Posted on 03/14/2006 2:00:29 PM PST by Conservative Coulter Fan
There is much hand-wringing over the collapse of the Dubai port deal.
There is much gnashing of teeth in Washington.
There is much finger-pointing going on – much blame being spread.
President Bush says he's troubled by the political storm that reversed the deal: "I'm concerned about a broader message this issue could send to our friends and allies around the world, particularly in the Middle East."
Then, of course, it stands to reason he should have thought this process through a little better. The political storm is of his own making. It was predictable – if only he didn't have a tin political ear, he should have realized the American people might not take this lying down. If only he had a realistic and pragmatic understanding of the kinds of people he is crawling into bed with in the Middle East, he might have made the right decision in the first place.
Then there was U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow, who said the United States is still "open for business." He continued: "I don't view this as anything but an isolated incident. We don't want to be isolationist. We don't want to turn our backs on the rest of the world." Here's a guy who doesn't get it. Here's a guy who is in denial. Here's a guy who chaired the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which approved the plan. Before accepting his Cabinet post, Snow was chairman of CSX Railroad. Shortly after Snow joined the Bush White House, CSX sold their international ports contracts to Dubai Ports World for over $1 billion. So when he says the United States is still open for business, this is evidently what he means.
I also don't care about what Pierce Bush, the president's nephew, or his father Neil Bush, the president's brother, have to say in their defense of the deal. Their company, Ignite Learning, has major investors in the United Arab Emirates. In fact, the Bush family and Cabinet is up to their eyeballs in conflicts of interest that should have disqualified their consideration of this front company for the oil sheikhs as a potential operator for U.S. ports.
I also don't care whether other Arab companies ever invest in the United States again. In fact, I hope they don't – at least until they join humanity by recognizing fundamental human rights at home. So, please, don't tell me how this is going to be bad for business here in the United States. I don't want the oil sheikhs to have any more influence on U.S. policy-making than they already have.
And I'm not losing any sleep over the fact that the UAE has "coincidentally" postponed trade talks with the United States. The oil sheikhs need to remember that they need us more than we need them. Maybe Americans need to remember that, too.
President Bush likes to portray the so-called "moderate" Arab countries as "good guys" in the war on terrorism. If he really believes that, he is incredibly naive.
Al-Qaida's war with the West would never have begun without their subsidies of hate and fear and terror. And those subsidies continue today.
Whenever I speak out bluntly like this about the reality of Middle East politics, someone always writes in accusing me of "hating" Arabs.
That is so funny.
I speak the truth because, as an American of Arabic ancestry, I have a deep fondness and love for Arabs. I want them to be free – just like I want all people to have a chance at freedom. But the sad truth is they will never be free as long as the oil sheikhs protect themselves by stirring up hate and resentment against "infidels" everywhere – as long as they continue to provide the people with scapegoats who are to blame for all their problems.
I never pull any punches in my writings. I tell people exactly what I believe – and why I believe it. In the case of the Middle East, my views are shaped by my experience on the ground as a correspondent as well as my worldview as an Arab-American Christian.
The United States cannot afford to be seduced by the money and the power of the oil sheikhs. They are not part of the solution in the Middle East. They are part of the problem.
One man in the administration in limited situations. Rhetoric repeated over and over on Fox News by the administration's talking heads combined with almost weekly speeches on the War on Some Terrorism didn't help the general public's feelings towards Dubai at all
btt
I'm merely saying all or nothing, everyone or no one. My understanding is few/if any of these terminals are solely run by domestic companies so any awful lot of money is going to have to come from somewhere to buyout all the contracts and joint ventures currently in place. Also, why just the ports, how about airport terminals?
I was unaware of any pending legislation concerning other foreign operators, good catch, I will look for more info bill numbers, cosponsors, etc....
we were at war with Dubai? Lets see how hard the WOT will be when the whole Arab world becomes as transparent and cooperative as Iran. treat you partners like the enemy and thats what you're gonna get.
It's not a matter of waking up. Everyone's awake. Nobody wants to do without. "Waking up" involves letting grandma die because we honestly cannot afford the cost of treatment to keep her on dialysis (example). So the wake up argument is a non-starter. We need to make hard secular choices.
