Posted on 03/10/2006 12:33:17 PM PST by groanup
REVIEW & OUTLOOK
The New Protectionists - How to create a real security crisis.
Friday, March 10, 2006 12:01 a.m. EST
Dubai Ports World finally threw in the kaffiyah on its American operations yesterday, agreeing to sell them "to a U.S. entity." We hope that entity turns out to be Halliburton, if only for the torment that would cause certain eminences on Capitol Hill.
Dubai Ports was susceptible to this political stampede because it was an Arab-owned company buying port operations, which Democrats have played up as uniquely vulnerable. But this is also the second such mugging of a foreign investor in recent months, following last year's demagoguery against a Chinese company's bid to buy Unocal, a middling American oil company. If Members of Congress want a real security crisis--a financial security crisis--they'll keep this up.
What's especially dangerous here is that we're seeing the re-emergence of the "national security" protectionists. They were last seen in the late 1980s, when Japan in particular was the target of a political foreign-investment panic. The Japanese were buying Pebble Beach and Rockefeller Center, and so America was soon going to be a colony of Tokyo. A Japanese bid for Fairchild Semiconductor of Silicon Valley was seen as a threat to American defense. Those fears seem laughable now. But here we go again, with new targets of anxiety.
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(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
You could shorten it to National Socialist. Just a thought.
Government exists for one reason, to maintain order so that we can all engage in commerce and make money. Do you disagree?
If you don't like debt, don't get into it. Not too complicated.
You blame all of this on free trade? My friend you are so miserably mistaken. Taxes. Taxes, taxes taxes. Nothing else comes close.
Sounds like he's blaming free trade for his mortgage.
Hell yes, I disagree
I know about that future possibility. And I fully expect that treaty will allow the UAE to remain in the OPEC price fixing scheme, therefore, "free" in name only.
Yeah, I don't see the U.S. exporting much crude oil or natural gas to the U.A.E. either. /sarc
wow, I'm scared now. the "we will pay a heavy price for daring to stand up against our UAE overlords" boogeyman.
let's see who the UAE turns to, a country where 50 iranian patrol boats and a few brigades of their soliders can take their "arab kingdom" down in 2 hours without the presence of the US military there.
"Increase in trade debt?" How does buying Swiss chocolate make me worse off (other than stretch my waistband)?
This is a new one on me. Please explain how free trade has caused me to borrow against my Master Card. I would have thought it was the lowest interest rates in 25 years and high home values that would have caused an increase in debt levels because every home owner is now able to refinance his/her credit card debt and take some money out of the old house.
Is that a bad thing? I don't know.
The really bad thing is taxes.
Let's see, the oil companies took 18 cents out of a gallon of gas during the "crisis" that we recently experienced with Katrina and such. The imperial Federal Government took 40 cents out of each gallon of gas.
We had hearings in congress where the Senators sat in judgement of the oil company executives and their record profits.
Even though the profit margins were maintained.
Where were the hearings about how much the government takes out of a gallon of gas? Did I miss them? Were they on the TV the night I got drunk? Were they in greek? I'll keep repeating that mantra until someone shoots me. Unless I see you and I shoot you first.
Increase in trade debt?" How does buying Swiss chocolate make me worse off (other than stretch my waistband)?
You really have no idea how this effects you in the long run? If you are serious how can you talk about free trade's effects?
I'll send you to a place that can make you understand. Google Hong Kong. If you don't, or if you think I am an idiot, fine, you lose. There is nothing more powerful than a society that is free and has a very low tax base. Nothing else matters. It really doesn't. Listen, I have been a de facto economist for decades. I don't know all the answers but I do know the truth. Free people unfettered by government and taxes can create enormous wealth. Absolutely enourmous wealth.
LOL!
That's because its proponents have to behave in a very 'protectionist' manner to get anyone to buy in. ;)
I thought about replying to you in freepmail but I thought I would go along with your AA friends. You should not post on this thread in your inebriated state.
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