How Do YOU Feel About The Possible Port Purchase and Why?

[Gravitymaster 0]

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That's an interesting view of globalisation.. So maybe all American companies should move out of other countries and go home? or does it only work one way?

No problem with businesses doing business within other countries, but selling off the land to foriegn interest... something just does not seem right with that. There is a sale tag on everything in the US. A number of countries do not allow outside interest to own the property they establish factories and office space on. It should be that way here in the US. I am sure that the UAE most likely holds the deeds on a large number of property in the US. Does any Americans own property in Arabia or is it only held in trust like in Mexico.

There is no land sale going on. This is just a management contract. It doesn't involve turning over security or selling anything other than the contract.

[Gravitymaster 0]

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As I said in the other thread -

Port operations != customs/security inspections.

I do find it amusing how the same people that were screaming about Bechtel and others not getting the base support contracts are now screaming about a non-US company getting this one...

As for the people muttering about payoffs... show me the money. If you've got proof, trot it out.

I'd love to hear the reaction if the contract had been awarded to Haliburton.

[mnealtx 0]

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I'd love to hear the reaction if the contract had been awarded to Haliburton.

I'd hear the dz.com server groaning from all the "Payoff!" posts all the way over here in Kosovo!

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Darius11 12]

I think GWB has lost his mind.
I don’t even get it. I have heard arguments for the sell stating economics!!!!!!!! How much have we spent on fighting a war, and terrorist threats? Now we are going to give control of our gates to a country that hates us.

I can’t believe it.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[Gravitymaster 0]

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I think GWB has lost his mind.
I don’t even get it. I have heard arguments for the sell stating economics!!!!!!!! How much have we spent on fighting a war, and terrorist threats? Now we are going to give control of our gates to a country that hates us.

I can’t believe it.

I'm kind of surprised at your reaction to this. Dubai has been a strong supporter of the US in the fight against terrorism. The also manage the port at Jebel Ali and were the first Arab country to sign a pact with the US in 2004 to deter the use of containers for use in terrorism. They provide logistical support for the US in Afghanistan and are also a major producer of oil and are currently involved in signing a free trade agreement with the US. This seems like a pretty straight business deal to me. It certainly cannot be said that Dubai supports any terrorism and the contract is just for DPO-Dubai, a private company in the UAE, to provide management of the ports, which they obviously have a great deal of experience. I view this as Islamophobia gone wild and cannot understand why people automatically associate a company from a very moderate Arab country as a threat.

[Darius11 12]

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I think GWB has lost his mind.
I don’t even get it. I have heard arguments for the sell stating economics!!!!!!!! How much have we spent on fighting a war, and terrorist threats? Now we are going to give control of our gates to a country that hates us.

I can’t believe it.

I'm kind of surprised at your reaction to this. Dubai has been a strong supporter of the US in the fight against terrorism. The also manage the port at Jebel Ali and were the first Arab country to sign a pact with the US in 2004 to deter the use of containers for use in terrorism. They provide logistical support for the US in Afghanistan and are also a major producer of oil and are currently involved in signing a free trade agreement with the US. This seems like a pretty straight business deal to me. It certainly cannot be said that Dubai supports any terrorism and the contract is just for DPO-Dubai, a private company in the UAE, to provide management of the ports, which they obviously have a great deal of experience. I view this as Islamophobia gone wild and cannot understand why people automatically associate a company from a very moderate Arab country as a threat.

Maybe I don’t have the right information. I have not researched this I just have heard details from the news.
I thought it was a state run company. If the case is that it is a state run company then we have some issues.
Where are the workers that they are going to use from?
My understanding is that the main stream media is anti US. Even if most of the citizens are not anti US it makes us too much of an easy target, and to accessible to people who want to hurt us.. It will be too easy to plant someone with bad intentions.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[rehmwa 2]

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I view this as Islamophobia gone wild and cannot understand why people automatically associate a company from a very moderate Arab country as a threat.

ha ha, Darius is an Islamophobe

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[SkyDekker 1,465]

Very true, they are like Saudie Arabia. Very moderate and we all know that they have absolutely no ties whatsoever to any form of terrorism.

