Does that rectify and justify the wars Bush is conducting, does Schroeders job recify the replacement of two governments?Originally Posted by desslock
Bush's people made up "evidence" to justify war against Afghanistan and Irak. To the world it sounds like that if something is not on the eagle's line of thought they will replace one's gov't with something more flexible.
Greetz DEV
I don't think that shows any evidence of cronyism. Usually I'm just as eager as the next guy, if not moreso, to criticize the Bush administration and the rampant cronyism it exhibits. But in the case of Sanborn, he is a former high level executive of one of the world's leading port administration companies, extremely experienced in port logistics and operations, is a graduate of the prestigious United States Merchant Marine Academy and is also a Naval Reserve Officer. His qualifications are extensive. He's no "Brownie" former horse judge put in charge of FEMA. He's a maritime operations expert being given a job in maritime operations. The US should be thankful to have such a qualified person in the post.
Further, that an American (Sanborn is from Virginia) is a former top executive at DP World shows further still that DP World isn't run out of a tent in the UAE desert somewhere. It is a very Western company, with many Western executives, running port operations in a number of Western countries and other countries across the globe.
The Bush administration did not hand over control of the ports to DP World. The Bush administration did not give DP World a contract to run the ports. There was no federal procurement process involved in DP World's being poised to handle commercial operations at the ports AT ALL.
A British company ran the operations at the ports. The British company has since been bought out by DP World, and that is how DP World is positioned to run port operations at these ports. There was no federal mandate or contract or grant or anything. Federal agencies or officials did not set up or make arrangements for or initiate this deal. It was a buyout of one company by another, and the federal government only got involved when it came to reviewing and approving it - something that several federal agencies, through congressional mandate, did. They all reviewed it and approved it.
And now a bunch of congressman who know nothing about the situation other than that it gives them the chance to score some political points at the expense of tolerance, free trade and fairness want to latch on to it as a big deal in this election year.
CorbinFisher's Amateur College Men
Those are all good questions, and you can certainly make your case.Does that rectify and justify the wars Bush is conducting, does Schroeders job recify the replacement of two governments?
Bush's people made up "evidence" to justify war against Afghanistan and Irak. To the world it sounds like that if something is not on the eagle's line of thought they will replace one's gov't with something more flexible.
Greetz DEV
To criticize a country for electing its leader by 20% of the population, to criticize a country for resolving election disputes in the court system, and to criticize a country for its leader having a conflict of interest because they have or will at one time work for an influential energy company ARE issues you can raise.....
But you are going to have to deal with the consequence that your own citicisms apply to Germany as well. Perhaps such things are actually not so sinister....
Steve
PS: I took German for three years in high school, and minored in it in college.
I have always enjoyed following Germany news... watching with interest the reunification and its subsequent saga, listening to Deutche Welle. On days when I am sitting for 12 hours as an election judge, I'll sometimes purchase a Der Spiegel and read it (or try to with my aging German abilities), look at the ads and explore the culture within the pages. One of my goals this year is to attend the Berlin Venus show. I have not visited the country since 1987.
PPS: One of the most enjoyable things I like about my job is working with, and speaking with people from other countries.
Thats what I thought, buddy - you are very well read about foreign politics for (sorry) an American.
I was thinkin' about that, too.....One of my goals this year is to attend the Berlin Venus show.
Pal, you are very much welcomed for a visit in FrankfurtI have not visited the country since 1987.
Me too, it broadens ones horizon very much - that was what I enjoyed the most while bein an exchange student... people fom poland, russia, portugal, south america all actually talk together and you get to know a different culture (texan for me *g*)PPS: One of the most enjoyable things I like about my job is working with, and speaking with people from other countries.
You are very welcome to hit me up on ICQ if you wish to chat more privat....
DEVELISH
I totally agree.
I usually don't have a problem with societies who want to enslave their women, kill homosexuals, and cut the limbs off liars and thieves.
When I do have a problem is when they declare war (oops I mean Jehad) on our country and kill innocent people on my land, that's when it's my problem.
This is a war of ideals that we are forced to fight now because of current, and previous, political mistakes of U.S. administrations.
No matter what Bush says, he has put us in this situation for religious reasons, pure and simple, by rushing to Iraq, by taking religious photo opts at churches with the heads of state ( Australia for example ), etc. etc.
The current sociopolitical environement does NOT call for us to do business with that region to the extent of port management. When things settle down in a few years, yes, but not now. We do business with Russia, Germany, everyone else as time heals past wouds but this port situation is adding salt to the wounds. IMHO
THIS JUST IN
Arab Co., White House Had Secret Agreement
By TED BRIDIS
Associated Press Writer
............... The administration did not require Dubai Ports to keep copies of business records on U.S. soil, where they would be subject to court orders. It also did not require the company to designate an American citizen to accommodate U.S. government requests. Outside legal experts said such obligations are routinely attached to U.S. approvals of foreign sales in other industries.
