Comments on: 34% http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:59:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Brian in MA http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/comment-page-1/#comment-7260 Brian in MA Thu, 02 Mar 2006 14:18:55 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/#comment-7260 "Where have you heard this? Links, now. All the voices I’ve read and heard have said something VERY different and much more nuanced than this. Don’t agitprop on this site Brian if you know that other voices exist." Its simply a summarization of the basic premise. 1. Britain owns the company now, we're fine with Britain doing it, even though they are a foreign country with terrorists in the dark corners. 2. The U.A.E. will now own the company, we aren't fine with doing it because giving it to a Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern country purportedly presents us with a security threat. We will ignore the fact Dubai Ports World has ports all over the world. They have a pretty good website: http://www.dpiterminals.com/ Turns out they have ports in Australia, China(several, including 3 in HongKong), India, and Germany, among other places. If they are good enough for the countries that are supposedly our allies(Australia and Germany, China insofar as trade is concerned), why aren't they good enough for us? The answer is obvious, xenophobia. As far as I can tell, the company is a international legitimate business that wants to compete, and acquisition of US Port elements will only enhance their position in the market. Long story short, they probably aren't going to piss off the American market (and our Europenan allies) by allowing dangerous containers in to please the Imams, not if they value competition more than destroying the West. “Where have you heard this? Links, now. All the voices I’ve read and heard have said something VERY different and much more nuanced than this. Don’t agitprop on this site Brian if you know that other voices exist.”

Its simply a summarization of the basic premise.

1. Britain owns the company now, we’re fine with Britain doing it, even though they are a foreign country with terrorists in the dark corners.

2. The U.A.E. will now own the company, we aren’t fine with doing it because giving it to a Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern country purportedly presents us with a security threat. We will ignore the fact Dubai Ports World has ports all over the world.

They have a pretty good website: http://www.dpiterminals.com/

Turns out they have ports in Australia, China(several, including 3 in HongKong), India, and Germany, among other places.

If they are good enough for the countries that are supposedly our allies(Australia and Germany, China insofar as trade is concerned), why aren’t they good enough for us?

The answer is obvious, xenophobia. As far as I can tell, the company is a international legitimate business that wants to compete, and acquisition of US Port elements will only enhance their position in the market. Long story short, they probably aren’t going to piss off the American market (and our Europenan allies) by allowing dangerous containers in to please the Imams, not if they value competition more than destroying the West.

]]> By: GN http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/comment-page-1/#comment-7164 GN Wed, 01 Mar 2006 04:05:04 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/#comment-7164 All in all this is a money deal ...... someone at the apex stands to make bucks from this deal. That said, the issue is not very clear in terms of security, lateral benefits or long term alliances for the simple reason that it was sprung on the country from the back room (Again). the backlash from the citizenry (followed by politicians trying desparately to be in the good graces of voters) is rooted in the general lack of thought processes for most Americans. We are a busy people ... what, with all the consuming of goods and services and living at warp speed .... We know we are in a war .... we know that we are supposed to support the troops ... we know that we don't want another 9/11 .... we know that we cannot seem to close off our southern boder ....SO, we wonder why all of a sudden we are voluntarily opening up the seaboards? Why are we asking the "Crips" to guard the "Bloods" turf? this is our mentality .... the average american has NO CLUE how many of our ports are being operated by foreigners .. Hell, we are still internalizing the jobs that are being sent to other countries. We have lost our sophistication. We garner our news from pundits usurping the title of journalists. we live by sound byte ... and that is the sword these guys are falling on. the average adult in the U.S is thinking and deciding opinions as follows: Towers down ..this is bad Osama in the cave ...let's get him WMD ... this is bad Arab insurgents ... this is bad Iran is developing nukes ... Damn, more Arabs Hey, we're gonna let the arabs run our ports ... WHAT? What the fuck is going on? So many people beat thiese horses to death in great detail, lots of analysis and many educated opinions that we forget that americans are basically simple people who like the bottom line information. they are pissed off at the arrogance and secretiveness of the administration. They want answers. they probably will not get them. They will react at the polls. SO LONG, religous right! All in all this is a money deal …… someone at the apex stands to make bucks from this deal. That said, the issue is not very clear in terms of security, lateral benefits or long term alliances for the simple reason that it was sprung on the country from the back room (Again).
the backlash from the citizenry (followed by politicians trying desparately to be in the good graces of voters) is rooted in the general lack of thought processes for most Americans. We are a busy people … what, with all the consuming of goods and services and living at warp speed …. We know we are in a war …. we know that we are supposed to support the troops … we know that we don’t want another 9/11 …. we know that we cannot seem to close off our southern boder ….SO, we wonder why all of a sudden we are voluntarily opening up the seaboards? Why are we asking the “Crips” to guard the “Bloods” turf? this is our mentality …. the average american has NO CLUE how many of our ports are being operated by foreigners .. Hell, we are still internalizing the jobs that are being sent to other countries. We have lost our sophistication. We garner our news from pundits usurping the title of journalists. we live by sound byte … and that is the sword these guys are falling on.