[rickjump1 0]

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I think GWB has lost his mind.
I don’t even get it. I have heard arguments for the sell stating economics!!!!!!!! How much have we spent on fighting a war, and terrorist threats? Now we are going to give control of our gates to a country that hates us.

I can’t believe it.

I'm kind of surprised at your reaction to this. Dubai has been a strong supporter of the US in the fight against terrorism. The also manage the port at Jebel Ali and were the first Arab country to sign a pact with the US in 2004 to deter the use of containers for use in terrorism. They provide logistical support for the US in Afghanistan and are also a major producer of oil and are currently involved in signing a free trade agreement with the US. This seems like a pretty straight business deal to me. It certainly cannot be said that Dubai supports any terrorism and the contract is just for DPO-Dubai, a private company in the UAE, to provide management of the ports, which they obviously have a great deal of experience. I view this as Islamophobia gone wild and cannot understand why people automatically associate a company from a very moderate Arab country as a threat.

It's still a one-man, one-rule, sheikdom (state) that became what it is today by smuggling and oil.

Do your part for global warming: ban beans and hold all popcorn farts.

[Gravitymaster 0]

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I think GWB has lost his mind.
I don’t even get it. I have heard arguments for the sell stating economics!!!!!!!! How much have we spent on fighting a war, and terrorist threats? Now we are going to give control of our gates to a country that hates us.

I can’t believe it.

I'm kind of surprised at your reaction to this. Dubai has been a strong supporter of the US in the fight against terrorism. The also manage the port at Jebel Ali and were the first Arab country to sign a pact with the US in 2004 to deter the use of containers for use in terrorism. They provide logistical support for the US in Afghanistan and are also a major producer of oil and are currently involved in signing a free trade agreement with the US. This seems like a pretty straight business deal to me. It certainly cannot be said that Dubai supports any terrorism and the contract is just for DPO-Dubai, a private company in the UAE, to provide management of the ports, which they obviously have a great deal of experience. I view this as Islamophobia gone wild and cannot understand why people automatically associate a company from a very moderate Arab country as a threat.

Maybe I don’t have the right information. I have not researched this I just have heard details from the news.
I thought it was a state run company. If the case is that it is a state run company then we have some issues.
Where are the workers that they are going to use from?
My understanding is that the main stream media is anti US. Even if most of the citizens are not anti US it makes us too much of an easy target, and to accessible to people who want to hurt us.. It will be too easy to plant someone with bad intentions.

I find it laughable that some of the more "enlightened" on this site have taken such a "you kain't trust them damned ragheads" attitude, regarding this issue. Isn't building stronger ties with ME countries a better approach to getting their help in combating terrorism a better approach than mistrust and suspicion?

[mnealtx 0]

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Isn't building stronger ties with ME countries a better approach to getting their help in combating terrorism a better approach than mistrust and suspicion?

Silly GM - of course it is! The problem lies in that it's being done by a Republican administration and not a Democratic one.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[SkyDekker 1,465]

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find it laughable that some of the more "enlightened" on this site have taken such a "you kain't trust them damned ragheads" attitude, regarding this issue. Isn't building stronger ties with ME countries a better approach to getting their help in combating terrorism a better approach than mistrust and suspicion?

I don't see that approach at all. What I see is some concern from people that no further thought is given to this. Some concern that for some reason your president feels so strongly about this that for the first time he is threatening a veto (eventhough he supposedly didn't know about it, which just makes it even more weird).

[rehmwa 2]

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I don't see that approach at all. What I see is some concern from people that no further thought is given to this. Some concern that for some reason your president feels so strongly about this that for the first time he is threatening a veto (eventhough he supposedly didn't know about it, which just makes it even more weird).

I'm happy to see churn on this one - supporting your people is fine, but it's a PR nightmare. Also happy to see GWB finally feel strongly enough on "anything" to consider a veto. I wish he'd have gotten there earlier with some of the spending bills.

I also agree with GM that this would have an entirely different spin if it came from the left.

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[IanHarrop 42]

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It's still a one-man, one-rule, sheikdom (state) that became what it is today by smuggling and oil.