"They're not lax but they're not draconian," said James Lewis, a former U.S. official who worked on such agreements. If officials had predicted the firestorm of criticism over the deal, Lewis said, "they might have made them sound harder."
The conditions involving the sale of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. were detailed in U.S. documents marked "confidential." Such records are regularly guarded as trade secrets, and it is highly unusual for them to be made public.
The concessions _ described previously by the Homeland Security Department as unprecedented among maritime companies _ reflect the close relationship between the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
The revelations about the negotiated conditions came as the White House acknowledged President Bush was unaware of the pending sale until the deal had already been approved by his administration.
Bush on Tuesday brushed aside objections by leaders in the Senate and House. He pledged to veto any bill Congress might approve to block the agreement, but some lawmakers said they still were determined to capsize it. ................. FULL STORY
--------------------
WOW not required to keep company records on U.S. soil where they would be subject to court orders??? So if a bomb is smuggled in through one of our ports, and their records are stored at the UAE, then we have no trace of where it came from or how it entered the U.S. WOW
What's your opinion on this new revelation regarding the ports? Do you think the UAE will allow an American company to manage its ports?
I was listening to BBS World Service on my XM Radio this evening, and it was nice to hear a report from outside the US on the subject. Their commentator explained that Dubai Ports purchased the Londan company mainly as a play to enter into the fast growing China and India markets, which is where extremely large growth is forecast in shipping. The ports like New Orleans and others in North America and Europe were a part of the company's portfolio, but not really the business strategy.
Once again, this is being done for business reasons, nothing else. BBC described the UAE as aspiring to become a "Singapore" of the Middle East, with lots of interests in shipping, transportation and banking. It's not sinister.
If there is some kind of problem with the recordkeeping, as mentioned in the AP newsarticle, we ALL KNOW how easily Congress can pass a law instilling record keeping requiremenrts on a business that it wishes to regulate! :-)
It doesn't mean Dubai Ports should be disallowed from operating facilities in the US.
Steve
It seemed to get a little less attention that as part of the approval process for DP World acquiring P&O's facilities and operations here in the US, DP World was required to participate in a port security program that other companies voluntarily participate in.
CorbinFisher's Amateur College Men
@Steve
The Port-Deal just popped up at the Spiegel Magazin's Site
http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/0,1518,402528,00.html
Wanted to share that with you, Bud - will read it now
DEVELISH
Wow! What a fucking shame that the main reason you supported the war in Iraq was because of it's fundamentalist Islam ideology because it wasn't fundamentalist until AFTER we invaded. Remember, it was a Ba'thist government? And the Ba'th Party is secular not fundamentalist!
WHAT?! Changing the Middle East's beliefs about homosexuality is a good reason to declare War on them?? Do you really think that Bush and his boys discussed that when they were planning this war? I think everyone would agree that Bush is decidely AGAINST civil liberties for gay people. And do you honestly believe that these Muslims will completely abandon their fundamentalist religious beliefs because we invaded them and suddenly embrace liberal attitudes about homosexuality???? HAHAHA. :wacko:
Desslock, does Bush need to go on a killing rampage at a day-care center before you stop supporting his asinine political agenda? Or would you just find a way to justify that too?
So you do not think that their ideology is a threat to us? They assassinated
Pim Fortuyn on the streets of the Amsterdam. And look at all the embassy burning and riots in the Middle East... it is directed at countries like Denmark and Norway.... countries that pioneered gay rights. [Have you wondered why the Netherlands and Denmark have always participated in the Coalition in Iraq?]
So it is preposterous to draw a line between changing the Middle East and improving rights for gay people there? You laugh off the idea that "muslims will completely abandon their fundamentalist beliefs and embrace liberal attitudes about homosexuality" Well what if those countries institute a democracy that goes so far as Turkey.... which is a democracy and being gay is not criminal. What is so bad about that? Shall we just go "HAHAHAHA" some more if that occured?
Perhaps it's just best to laugh off all ideals, consign gay rights as simply something for me, myself and I, and dive headfirst into the bitter myopia of the bourgeois, decadent lifestyle of living gay in America, where being oh-so-irritated that we cannot marry is for most of us as bad as it gets.
Steve
I actually stand corrected...
Bush didnt know about this until the day after it was a done deal LOL
So basically, someone says..
"Mr President, this is a great idea" to which Bush replies, "sure sounds like it".
This whole story is getting stranger and stranger by the day LOL
Regards,
Lee
You know what preposterous is? You trying to justify the war in Iraq as a way to advance gay rights in Islamic countries. That's even more fucked up than Bush declaring the reason for the war in Iraq is about freedom and democracy. Oh wait, wasn't it suppose to be about WMDs?
If you have to lie to yourself to cope with this President, that's fine. But don't try to lie to me... because I quit buying the bullshit a long time ago!
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