Why, exactly, do we have to say no? As someone else said, are all brown-folk terrosits now? Should we do a turban check before we let someone work for us?
Or are we saying that we can’t let any nations work for us that have a small faction that has threatened us in a “terrorist way”? That’s a mighty long list, my friend (including, but not limited to, our very own states).
Well, technically there are brits that are publicly calling for jihad and mass murder. All depends on the Brit, I guess.
My kneejerk reaction to this was a little more subdued than the OP, but the more I learn of the deal the fewer the alarms are going off in my head.
My biggest concern was the background checks that would be done by the company. However, that’s offset by the fact that for any of their countrymen to work here would be under intense scrutiny before ever getting into the country.
Of course, we needn’t worry about any Americans working there as we’ve been told time and time again that there isn’t enough threat of domestic terrorism to really look closer at one group of citizens over another.
Seems much ado about nothing.
Hah. Tell that to Crispus Attucks.
Ah. Maybe I can explain then. A British company currently has the contract to run the port. An Arab company bought that British company and so it now has the contract.
Vulnerable how? Security will still be monitored by the DHS and they will still have to abide by all the provisions of the Maritime Security Act. They won’t get to set standards and it’s not like it becomes an extension of the UAE where they can do what they want willy-nilly. We’re at exactly the same level of vulnerability as we were before.
You have a say. Congress is right now giving in to stupidity and bigotry and considering blocking the deal. Call your Congress critter to support the stupidity that you share.
Exactly! I’m offended that **NAWW ** think us incapable of terrorist attacks on your nation - britons are probably best placed to do so, really, what with the history of good relations between our countries.
This sets a worrying principle, though. Will all such deals with nations such as the UAE be attacked with such vigour? Have we really crossed the line where “citizen of that country = that country”?
I don’t like it either–I admit that it’s mostly because of my own prejudices–but you surely aren’t convincing anyone of anything Not a Well Woman.
I don’t if this tidbit adds or detracts from this rant. But the UAE is one of the few countries that recognized the Taliban as legitimate.
This had me laughing for a good thirty seconds. Good show! (Oh, and “Air-Puffed Crack” ? Band Name!!)
I heard this on the radio last night, and I wondered why they were reporting a story and leaving out so many details. Not till I came to this thread did I find out that the shift was due to the original British company being bought out by the UAE company. They could’ve mentioned that on the news. But then, we wouldn’t have so much to get all up in arms about.
Sheesh. :rolleyes:
So the Arab Nation is nothing but a bunch of “primitive assholes”?
Go get fucked, you racist cunt.
Two words: Mister Bean. I know that guy is up to no good.
Related link: Arab firm’s deal at U.S. ports raises concerns – the deal might not be as impartial as some folks would have us believe:
Anyone wanna check how many shares of Dubai Ports World Mr. Snow is currently holding?
That’s true. They’re also one of the more liberal nations in the region, you know, for a savage tribal theocracy.
Win some, lose some, I guess.
I wasn’t posting for any other reason than to vent my feelings of anger about what I sincerely think is a bad idea regardless of what Exactly I think is Exactly going to happen. I do not understand the concept of having a foreign country controlling anything as great as another country’s ports.
I do not submit this or any other post for your approval, but to speak about things that bug me. If I am paranoid, why can’t you say it in a way that isn’t assholey and accuses me of taking drugs? Why do I have to be on drugs to get upset about the indignities that I feel are done to the American people every day?
I will send you a list if you need me to.
And I have trouble taking seriously countries that supress the rights of women, and who adhere to an astonishingly stubborn degree to one archaic doctrine or another. There are many NON-fiction books about the way women are treated and to keep them in their ignorance seems to be the very fiber of their culture.
Pardon the crap out of me, but Sometimes something strikes you as so wrong that it may be doing so on an unconcious level.
Many politicians on both sides of the aisle think this is the worst idea ever.
I can’t help thinking they’ve all wandered into some alternate universe Port & Prejudice.
And then again, I wonder if the Hells Angels and the Mob have been lobbying in Washington again…
Well, not to defend anything that has been said here, but some Europeans probably weren’t that shy of crossing that line with American tourists in Europe, particularly around 2003.
LIES LIES LIES!
I think this is no big deal. On the contrary, I think we should be doing more stuff like this: demonstrate to the Middle East that we do not regard ourselves in a war against Muslims or Arabs, and remove some recruiting power from the nutjobs. Good job, Bush team–seriously!
Daniel
Yes, I think we understand that you are colossally ignorant of your selected subject and would much rather post than think. No need to explain that. What would be nice to hear is what, precisely, you think the ‘bad idea’ is, other than ‘Terrorists are taking over the ports! OMFG!’
Just how, exactly, do you think Dubai Ports World is going to effect this ‘control’? Are they going to embargo containers of non-halal beef? Are they going to replace all the local longshoremen and dockers with the swarthy, shifty-eyed relatives of suicide bombers? Is this the culmination of the nefarious Ay-rabs’ decades-long plan to smuggle a nuke into Philly in a containerload of fluffy bunnies? Do you seriously think that they’ll stay in business for more than about five minutes if they attempt to do anything at all other than, you know, run the ports? I mean, just what the fuck, specifically, are you on about?
If you want to decry the consolidation of major industry into a few global entitites, or make some noise about short-sighted disinvestment stategies by behemoth corporations, or maybe just moan about another instance of capital flight from the goodle USA, hey, I’m right there with you. But if all you want to do is spout ignorant, racist horsehit on a subject you clearly know absolutely nothing about, I’m afraid you are on your own.
By the way, I’d go easy on the question marks if I were you. You’re only allowed 500 a month, and when you run out, you won’t be getting any of mine.
Fuckin’ A!
It’s not an insult. You are actually on crack.
I have problems with this too, being anti-globalization and anti-corporate conglomerates, but you are being a racist asshole. Calm the fuck down.
You need to understand that it is a dominant group of people that are doing harm to women. Not every Arab man shares their view. I interact with a large part of the faculty at the University where I work, and three of them happen to be men who hail from this area. They are kind, intelligent, very polite to me, and absolutely disgusted with the disrespect that Arab women are dealt. Get educated.