[narlus]

caught a bit of this on last night's news...there are major shipping operations in NYC, Newark, Philly, Miami, New Orleans and i think Baltimore which are being bought by a company owned and operated by a foreign government. this gov't happens to be the United Arab Emirates. the bush admin is OK w/ this.

does this seem like idiocy to anyone else, cedeing control of MAJOR seaports to another sovereign nation? i don't care if it's arab or not.

 

[fluff]

caught a bit of this on last night's news...there are major shipping operations in NYC, Newark, Philly, Miami, New Orleans and i think Baltimore which are being bought by a company owned and operated by a foreign government. this gov't happens to be the United Arab Emirates. the bush admin is OK w/ this.

does this seem like idiocy to anyone else, cedeing control of MAJOR seaports to another sovereign nation? i don't care if it's arab or not.

Free market economics?

 

[narlus]

yes, but at the expense of exposure to severe economic downsides if UAE doesn't decide to play nice? if it was a private company that's one thing, but a foreign gov't doesn't wash w/ me.

 

[fluff]

yes, but at the expense of exposure to severe economic downsides if UAE doesn't decide to play nice? if it was a private company that's one thing, but a foreign gov't doesn't wash w/ me.

There must be a contract surely? And it's not as if the US govt needs to be afraid of the UAE.

 

[valve bouncer]

Maybe they've come to teach you blokes the good life UAE style. Bring in hundreds of thousands of sub-continentals to do all the donkey work for peanuts while you go 4 wheel driving in the dunes.

 

[N8 v2.0]

What the heck is wrong with the US..? Why does everything have to be subcontracted out?

 

[ohio]

What the heck is wrong with the US..? Why does everything have to be subcontracted out?

So do you or don't you like free-market economics?

Would the Bush admin be okay with this if it were the French government? What about the Iranian government?

 

[Changleen]

Well, half your non-oil power generaton is already done by the French.

 

[narlus]

So do you or don't you like free-market economics?

Would the Bush admin be okay with this if it were the French government? What about the Iranian government?

i typically do like free-market economics, but having a gov't in the picture clouds things considerably.

 

[H8R]

What the heck is wrong with the US..?

Edit: nevermind. N8 answers no questions here.

 

[Changleen]

I see now that Bush has come out firmly in support of the ports being sold to the UAE.

So much so that he's actually threatened to veto anything passed by congress that would prevent it.

 

[Slugman]

I really don't see the issue here - hell half our banks and major portions of our cities are owned by outside interest.

What the UAI is going to try and use it to do what? Do you really think that if they had an issue that the US wouldn't just walk in and take it over. It's on US soil and they will probably end up employing more Americans than the "big 3 automakers"... so good for them!

 

[narlus]

are they in charge of security of these ports? the arab world is not known for its constancy...

 

[Zark]

...It's on US soil and they will probably end up employing more Americans than the "big 3 automakers"... so good for them!

Here's a hypothetical for ya. You end up working at one of these ports and discover some new workplace rules in your employee manual. Say like no pork foods can be brought to lunch, or dress wear for women is a burkah. What is your opinion when the companies foreign values are imposed on you on American soil?

I'm not saying thats what will happen and foreigners should not own US businesses, but there are some unsavory implications.

 

[valve bouncer]

I just saw on the news that the UAE is taking over operation of the ports frm P&O which is a British company.

 

[Slugman]

are they in charge of security of these ports? the arab world is not known for its constancy...

I don't think the owners of a seaport are allowed to run their own security, other than night watchmen style. They are still watched by customs and need to comply with import export regulations set by the government. If the owner of the property set the rules, then Columbia would have bought Miami YEARS ago.

Here's a hypothetical for ya. You end up working at one of these ports and discover some new workplace rules in your employee manual. Say like no pork foods can be brought to lunch, or dress wear for women is a burkah. What is your opinion when the companies foreign values are imposed on you on American soil?