the average adult in the U.S is thinking and deciding opinions as follows:

Towers down ..this is bad
Osama in the cave …let’s get him
WMD … this is bad
Arab insurgents … this is bad
Iran is developing nukes … Damn, more Arabs
Hey, we’re gonna let the arabs run our ports … WHAT? What the fuck is going on?

So many people beat thiese horses to death in great detail, lots of analysis and many educated opinions that we forget that americans are basically simple people who like the bottom line information. they are pissed off at the arrogance and secretiveness of the administration. They want answers. they probably will not get them. They will react at the polls. SO LONG, religous right!

]]> By: Justin Gardner http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/comment-page-1/#comment-7149 Justin Gardner Tue, 28 Feb 2006 22:32:06 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/#comment-7149 <blockquote>If his numbers keep dropping like this, he’ll NEVER get re-elected.</blockquote> Ha, I think you're right!

If his numbers keep dropping like this, he’ll NEVER get re-elected.

Ha, I think you’re right!

]]> By: Justin Gardner http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/comment-page-1/#comment-7148 Justin Gardner Tue, 28 Feb 2006 22:31:36 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/#comment-7148 <blockquote>1. The UAE is ARAB and MUSLIM! They are the enemy, they had 2/19 of the 9/11 terrorists, they are just trying to find a way to infiltrate US ports. I call this one the Witch Hunt model, because we’re esentially making all Arabs and all Muslims out to be as monolithic a group as the Nazis or the Communists (with the same megalomaniacal intentions).</blockquote> Where have you heard this? Links, now. All the voices I've read and heard have said something VERY different and much more nuanced than this. Don't agitprop on this site Brian if you know that other voices exist.

1. The UAE is ARAB and MUSLIM! They are the enemy, they had 2/19 of the 9/11 terrorists, they are just trying to find a way to infiltrate US ports. I call this one the Witch Hunt model, because we’re esentially making all Arabs and all Muslims out to be as monolithic a group as the Nazis or the Communists (with the same megalomaniacal intentions).

Where have you heard this? Links, now. All the voices I’ve read and heard have said something VERY different and much more nuanced than this. Don’t agitprop on this site Brian if you know that other voices exist.

]]> By: Jeff B. http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/comment-page-1/#comment-7121 Jeff B. Tue, 28 Feb 2006 15:49:58 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/#comment-7121 I still haven't seen any port security expert say that this is a problem. Until I see that, it makes me think that this may not be a security threat. In that case Bush should be commended for making a benign decision instead of a destructive one, which is all we can hope for from him. I still haven’t seen any port security expert say that this is a problem. Until I see that, it makes me think that this may not be a security threat. In that case Bush should be commended for making a benign decision instead of a destructive one, which is all we can hope for from him.

]]> By: DosPeros http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/comment-page-1/#comment-7120 DosPeros Tue, 28 Feb 2006 15:21:30 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/#comment-7120 On a similar front, Harry Truman's poll numbers at an all time high -- look out Dewey. On a similar front, Harry Truman’s poll numbers at an all time high — look out Dewey.

