The Arabs Are Coming

Dubai Ports World, the Middle Eastern Company based in The United Arab Emirates, is an international company managed by an American executive with senior management from Australia, India, and Turkey. The UAE invested seed money and apparently has little to do with managing the company other than getting a return on its investment. If awarded a contract to manage operations in six major Eastern ports in the US, they will replace a British company that currently holds the contract. The work involves loading and unloading cargo in ports. It has nothing to do with security, which continues to be the responsibility of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard.

Anytime Congress acts with alacrity and almost unanimous agreement, which includes the leadership of the Senate and House, warning flags should spurt up with bright red colors. Of all the stupid issues to overcome the normal partisan disagreement, this is almost humorous.

Lest anyone forget, the US is heavily involved in business activities throughout the world and if Congress cancels this deal, this action will intensify the stereotype of an arrogant power thinking it can do whatever it wants in the world, while wondering why so many people and nations despise us.

The Administration today admitted that they inadequately briefed Congress. Apparently they have not figured out how weak their leadership position has become and so they still forge ahead thinking they can act with impunity and their base will follow. If the Democrats don’t start speaking everyday, with example after example, about how incompetent this Administration is, they will forgo major opportunities in 2006 and 2008. But their actions in this case, don’t help their position.