The rift between Bush and Republican Congressmen gets worse.

[Imran Siddiqui]

KH

It is sad that at the same time the US claims it isn't a war against Islam any Islamic country (especially one of the more modern and capitalistic) raises security concerns. Xenophobia is a good word for describing this.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Apocalypse
Yeah, more views and no responses because some people just like to bash Bush and don't know what to do when it turns out to be the left.

Nah, I clicked on the link, but there's no way I read these long articles. Thus, I can only react to one liners.

[Spiffor]

Oh, and if you consider port operations to be strategic, nationalize them already, instead of being half-assedly following market forces, only while these forces are American.

[Colon™]

What people seem to be overlooking is whether port-related security issues can be affected in the first place.

...

But will letting DP World operate there really make a material difference to that risk? Nobody denies that Dubai, though pro-western, is a notoriously porous place, with blind eyes reputedly turned to shipments of drugs and arms. A.Q. Khan's Pakistani nuclear-smuggling network, for instance, was hidden behind a Dubai front. But that does not mean DP World is unfit. It is a globally respected firm with an American chief operating officer, Ted Bilkey, and an American-educated chairman. When Mr Bush nominated an American manager from DP World to a ports post in the Department of Transport last month, nobody objected (though they are complaining now). The company will not own the American ports and it has no incentive to run them badly. Just as under P&O, American coast guards, customs and immigration people will remain fully responsible for security.

The United Arab Emirates is a member of America's Container Security Initiative, which allows American customs officials to inspect cargo in foreign ports before it leaves for America. The employees will continue to be unionised (and presumably patriotic) American citizens. Any Arab employees whom DP World ships in will be subject to American visa approval, no easy matter nowadays.

Alas, America's politicians seem to be in no mood to discuss this issue rationally. So much easier, and more popular, to base policy on the prejudice that every Arab is a potential terrorist.

http://economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=5551176

[Sandman]

There's no way America would ever do anything that sensible.

Edit - in reply to Spiffor

[Colon™]

Nationalizing port operations would affect security, how? You might just as well forbid foreign shipping companies from entering American ports then.

[Ramo]

As I said in the other thread, the UAE port "scandal" is all about irrational xenophobia. And it's sad that the Dems are playing on this sentiment. A more reasonable basis for objecting the deal would be that the UAE is a brutal dictatorship with no labor and few political rights, and therefore it shouldn't get any of our tax dollars, but UAE = Arab/Muslim = al Qaeda connection that Congress is making is just pathetic.

And whatever short term political benefit this is getting the Dems, this will bite them in the ass in the end. I wouldn't mind so much if they sat back and let Frist, Hastert, and Boehner cannibalize Bush, but they shouldn't be legitimizing this sort of idiocy.

Tom Delay has consistently fought against pork barrel deals for corporate interests at least

This is the man who presided over nearly the quadrupling of earmarks during the past several years.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
KH

It is sad that at the same time the US claims it isn't a war against Islam any Islamic country (especially one of the more modern and capitalistic) raises security concerns. Xenophobia is a good word for describing this.

Using the same attack you use, I can call all people who oppose affirmative action as being racist.

[Apocalypse]

Most are...

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by Apocalypse
Most are...

[Bosh]

Originally posted by Japher
Hilary IS a moron

Bush is acting like one

Bob Dole also lobbied for the deal while his wife spoke out against it. Same thingie...

[Drake Tungsten]

Racism, xenophobia triumph once again in US politics

[MrFun]

Is that a thumbs down to an unfair, ignorant post by Imran, Drake?

[Drake Tungsten]

The post I quoted was by KrazyHorse and the thumbs down indicates that I agree with him that the racism and xenophobia on display in America over the Dubai ports deal is sad. I also agree with Imran, whose post was neither unfair nor ignorant.

[Bosh]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
The post I quoted was by KrazyHorse and the thumbs down indicates that I agree with him that the racism and xenophobia on display in America over the Dubai ports deal is sad. I also agree with Imran, whose post was neither unfair nor ignorant.

Exactly, as if having a foreign company operate cranes n' **** could actually cause any security problems.

Oh well, live by national security hysteria, die by national security hysteria...