« Not Quite Treason, but Close | Main | Dubai Ports World Must Not Take Over Port Operations »

February 21, 2006

Captain Subtext on Dubai Ports World

There has been so much heat and so little light on the subject of Dubai Ports World acquiring P&O — resulting in a government-owned company from the UAE (a [Persian] Gulf monarchy friendly, for some time now at least, to American interests) taking over the operation of some major US ports from a private British company, rather than giving control of those same ports to a government-owned company from Singapore (a SE Asian right-wing dictatorship friendly, for some time now at least, to American interests) — that it is clearly time for Captain Subtext to fire up his Helmet of Truth Detection.

Glenn Reynolds: I would like to point out an issue that I don't have time to discuss. And I have developed a truly novel idea about this issue, which the margins of this blog are too small to contain.

Chuck Schumer and Congressional Democrats: Here's an issue on which I can cheaply score points on national security and with the anti-Arab fringe, while digging into my political opponent without actually appearing partisan or racist. Score!

Bill Frist and Congressional Republicans: Maybe if I play up this issue, I can score some points with centrists and distract everyone from the fact that I'm a terribly ineffective Senate Majority Leader.

George Bush:

I do want to talk about this port issue. A foreign company manages some of our ports. They've entered into a transaction with another foreign company to manage our ports. This is a process that has been extensively reviewed, particularly from the point of view as to whether or not I can say to the American people, this project will not jeopardize our security. It's been looked at by those who have been charged with the security of our country. And I believe the deal should go forward. This company operates all around the world. I have the list somewhere. We can get you the list. They're in Germany and elsewhere -- Australia.*

They -- in working with our folks, they've agreed to make sure that their coordination with our security folks is good and solid. I really don't understand why it's okay for a British company to operate our ports, but not a company from the Middle East, when our experts are convinced that port security is not an issue; that having worked with this company, they're convinced that these -- they'll work with those who are in charge of the U.S. government's responsibility for securing the ports, they'll work hand in glove. I want to remind people that when we first put out the Container Security Initiative, the CSI, which was a new way to secure our ports, UAE was one of the first countries to sign up.

In other words, we're receiving goods from ports out of the UAE, as well as where this company operates. And so I, after careful review of our government, I believe the government ought to go forward. And I want those who are questioning it to step up and explain why all of a sudden a Middle Eastern company is held to a different standard than a Great British [sic] company. I'm trying to conduct foreign policy now by saying to people of the world, we'll treat you fairly. And after careful scrutiny, we believe this deal is a legitimate deal that will not jeopardize the security of the country, and at the same time, send that signal that we're willing to treat people fairly.

ThinkProgress: Everything is a security, and thus necessarily military, issue on which the Pentagon should be consulted, so long as it hurts a Republican if we say so.

The Nation: The real problem is corporations. What? You don't see it!? Come on people! Some assholes have the temerity to pool their funds to "invest" in "making money"! How are you not getting this?!

Governors Pataki and Ehrlich: We have utterly forgotten Gibbons v. Ogden, which ironically involved New York.

Markos Zuniga: [low, gleeful chuckling interspersed with the occasional cackle as Kos realizes he's to the right of Bush on this issue]

Dave Schuler: Have you all lost your minds!? Have any of you actually bothered to step back from demagoguing the issue long enough to look at actual facts? Apparently not.

Posted by jeff at February 21, 2006 8:06 PM

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.caerdroia.org/MT/mt-tb.cgi/868

Comments

Posted by: Dave Schuler at February 21, 2006 7:45 PM