Posted on 03/09/2006 10:42:42 AM PST by navysealdad
Dubai Ports Worls to divest itself of all American interests
I think you've got a point.
The fact is that a national government has more money and leverage then a private company. we can essentially sell every major port/airport/manufacturing facility to foriegn governments because they can afford it.
It makes sense strategically for them, because they will make money off of the US, and own a vital commercial vein.
Thats why China owns stuff on the western shore etc.
I'm skeptical of any government ownership of anything, whether its the government run schools, tollways, or ports.
Whether it's our government or someone elses.
Which begs the question; why is Dubai so interested in obtaining a concern that is NOT a "profit center"?
"Personally I am glad to see a majority of Americans stand up for something whether I agree with them or not."
huh? The majority of Americans are ignorant and only know what the sound bites at 6:00 feed them. Well done, Americans!
Wonder what they will "stand up for" next?? I can hardly wait!
And that's it in a nutshell. That's what all the "War on Islam" folks just don't get. Heaven forbid we actually have a bit of strategy. Heaven forbid we actually try to use the Middle East against itself.
This whole thing makes me sick. I thought at least on FR there'd be more rationale than in the general public. I guess when it comes to hysterics, everyone is susceptible, even the "intellectuals".
Sounds like Bush picked up the phone and told them it's over and this is their revised plan. I guess this "issue" is off the table now. If Bush was smart he would use this as an opportunity to educate and chastise the Congress about how ignorant they are.
Int he 1970s and 1980s, U.S. flag shipping lines, carring high labor costs and tax and regulatory burdens, faced increasingly tough competition from foreign companies, which employed low-cost Asian crews and operated under flags of convenience from countries with mroe relaxed regulatory and tax policies. Over time, several American companies were bought by foreign owners. In 1997, APL was bought by Singapore's NOL. In 1999, CSX Corp. sold Sea-Land to AP Moller-Maersk, the Copenhagen-based operator of the largest container-shipping network in the world.The American divestment was driven partly by economics in an industry where margins are historically low. . . .
At the same time, the foreign ship lines were securing leases to operate container terminals in the US and buying terminal-operating companies. West Coast port authorities in particular were eager to lock in the foreign ship lines by leasing them terminals so thatthe ship lines had a reason to stay and were less able to play one port against another to try to get the best deal.
I've learned more than I ever wanted to know about how ports run!
Labor costs? Out-the-wazzoo regulations? Razor-thin profit margins?
Let's get real, these "allies" of ours in the ME aren't really friends, we're allies because we need each other, even though we hate each other's guts.
The government of the UAE may well not harbor nasty intentions towards us, but that isn't the point at all, and it's amazing how many people stubbornly don't get it.
Damn right it does. Don't think our military is being allowed to use their ports and bases out of the goodness of their hearts. They are getting something out of the deal. They wanted the ports deal and the American public didn't. For whatever reason that's what it boils down to. Sell 'em a Pizza Hut or a Starbucks or something. In a post 911 world the American public just isn't ready for this deal no matter how many times they are called dumb, stupid, uninformed racists.
APL, which manages terminals in Oakland, Los Angeles, Seattle and Alaska, is owned by the NOL Group, which is majority owned by the Singapore government.
The Chinese government owns part of a company that operates a terminal at the Port of Long Beach.
That company, Cosco Container Lines, a division of China Cosco, caused a stir similar to the current one back in 1998.
Cosco ships had been calling on the Port of Long Beach for many years, using a public terminal. In the late 1990s, it wanted to build its own terminal at the former Long Beach Naval Station, says Howard Finkel, a senior vice president with Cosco.
The deal raised national-security concerns and Congress passed a bill that effectively scuttled it.
A few years later, other tenants at the port vacated space and Cosco was able to build its own terminal, says Art Wong, public information office for the Port of Long Beach.
That terminal is operated by a joint venture between Cosco and a U.S. company, Stevedoring Services of America. "Cosco is the majority lease holder with 51 percent, says Wong.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Quite honestly, Bush has to take some responsibility for this mess. He needs to C O M M U N I C A T E with the people who elected him.
I'm over his mis-handling of event after event. Ok, so UAE is an ally - tell us more !!!
Ok, so the war in Iraq is going well - tell us more !!!
I SOOO want to back him up but time after time, everyone one but HIM has to come out to defend things.
I think it turns a profit. My point was that no US Company will buy it unless they think THEY can turn a profit at it.
Business 101.
We have been using their ports for a long time since before the 1st gulf war.
Our Congressmen and Senators are a bunch of spineless cowards - I will NEVER vote for one for president if this is how they work!
Two points:
1) Agreed! European socialism is inherently stupid.
2) The word terrorism is getting awfully overused. It would be challenging NOT to have higher birth rates than the European nationals. They are sowing the seeds of their own demise. To call outpacing their birthrates terrorism gives a little too much credit to the Europeans.
And Muslims are not a race. People are not born Muslim.
You should be checking out Jihad watch and Faithfreedom each day. The forums at FaithFreedom are something else
http://www.faithfreedom.org/forum.htm
http://jihadwatch.org/
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