Thanks!Do you think the Bush Adminstration should hand over security and control of several major ports to Dubai?
Well, we're not handing the ports over to Dubai. What's happening is that the British company that manages the ports is being purchased by a company based in Dubai. So it's very likely that in terms of people ';on the ground';, i.e. the ones in the port itself, there would be very little change. Basically all that will change is the profits from the port are going to another set of CEOs.
Furthermore, there would be no change in the safety procedures at the port. The procedures are federally mandated, and enforced by the US Coast Guard, so it's not as if the new company could change them, even if they wanted to.
Speaking of which, it's not clear why people are automatically assuming that this company is somehow connected to terrorism itself. The only reason given is that the company is based in Dubai. What this reason really means is that people are afraid of having an Arab company run the ports, since ';Arabs are terrorists'; or some similar racist dreck.
But the company that in question, Dubai Ports World, has never had a security problem before. In an article on CNN.com (see below), an expert on maritime security named Kim Peterson called DPW's security record ';exemplary';.
So the sale shouldn't be a problem, although the Bush Administration is arguably making a mistake in this situation.
Their mistake is not the sale of ports, or more accurately the sale of the port management company, but rather that instead of explaining to people why they're doing what they're doing, the Administration is simply saying that we should trust them and not offering any reason to do so. That arrogance has, for obvious reasons, raised hackles on both sides of the aisle.
In sum: the sale won't effect security at all, and the only problem is politics.Do you think the Bush Adminstration should hand over security and control of several major ports to Dubai?
No! Ive always been very supportive of this Administration but this is a major mistake.
Hells no! Bush has got to go. Everybody now. Hells no! Bush has got to go.....
We should not have a foreign company in this deal. Especially not an arab one... Ally or not, why give them a chance when the ports are already ripe for terrorism?
It's a global economy. They are our allies. The terrorists were the bad guys, not these business owners from the UAE.
What if all other countries based their business decisions on a few stupid Americans? No more Americans allowed to work or own businesses in foreign countries because of a few bad USA apples?
My understanding is that actual security will still be handled by the local ports, the local Coast Guard, etc. It's not like all the security personnel will suddenly be wearing robes and turbans. And even if they did, it doesn't mean that they're bad, they're just Arabs. As hard as it can be for some people to accept that, it's just the way it is. Arabs are good people, nice people, religious people. All of our decisions on how to treat them as immigrants, as neighbors, as business partners, as friends cannot be based on the actions of a few radical terrorists.
Yes, then we should let the mob control the Justice department, the ex-CEOs of Enron and WorldCom control the treasury, and Michael Moore be the president's body guard.
No way. It will make us more susceptible to terrorism. Thanks mr. bush
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