The Dubai Port Deal

[sonickteam2]

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer:
  Tell me about it. I ran 20 miles on Saturday, and my weight was still up today by two pounds over what it was on Friday.
 
 

you live THAT far from a Dunkin Donuts???  jeez.

[Guiny]

I couldnt run 20 miles in 20 years in the shape I am right now.

[sonickteam2]

Originally posted by Rob_Gee:
  I couldnt run 20 miles in 20 years in the shape I am right now.

doesnt mean you are fat though!
 
   i couldnt run fucking 2 miles and i am 6'1" 180lbs.

Even the name sounds suspicious...
 
 Dubai :
 
 As in..."DO you BUY this port deal ?"
 
 I think what we are actually BUY-ing is a huge boatload of DOO !

[edbert]

not to mention...   <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40741000/jpg/_40741866_jacksonafp2_203.jpg" alt=" - " />
    <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40741000/jpg/_40741872_jacksonafp_203.jpg" alt=" - " />

[Got Haggis?]

Some facts about Dubai Ports World (the company that bought the British company that already handled operations.
 
 1) They are operating the Port Terminals, NOT the ports themselves.  Security will continue to be handled by the US Coast Guard
 
 2) The company's COO is an American (Ted Bilkey)...the board of directors also contains British and Australian members
 
 3) There are U.S. customs agents on the ground at the ports IN Dubai that inspect cargo before it gets loaded on any ships. It has been that way for years.
 
 4) DB Ports World has a HUGE financial interest in doing everything to maintain security. If anything, they have a LARGER commitment to security than any other company would since any problem would result is MASSIVE losses for them.
 
 I was a huge O'Malley supporter before this..but he just sounds stupid whenever he talks about this...being a typical politician.

[sonickteam2]

Originally posted by Got Haggis?:
 
 I was a huge O'Malley supporter before this..but he just sounds stupid whenever he talks about this...being a typical politician.

yeah. O'Malley probably doesnt even care about the Port Deal.  but he can't sit back and say nothing, because after all, he supposedly represents the people of Baltimore, who seem to be generally concerned.  
 
  he looks like he is trying to convey a message he doesnt necessarily agree with.

[kosmo vinyl]

until very recently this story was just a standard business story thats been reported on since last year.  with the deal being studied by those who were qualified to approve it or not.  it then became a hot button political topic that of course no politician can't avoid commenting on for fear of losing face to those people think the terrorists are going to hit their town.  
 
 the company isn't going to take for the entire port, they will still remain under the control port aurthorities a function of local/state government.  the deal only involves the places with in the port where the ships dock and transfer goods.  work which is still going to be done by local longshoremen.  
 
 the bigger question is why hasn't the federal goverment standardized security procedures in ports like they'v been promising for years.

[ggw]

There is a good op-ed piece in today's NY Times pointing out that, if we really cared about port security, the technology exists to scan the contents of every container -- even before it leaves its foreign port bound for the U.S.  It could be implemented and fully paid for with a $20 surcharge on each container.  They already do it in Hong Kong.
 
  http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/28/opinion/28flynn.html

[HoyaSaxa03]

kosmo and ggw, you're sounding way too rational here

[ggw]

Originally posted by HoyaParanoia:
  kosmo and ggw, you're sounding way too rational here

Should I go back to the internment camp idea?

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
 Should I go back to the internment camp idea?

i think dupek would appreciate that

Originally posted by HoyaParanoia:
 i think dupek would appreciate that

<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y25/team_dupek/96bb3018.jpg" alt=" - " />
  Appreciate this, Hon.Elijah Denton

Originally posted by HoyaParanoia:
  this whole issue is just pure red meat for the ignorant masses who say to themselves:
 
 hmmm, i don't really know anything about international relations or our new allies in this war on terror, but it just doesn't seem right that some country with "arab" in its name is "running our ports"
 
 in denouncing bush, lindsay graham said that this was "politically foolish" of him to do, which is completely correct, it's POLITICALLY idiotic because of all the fucking xenophobic morons who live in this country and can't process the higher brain functioning necessary to comprehend this deal and who are susceptible to red meat demagoguery by politicians on the left and on the right .... but that says nothing about the PUBLIC POLICY implications of the deal
 
 this issue is probably dead in the water, but noone who is against the deal is actually talking about real issues, they're just using bush's weak political posture to rile up the blind-faith-ignorant masses

<img src="http://www.whitehouse.org/initiatives/posters/images/port-security.jpg" alt=" - " />

<img src="http://www.theprotrsion.com/neurome/images/49_final.jpg" alt=" - " />