Quote :

" What are the Arabs to think? James J. Zogby, The Baltimore Sun There's been a virtual frenzy with senators, congressmen and governors jumping over each other to take the lead in bashing the Dubai port deal, the United Arab Emirates or the Bush administration. It's all being done, critics say, in the name of national security. But, in reality, what is taking place is nothing more than crass political posturing and an irresponsible and ill-informed attack on an Arab country that has been a strong ally of the United States. At its essence, three factors are driving this ruckus: It's an election year, the public has a continued concern about national security and there's an Arab country involved. Elected officials are preying on the public's fear by exploiting an Arab bogey man. The language they've used is shameful, irresponsible and downright false. But in election year politics, it doesn't matter. Because it involves an Arab country, members of Congress assume they won't be called to account for a falsehood. Smearing all things Arab remains the last acceptable form of ethnic bigotry in America. As a result of this mind set, the UAE, one of America's closest Mideast allies in the war on terror -- a country that has sent troops to fight alongside ours in Afghanistan, complied with all of our antiterrorism initiatives and provides the largest base port for U.S. military ships -- is being called a "rogue government," an "Islamic fascist" state, and the "home of terrorists." In the Middle East, people are scratching their heads. If the UAE, which has stuck its neck out to support the United States, can be treated with such scorn, some ask, what's the point of being a friend of America? • • • It is ironic and troubling that U.S. public diplomacy czar Karen Hughes recently was in the UAE to promote America, and that UAE and U.S. trade teams last week entered yet another round in their talks toward establishing a free trade agreement. Hughes must feel like packing it up and going back to Texas. If this anti-UAE campaign succeeds, there is no public diplomacy campaign that can salvage the damage. Arabs, you see -- not unlike any other people -- react not by what you say about yourself but by how you treat them. Having said all this, the current exercise in Arab bashing is, in fact, nothing more than election year politicking at its worst, with Democrats feeling that President Bush is vulnerable and piling on and Republicans feeling vulnerable and joining the fray. If it weren't so serious and dangerous, it might be comical. We've seen scenes like this before, as congressmen and senators trip over each other on their way to the microphone, calculating just how outrageous they need to be to guarantee that their sound bite will be the one on the evening news. In this game, facts don't matter. Instead, with officials hyperventilating on their own rhetoric, exaggerations abound. Especially disturbing is that the legitimate issue of port security has been lost in the melee. If Congress really wanted to have a debate about port security and the failings of the current system, it would be talking about increasing funding for hiring more customs officials, beefing up our Coast Guard presence and providing additional equipment to screen more of the containers that enter our country. This is what is needed. Regardless of what company owns the management of our ports, the security issues remain in the hands of the Department of Homeland Security. Instead of a real debate, we're given scapegoating. Instead of making us more secure, politicians engage in the exercise of isolating us more from the world and damaging our relationship with an important ally in the Middle East. They ought to be ashamed. They owe an apology not only to the UAE but also to the American people. But since politics and shame are estranged bedfellows, I'm not holding my breath. (James J. Zogby is president of the Arab American Institute.) "

There are some things that I agree with in this article. I am a little tired of the enthusiastic Bush-bashing. Even if you're right, it's not going to get us anywhere right now. I understand that it is an election year, and there's a need to make Republicans look as incompetent as possible--I realize that is a very simple way of putting it. But, much like the author of this article, I'm not interested in politics anymore.

So anyway, will port security really remain in the hands of the Department of Homeland Security?
And what does that mean? And surely this issue reaches farther than just security issues. I mean, doesn't this mean the UAE will be making loot with our stuff?

[Edited on March 3, 2006 at 12:26 PM. Reason : sss]

3/3/2006 12:20:53 PM

Quote :

" So anyway, will port security really remain in the hands of the Department of Homeland Security? "

No. We will contract all our national security to foreign nations.

Quote :

" And what does that mean? And surely this issue reaches farther than just security issues. I mean, doesn't this mean the UAE will be making loot with our stuff? "

Yes. Because all other ports are run by American companies.

Seriously. Everyone in this god damn forum is so increadibly stupid to how things actually work in this country.

Learn2notsoundbite.

3/3/2006 12:52:18 PM

^Could you delete that post, please? You seem to think that I have picked a side on this matter, and that you must attack me to make a point. I have said nothing worth attacking. Did you even read the opinion piece that I posted? I thought you would appreciate it because it seems to support much of what you've been saying so far. Except the author of the piece doesn't get bitchy like you.

[Edited on March 3, 2006 at 12:58 PM. Reason : sss]

3/3/2006 12:56:30 PM

port management companies are the ones that hire port security

if you think the coast guard or any other agency can do it all you are just kidding yourself

3/3/2006 1:04:07 PM

All I know is that when I hear the word "Arab," I get scared.

3/3/2006 4:52:35 PM

^ hahahahaha, u scared of me then?


the article discribes the situation perfectly. nothing to add or subtract

3/3/2006 5:36:29 PM

BridgetSPK, he wasn't directing that at you. SandSanta has been going on about the UAE deal for a week now with people that just don't get it. He responded with sarcasm towards your questions not because he wanted to be rude to you, but because he had answered them many times in other threads.

Quote :

"And what does that mean? And surely this issue reaches farther than just security issues. I mean, doesn't this mean the UAE will be making loot with our stuff?"

Maybe not. Maybe the UAE will be an incompetent manager, just like the previous managers, and will lose their shirt. In a free market, their ports must compete with every other port in North America (NAFTA, remember?) and at time it can get intense.

[Edited on March 4, 2006 at 1:03 AM. Reason : .,.]

3/4/2006 1:01:38 AM

he hasn't answered shit
all he has done is make sarcastic remarks and then insult people if they dont agree

3/4/2006 3:09:18 AM

^ I stand corrected... my bad.

3/4/2006 9:12:40 AM