From the European point of view the high US-defict is indeed a problem in this world, since the US currency has become dependant from the goodwill in China and the Middle East. You guys simply spent much too much money. Nobody should forget that debts have to be paid sooner or later.
If the reliability of America suffers because of a hype against foreign investments there will be damage for all of us in the western hemisphere. Since your coast guard and your customs are those being responsible for the security in American ports this alarmism is difficult to understand from the outside.
We Europeans made good experiences with investors from the middle East. As normal businessmen they do not want to loose their money with crazy terrorism but want to earn more in stable conditions. The biggest shareholders of the (German-US) Daimler-Benz AG are i.e. Kuweit and Dubai International Capital.
In the short run this development is not bad for us Europeans since our firms are going to skim the money from Dubai and others in the near future. Thinking in bigger dimensions we have reason to be afraid of a change in the leading currencies. If the value of the dollar is dominated by political considerations big holders of the greenback like China and the whole Middle East will try to do their business in euros then. This could lead to fundamental problems in the US economy that has a great benefit from the dollar as the leading currency on this planet.
"""From the European point of view the high US-defict is indeed a problem""
You realize dont you that the USA would not have such a large trade deficit if 10% of Europe wasnt chronically unemployed and EuRo zone GDP growth wasnt perenially stuck at 1%
Frankly if the US consumer didnt spend so much money, the global economy would fall into a deep recession.
"Since your coast guard and your customs are those being responsible for the security in American ports this alarmism is difficult to understand from the outside."
Maybe you haven't read the articles about the weaknesses still present in our Coast Guard port security. Look up the thread titled:
"Port Security Is Still A House Of Cards"
I'm sorry Europe doesn't yet understand our "alarmism" as you say. We still remember well the lives lost and damage done on Sept. 11, 2001, so forgive us Americans for being still deeply concerned about national security.
Hopefully, Europe will not have to see greater damage before fully understanding our point of view.