"After 4+ years of the administration's whipping up the masses against anything and everything Arabic, what else did they think would happen?"
Good point. Now lets think about this one. Here we are in the USA and our own Government is posting terrorist threats. Is that terrorizing citizens? Kind of absurd to think about it, isn't it?
this country looks like a bunch of DUMASSES.
Take a look at Dubai's response. Then tell the MAJORITY of Americans that they are "DUMBASSES".
Once again, I see this minority of a so called democracy telling the Republic that they are stupid.
Get lost.
" treat you partners like the enemy and thats what you're gonna get."
Treat enemies like your friends and think of what your going to get!
"hoodwinked by hysterical opportunistic pols.....like Schumer and Hillary."
Absolutely amazing...rofl. It's not like maybe you got hoodwinked by the lobbying of Albright, Clinton, Dashle, etc.
Bwwahhaaaaaaa
hell of way to try and make friends especially after they stuck their necks out in a tough neighborhood and offered to help us.
"Once again, I see this minority of a so called democracy telling the Republic that they are stupid."
Yep. Waaay too much animosity about this deal not going down.
Reasonable minds may differ, FRiends. The deal didnt go down, so just get over it and move on.
BTTT!
"well.. China and Singapore has government owned/controlled companies managing our ports, when are we going to kick them out? Or is their an unwritten rule to allow Communist and Asians to do these jobs?"
I agree wholeheartedly, let's buy ALL foreign businesses out of positions that are important to America's national security and auction those positions off to American hands. But I don't expect you'll be writing your Congressman about that any time soon, will you?
Not in and of itself if two aspects are met.
1) the threat is real, which in reality they probably aren't. The national government is nothing more than a bumbling bureaucracy. To believe they have stopped each and every threat with no failure is beyond the pale
2) the government allows local authorities to handle the situation as much as possible, which considering the size of the 'threats' the government warns us about makes that aspect unviable.
Are there threats out there? Probably so. Are the threats at the level or number the government tells us about? Doubtful.
I'm just wondering if 'conservatives' will be as gung-ho about 'homeland' security when eventually a Democratic administration comes into power. Somehow, I'm thinking they won't be. Now either the threat is real or it isn't, regardless of the party in power. However if the threat somehow becomes less real when another party is in power, all these current threats are nothing more than partisan posturing to make sure the 'right' party stays in power (sheep vote for whoever protects them the most). As I can't tell the difference between the parties much anymore, I could care less
Just out of curiosity, under your thinking, shouldn't we be doing business with North Korea and Cuba? Or is our national policy against trading with them irrational and not in our best interests?
"Absolutely amazing...rofl. It's not like maybe you got hoodwinked by the lobbying of Albright, Clinton, Dashle, etc."
You forgot Carter. Never forget Carter.
Nope, because management has nothing to do with security, be it China, Singapore or the UAE.
First off, your analogy is incomplete.
You forgot the part where you also hide money from the people that robbed my house, and you pay off a bonus to the families of people that murder my friends. You also left off the part where you threaten that if I don't invite you to dinner you'll stop selling gas and supplies to me at your store, and not 'let me' run the security concession for your business any more (even though you live in a high crime 'hood), and the other people interested in running your business' security would probably also take your stuff.
Further, it's incorrect. Where you say "I decide to buy the house down the street, maybe rent it, maybe fix it up hell I might move in," you add all these additional possibilities that never occurred. Nobody said you'd rent it, fix it, move in yourself, or improve it at all. You told us you were just going to be responsible for its upkeep and buying it as an investment. And we didn't like that idea because we've seen the neighborhood you come from, and don't like what your side of the tracks looks like, and know you are far more connected to your 'hood than you'll ever be to a home you're buying as an investment.
"Obviously you are against DPW taking ove P&O,I ask how is DPW any worse than Red China?"
You act as if the reaction was going to be "Then we should let the UAE in, because we need MORE security risks like China." DPW isn't worse than China. It's the SAME. We should get them out, too. Question answered.
Then we should probably contract out our defense R&D management to them, too. After all, we can probably get Chinese or UAE to do R&D cheaper, and management doesn't have anything to do with security.
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