I'm not saying that’s what will happen and foreigners should not own US businesses, but there are some unsavory implications.

Have you ever dealt with the unions at a seaport? Not even a hypothetical... although some of the women would look better in a burka.

I just saw on the news that the UAE is taking over operation of the ports frm P&O which is a British company.

Yup ... so what's the big deal, it was not owned by americans anyway!

 

[DRB]

Tying the UAE's (Dubai's) government to terrorists because terrorists came from there and money went thru there is as tenious as tying the US government to the drug trade for the same reasons.

In the end it seems VERY dubious to me that a British company is being held to a different standard than an Arab company regardless of ownership.

I think they should be less worried about who owns them then how WE secure them, which isn't all that great.

 

[narlus]

Yup ... so what's the big deal, it was not owned by americans anyway!

i think my main point is being lost on people...it's not that it's an Arab company, it's a governmentr-run company.

last i knew, P&O wasn't run by the british gov't but maybe i'm wrong about that.

 

[LordOpie]

hahahahaahahahahaha ahahahahahaah ahhahahhahahaha hahahahahaha...

when asked about the UAE's ties to terrorism...

"One ought not, in my view, hold a country of origin responsible for every citizen they may have at any given time, particularly when people have multiple passports," said Donald Rumsfeld.

Isn't that one of the primary reasons we invaded Iraq?

hahahahaahahahah

 

[fluff]

hahahahaahahahahaha ahahahahahaah ahhahahhahahaha hahahahahaha...

when asked about the UAE's ties to terrorism...


Isn't that one of the primary excuses we used to invade Iraq?

hahahahaahahahah

Fixed

 

[Slugman]

Wow... this changes things slightly:

Bush unaware of port deal until after approval
White House: President only learned recently of handover to Arab firm

WASHINGTON - President Bush was unaware of the pending sale of shipping operations at six major U.S. seaports to a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates until the deal already had been approved by his administration, the White House said Wednesday.
Defending the deal anew, the administration also said that it should have briefed Congress sooner about the transaction, which has triggered a major political backlash among both Republicans and Democrats.
Bush on Tuesday brushed aside objections by leaders in the Senate and House that the $6.8 billion sale could raise risks of terrorism at American ports. In a forceful defense of his administration’s earlier approval of the deal, he pledged to veto any bill Congress might approve to block the agreement.

Linky - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11494815/

 

[rooftest]

I think the Democrats have succumbed to that same racism that had them shooting blacks with fire hoses 40 years ago...

 

[Changleen]

 

[3D.]

Something like 7-8 trillion $ in debt, who do you think owns us guys?
world bank, Iran, etc.








The Bush Family supported Hitler!

 

[fluff]

Something like 7-8 trillion $ in debt, who do you think owns us guys?
world bank, Iran, etc.

Ah, but who owns them?

 

[narlus]

this is another off-shoot of our huge trade deficit...apparently people just don't want to stockpile our US money like monopoly currency, and actually want to buy stuff w/ it. US-based resources would tend to be high on that list. hooray.

 

[fluff]

US money?

I wouldn't wipe my arse with it.

 

[DRB]

Something like 7-8 trillion $ in debt, who do you think owns us guys?
world bank, Iran, etc.

You don't understand how this works. Exactly how does someone collect on a that size debt. Someone comes to take Charleston for it, how do you think that's going to work out?

 

[N8 v2.0]

Meh... same union thugs now working for new masters... nothing to see here...

 

[DRB]

FYI

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11509217/

NEW YORK - America's 360 ports are the gateways for 90 percent of the nation's imports and exports and a front line in the war on terror. The overwhelming majority of the terminals at those ports are already leased or owned by foreign companies.

“In terms of security, I just think this is grossly overblown,” says Randall Larsen, with Homeland Security Associates. “It’s not a security risk because the U.S. government and local authorities control security.”

The companies are from countries such as China, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan and Denmark. Terminal operators typically lease space from a government port authority. They move goods on and off ships.