Probably a good thing! Look what democracy brought to the two most recent countries to try it in the middle east!

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[SkyDekker 1,465]

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Also happy to see GWB finally feel strongly enough on "anything" to consider a veto. I wish he'd have gotten there earlier with some of the spending bills.

Exactly, but isn't it odd, that all of a sudden he feels strongly about this? Something his aides have now said he supposedly didn't really know anything about. Plus, his family has very strong ties to that region.

You don't find that odd? You are just happy he finally feels strongly about something?

[Gravitymaster 0]

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Where are the workers that they are going to use from?
My understanding is that the main stream media is anti US. Even if most of the citizens are not anti US it makes us too much of an easy target, and to accessible to people who want to hurt us.. It will be too easy to plant someone with bad intentions.

Port operators simply insure that all, the cargo gets loaded and unloaded. All of the work is done by unionized Longshoremen. DPW-Dubai would also be responsible for scheduling pick ups and deliveries of shipments and allocating storage space at the ports. Work at the ports would continue to be done by unionized longshoremen, and the U.S. Coast Guard, and Customs and Border Protection still would provide security at ports.

[rickjump1 0]

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It's still a one-man, one-rule, sheikdom (state) that became what it is today by smuggling and oil.

Probably a good thing! Look what democracy brought to the two most recent countries to try it in the middle east!

Do your part for global warming: ban beans and hold all popcorn farts.

[rehmwa 2]

odd, very odd, seems odd to me

Simple exclamation - I think he knew nothing about it, it was delegated and the decision reached and he is being strongly supportive of the staff that had that decision. Delegators rely on hiring good people and then supporting their decisions.

Although a great practice in the 'real' world, in matters of national security, even the right answer is wrong when teh PR is bad.

He's a rubber stamp executive. Well meaning, but not really a great fit for some of the duties of the office. some jobs you just can't delegate certain details. (Still better than Kerry or Gore could have done).

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[shropshire 0]

Ha...... your barely concelled sarcasm aside..
My point wasn't about the specifics of the UAE companies running your ports (which doesn't sound like a good idea to me, for security reasons, if nothing else... but could be managed with suitable oversight) but the post that I responded to suggested America for Americans and only Americans. Which is short sighted at best and xenaphobic , at worst.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[SkyDekker 1,465]

Thanks for your reply. Most of it makes sense, however I still find it odd that now all of a sudden he feels strongly about something. Out of all the issues, this is the one he feel strongly about....

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Still better than Kerry or Gore could have done

Does stating that make you feel better? Because, there really is no way of knowing. On top of that, where I work, the excuse that another possible employee might do a worse job isn't really a valid one.

[Darius11 12]

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Isn't building stronger ties with ME countries a better approach to getting their help in combating terrorism a better approach than mistrust and suspicion?

Sure it is, but I don’t think giving the key to US ports is a good place to start.
If we really want to support democracies in the Middle East we should not be making huge business deals with countries that have no signs of a democratic government unless we have no alternative.

It has nothing to do with “ragheads” as you put it, it has to do with common since.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[IanHarrop 42]

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.. snip..
If we really want to support democracies in the Middle East we should not be making huge business deals with countries that have no signs of a democratic government unless we have no alternative.

So Iran recently held elections, are they better to do business with? How about the democratically elected Hamas?

Yes this question is silly
I'm just pointing out that because a country is a democracy does not make it a "good" country to do business with and I'm sure that the converse is also true. Just because a country is not a democracy does not make it a bad country to do business with.

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[Darius11 12]

Iran is not a democracy.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[rehmwa 2]

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Still better than Kerry or Gore could have done

Does stating that make you feel better? .

no, but I thought gratuitous negative political comments tacked on the end of what I'm really saying was required in the rules - and I'd like to belong

I think I can do that because Clinton got a blowjob.

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Amazon 7]

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I'd hear the dz.com server groaning from all the "Payoff!" posts all the way over here in Kosovo!

Hmm I was under the impression that was the new way our administration and members of congress on the right side of the aisle were dealing with the K street people..... we are back to the if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck... it probably is really an elephant.