]]> By: Joshua http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/comment-page-1/#comment-7118 Joshua Tue, 28 Feb 2006 14:57:43 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/#comment-7118 Gates of Vienna has an intriguing theory on why Bush has been so gung-ho about this UAE port deal: <a href="http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2006/02/strategic-exigencies.html" rel="nofollow">He may be trying to keep the UAE in the American fold in the event of U.S. military action against Iran.</a> (BTW, the "Joshua Pundit" quoted in the linked post is <b>not</b> yours truly, although to let you in on a little secret I'm thinking about launching a blog of my own.) Gates of Vienna has an intriguing theory on why Bush has been so gung-ho about this UAE port deal: He may be trying to keep the UAE in the American fold in the event of U.S. military action against Iran. (BTW, the “Joshua Pundit” quoted in the linked post is not yours truly, although to let you in on a little secret I’m thinking about launching a blog of my own.)

]]> By: Lonely Federalist http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/comment-page-1/#comment-7115 Lonely Federalist Tue, 28 Feb 2006 13:50:32 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/#comment-7115 If his numbers keep dropping like this, he'll NEVER get re-elected. If his numbers keep dropping like this, he’ll NEVER get re-elected.

]]> By: Brian in MA http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/comment-page-1/#comment-7110 Brian in MA Tue, 28 Feb 2006 09:20:05 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/02/27/34/#comment-7110 Oh please, not more "approval rating" polls. Bush's "approval rating" doesn't matter since he won't be running for office again. The American public at large is a herd of sheep. Something bad happens, Pres. Approval rating down Something good happens, Pres. Approval rating up. I've basicaly heard two sides: 1. The UAE is ARAB and MUSLIM! They are the enemy, they had 2/19 of the 9/11 terrorists, they are just trying to find a way to infiltrate US ports. I call this one the Witch Hunt model, because we're esentially making all Arabs and all Muslims out to be as monolithic a group as the Nazis or the Communists (with the same megalomaniacal intentions). 2. The UAE is an ally in the war on terror(and in general), we have naval bases there that are extremely helpful for reaching other areas of the middle east, the UAE sent us massive aid after Katrina struck and, like Iraq, will be a cornerstone in trying to rid the Middle East if terror. In addition, the Dubai company leases in ports all over the world. I think Model 1 has less merit. There are homegrown terrorists here and terrorists in Britain (London bombings, anyone?), the Middle East is not the only place where terrorists prop up. In addition, the Witch Hunt mentality is innaccurate because it isn't like Iraq became "not Arab" and "not Muslim" after we kicked Saddam out. The more allies we have in the Middle East the better and I don't see how makin it economically advantageous for elements of the Middle East not to blow our ports up is a bad thing. Oh please, not more “approval rating” polls. Bush’s “approval rating” doesn’t matter since he won’t be running for office again.

The American public at large is a herd of sheep.

Something bad happens, Pres. Approval rating down

Something good happens, Pres. Approval rating up.

I’ve basicaly heard two sides:

1. The UAE is ARAB and MUSLIM! They are the enemy, they had 2/19 of the 9/11 terrorists, they are just trying to find a way to infiltrate US ports. I call this one the Witch Hunt model, because we’re esentially making all Arabs and all Muslims out to be as monolithic a group as the Nazis or the Communists (with the same megalomaniacal intentions).

2. The UAE is an ally in the war on terror(and in general), we have naval bases there that are extremely helpful for reaching other areas of the middle east, the UAE sent us massive aid after Katrina struck and, like Iraq, will be a cornerstone in trying to rid the Middle East if terror. In addition, the Dubai company leases in ports all over the world.

I think Model 1 has less merit. There are homegrown terrorists here and terrorists in Britain (London bombings, anyone?), the Middle East is not the only place where terrorists prop up. In addition, the Witch Hunt mentality is innaccurate because it isn’t like Iraq became “not Arab” and “not Muslim” after we kicked Saddam out. The more allies we have in the Middle East the better and I don’t see how makin it economically advantageous for elements of the Middle East not to blow our ports up is a bad thing.

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