But security is, ultimately, the job of the U.S. government — Customs and Border Protection on land and the Coast Guard at sea.

Bill Heffelfinger, with Customs and Border Protection, says foreign companies pose no exceptional security risk, “because they have to meet our conditions for security within the port.”

 

[ohio]

I do think this has been blown WAY out of proportion (distraction from wire-taps, anyone?) but I have a quick question: will issues arise around diplomacy (e.g. diplomatic immunity) that make it harder to deal with this port because it is government-owned , not corporate-owned?

It feels like we would be more hesitant to mess with it for fear of screwing up international relations than if it were simply a multi-national based out of UAE...

 

[dan-o]

The UAE is strategically located in the Gulf and is used by US forces (airforce and navy). It's also a short distance from Iran. They probably just had the low bid for the ports though....

 

[ohio]

The UAE is strategically located in the Gulf and is used by US forces (airforce and navy). It's also a short distance from Iran. They probably just had the low bid for the ports though....

We didn't own them. A british company did. Unless they have ties to Halliburton, there's no good reason they would sell to anyone but the HIGHEST bidder.

 

[dan-o]

We didn't own them. A british company did. Unless they have ties to Halliburton, there's no good reason they would sell to anyone but the HIGHEST bidder.

I was getting at the fact that the US/UAE relationship is loaded with politics. Basically, I think we traded them a lucrative port contract in return for continued use of their country for military purposes.

 

[3D.]

You don't understand how this works. Exactly how does someone collect on a that size debt. Someone comes to take Charleston for it, how do you think that's going to work out?

DRB, I can’t agree with you more. But the major difference with our modern day situation is that; there is nothing to really come and take. We’ve already given up all the pertinent assets that once made this country truly valuable. 30+ years of trying to perfect the out-source process has left us with no textile industry, very little manufacturing, and a nation full of people that don’t know how to work with their hands anymore.

All we really are now is a country crowded with strip malls, salesmen, and fast food joints… just take a look around. It’s almost impossible to find an article of clothing or mechanical component that was made in this country! What do you think those little “made in china” stickers are all about.

But, whatever, when places like China, Korea, and India finally have there internal revolutions and the people rise up, we won’t have this cheap ass slave labor to play chess with anymore. Doesn’t anyone realize that those countries will eventually be subject to accelerated inflation as well? How cheap will the labor be then? We don’t have the factories anymore, to just jump back into the game again.

All the CEO’s in this country driving there BMW’s around, acting like there God’s gift to the business world with there big investments, futures & options, and there so called “smart money”; don’t make me laugh, you wouldn’t be sh!!t if it wasn’t for the hard work of the less fortunate foreigners of those countries doing all of your dirty work.

So to all of you big pimpin’, flosser type executives… enjoy it while it lasts, because it’s not gonna be like this forever… you better go bust a knuckle open and learn how to survive with some real skills!

 

[ohio]

I was getting at the fact that the US/UAE relationship is loaded with politics. Basically, I think we traded them a lucrative port contract in return for continued use of their country for military purposes.

How did we trade something we didn't have?

 

[dan-o]

The UAE purchased the UK company that currently operates, but does not own, the ports. The ports belong to the US. Do you think the deal would go through if Iran bought the UK company, regardless of price?

 

[N8 v2.0]

Looks like the Dims are making much ado about nothing... as usual.

Too bad they don't have a plan for anything.

 

[kidwoo]

Hey 3D.

What's up with your avatar?

If I'm not mistaken that's a picture I took of my buddy zeke at gieger.

Where the hell did you get that?

 

[N8 v2.0]

The UAE purchased the UK company that currently operates, but does not own, the ports. The ports belong to the US. Do you think the deal would go through if Iran bought the UK company, regardless of price?

Right!

They only bought the terminals at the ports not the ports themselves... how long until ABCCBSNBCMSNBCCNN and the Dim figure that out...