic reaction.
Yes, they are truly conservatives imo, but have lost sight of the forest on this one.
Rather then compound their idiocy the Knee Jerks should just come clean, admit they leaped to conclusions with NO bases in fact and blew it. This hysteric refusal to admit error raises serious questions about Ms Malkins intellectual credibility. A serious intellect admits their errors, not squirm desperately trying to rationalize them
china is already at war with the united states, see "unrestricted warfare" written by two chinese colonels:
http://www.cryptome.org/cuw.htm
here is newsmax's description of the book:
As incredible as it may be to believe, three years before the Sept. 11 bombing of the World Trade Center a Chinese military manual titled Unrestricted Warfare touted such an attack – suggesting it would be difficult for the U.S. military to cope with.
Here is an excerpt from Unrestricted Warfare:
“Whether it be the intrusions of hackers, a major explosion at the World Trade Center, or a bombing attack by bin Laden, all of these greatly exceed the frequency bandwidths understood by the American military...”
Surprisingly, Osama bin Laden is mentioned frequently in this book.
Now NewsMax.com is making the CIA translation of this shocking book available to all Americans.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Americans and the world witnessed one of the most horrific acts ever to take place on American soil.
Our media and government were quick to declare the acts of that day as simply terrorism by a nationless group known as al-Qaeda.
In reading China’s military manual Unrestricted Warfare, you will learn that the events of Sept. 11 were not a random act perpetrated by independent agents.
Instead, Chinese military planners believe that terrorism is just one of the many tools at the hands of nations and their terrorist allies to wage total war against the United States.
You will be surprised to learn:
* The two PLA colonels who authored Unrestricted Warfare have been hailed as heroes in China since Sept. 11
* The Chinese state-run propaganda machine is cashing in on the terror attacks ... producing books, films and video games glorifying the strikes as a humbling blow against an arrogant nation.
* Chinese Communist Party officials are saying that President Jiang Zemin has obsessively and gleefully watched and re-watched pictures of the aircraft crashing into the World Trade Center.
* The CIA’s own translation agency reported that this book identifies the U.S. as China’s main enemy, and details how a weak nation can destroy America using unorthodox attacks – like the 9-11 attacks.
* China is preparing itself and encouraging others to engage the U.S. in total war. The book is chock full of plans and strategies, from using computers, to smuggling illegal immigrants, to manipulating the stock markets, to influencing the U.S. media, to using weapons of mass destruction – all to destroy America.
Recent press reports indicate that China has assisted and continues to assist militarily and economically the Taliban and al-Qaeda – even after Sept. 11.
The doctrine of total war outlined in Unrestricted Warfare clearly demonstrates that the People’s Republic of China is preparing to confront the United States and our allies by conducting “asymmetrical” or multidimensional attacks on almost every aspect of our social, economic and political life.
The media and Congress are keeping a lid on this book because of the implications of U.S.-China economic and trade relations.
But now you can bypass them by getting a copy yourself!
Here’s what others say about Unrestricted Warfare:
“You need to read Unrestricted Warfare because it reveals China’s game plan in its coming war with America.. ... China thinks it can destroy America by using these tactics.”
Adm. Thomas Moorer
Former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
“The 9-11 attacks may just be the beginning. Many terrorist nations and groups will try to imitate this operation … and China’s war book Unrestricted Warfare will be their text.”
Maj. Gen. John K. Singlaub
Former Chief of Staff,
US Forces Korea
the qualifier to "china is already at war" is -- 'america just doesnt know it yet'
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