Posted on 03/08/2006 2:53:43 PM PST by Ooh-Ah
House Appropiations Committe voted to block Dubai deal
well i wish they would make the border an issue right about now.
don't get me wrong, i'm not one of those FReepers who manages to turn any thread, however obscure, into a border issue.
I once witnessed a thread on iPods get hijacked and turned into a border rant, much like I've done now. =P
I simply disagree with your assessment.
First off, do you have a meaningful distinction between "run" and "operate"? I don't understand your first point.
I'm getting to the point where I will refuse to discuss this with anyone who hasn't read "The Outlaw Sea" by William Langeweische. If you believe the international shipping trade is already secure, you will be blown away by what you learn.
I don't want a weak ally like the UAE to have control over any part of our vital infrastructure. I understand that some people here (thankfully a minority) think they should in the name of the almighty dollar, but most of us oppose it, and for very good reason.
Sorry, but your side lost this one. This deal is being killed. Now there's gonna be a lot of screaming about how ignorant/racist/uninformed/stupid/stinky we all are, but the fact is this was a horrible deal from the get-go, and I'm thankful that CONSERVATIVES in Congress led the charge against this.
Borders are a big concern that needs to be taken care but I wouldn't expect a border amendment attached to a military spending bill for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Once concrete example that is supported by fact? Will the longshoremen be less susceptible to bribes if an American rents the terminals? Will more containers be searched? Will all the ships entering the ports suddenly be American ships loaded by Americans in American ports?
I agree with you. I don't what deals are made in the political backrooms but I hope to God that we aren't promising our allies lucrative contracts in return for the cooperation. Their cooperation is for THEIR survival as well. It's not about joining "our" side, it's about fighting some real evil out there. Dubai sure as heck doesn't need any of our American dollars. Are we really worried about hurting their "feelings?" I wish W would handle this a bit differently. I don't like the feeling that we "owe" our allies something. Dubai is not some struggling third-world toilet country. By many accounts it is a thriving, modern country. So, what does Dubai care if they get this deal or not? I just don't get the push for it. There's something else going on, IMHO.
Exactly and that's why I think it stooped to an all time low for "Conservatives". If they really believed they had enough votes to override a veto, as they claimed, then why not put it on a separate sheet of paper? DON'T MESS WITH OUR TROOPS MONEY OR EVEN ATTEMPT!
FYI ... if I recall correctly, there IS no American company who's in this league. There may be American-based companies who operate port terminals here, but as I understand it they're foreign owned. I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong.
I already have.
Security information will not be given to the government of the UAE.
It will be harder for an Arab terrorist to infiltrate the organization.
Something as mundane as "the #5 radiation detector will be offline for repairs from 6/12 to 6/15" is information that should not be shared with an Islamic state.
I've never said that the UAE has a history, or even a desire, to harm us. But their control of these terminals will give those who DO wish to harm us an easier entree.
Excuse me, but why is it "anti-capitalist" to stop a government takeover of a commercial venture?
Fine with me, so long as they're not owned by a foreign government.
Interesting.....perhaps the majority of the so called objections to this deal were designed to expose one more "secret" operation in the WOT. If true, the rulers of the UAE could be in serious danger.
Bump
You quoted a quote I quoted from jveritas. You may want to direct your comments in your post to me, to him.
"Just one more time congress people are second guessing a President who has an excellent track record of defending the country, and the WOT"
The president hasn't gone JACK about the WOT until he secures the southern boarder...
Bin Ladin will be so pleased that "all" of America sh*ts their pants at the mention of the word Arab.
Are some FReepers so blinded by the "Party Line"
that they have given up being REAL conservatives
and are in agreement with klintoon on this deal?
Can't they see klintoon and set up President Bush
and blindsided him?
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