It took some time for Bush’s allies (the proponents of limitless globalization and permawar) to get over the shock of DubaiGate, but they are up and running today. David Ignatius calls Bush’s critics racist and says that we should get used to foreigners owning our ports, hell…we should expect the Chinese to own Yellowstone Park anyday now. Charles Krauthammer accuses the Democrats of rank hypocrisy (also known as: insufficiently consistent racism). He wishes we didn’t have these tricky problems and pines for the days of the British Empire when shipping magnates weren’t Arabs but passed the time:
serving afternoon tea and crumpets on some immaculate Jewel-in-the-Crown cricket pitch in Ceylon.
Krauthammer thinks the deal is an unnecessary security risk but that it is too late to reverse because it:
would cause too much damage to our relations with moderate Arab states.
And then there is the unsigned WP editorial.
the president’s job description does not include taking a personal interest in decisions about whether foreign companies based in countries that are America’s allies should be allowed to purchase other foreign companies that are based in countries that are America’s allies. This is particularly the case when such purchases do not have any discernible impact on American security whatsoever.
Never mind that Krauthammer thinks it poses a security risk, the Board solves that problem with a wave of the hand.
While the Washington Post beats back attacks on the President’s lack of engagement and criticism of all aspects of these contracts with DP World, the corporation has wisely sought compromise.
Dubai Ports World has agreed to postpone its plans to take over management of six U.S. ports after the proposal ignited harsh bipartisan criticism on Capitol Hill.
Essentially they will leave the port manangement in the hands of the Brits while Bush, the Washington Post, Bob Dole and Madeleine Albright all do their magic on Congress and the Cable News Channels.
This is all political theatre of the worst kind. Virtually no one is telling the truth. David Ignatius came the closest when he wrote:
“Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”
Oh wait…that was Mark Twain. I mean, when Ignatius said this:
The real absurdity here is that Congress doesn’t seem to realize that an Arab-owned company’s management of America’s ports is just a taste of what is coming. Greater foreign ownership of U.S. assets is an inevitable consequence of the reckless tax-cutting, deficit-ballooning fiscal policies that Congress and the White House have pursued.
The best quick analysis I’ve seen of the fiscal squeeze comes from New York University professor Nouriel Roubini, in his useful online survey of economic information, rgemonitor.com. He notes that with the U.S. current account deficit running at about $900 billion in 2006, “in a matter of a few years foreigners may end up owning most of the U.S. capital stocks: ports, factories, corporations, land, real estate and even our national parks.”
So, for Ignatius the problem is not with this business deal, the problem is the we are fucking broke (which is another way of saying we should raise goddamn taxes and cut goddamn spending). That’s as close to the truth as we’re gonna come on this issue.
The real debate would be over whether we want to nationalize our port management and have, say, the Coast Guard or Customs do what DP World does. If not, we might deny to contract to DP World on the grounds that they are a state owned business. But American’s should be clear that the contract will then most likely go to a Singapore firm. And I’m not sure that is going to satisfy the public on the whole sovereignty and security thing.
This whole spectacle bring to mind a little Roger Waters’ lyric:
Big man, pig man, ha-ha, charade you are
You well heeled big wheel, ha-ha, charade you are
And when your hand is on your heart
You’re nearly a good laugh, almost a joker
With your head down in the pig bin saying “keep on digging”
Pig stain on your fat chin
What do you hope to find, down in the pig mine?
You’re nearly a laugh
You’re nearly a laugh, but you’re really a cry
-Pigs, Three Different Ones