Interesting thoughts at Mullings today:
This is like saying the company which operates your local airport - which is to say it decides how much you pay for parking and where in the terminal the Starbucks will be located - is responsible for airline security.
It isn’t.
But welcome, Democrats, to the national security debate. It’s been interesting to hear your strong views on a country with-ties-to-terrorism, to witness you play the race card in a new way and to see you move up the outrage ladder from the insignificant (Cheney’s mishap) to the potentially semi-substantial (port transfer). Pull up a chair!
UPDATE: Glenn Reynolds is having second thoughts on the port issue and cites the writer linked above. More on the topic, I understand, was covered on his podcast. Also, Jim Geraghty has a detailed post.
MORE: After commenting at Van Wagon, I decided to craft this one myself (with permission from Patrick Ruffini):
9 comments so far
It doesn’t take a AEI or CATO “scholar” to figure out there is a connection between economic sovereignty and domestic security.
Neither does it take a economic genuis to figure out that the reason the Arabs are buying U.S. Assets is that they HAVE to do something with the U.S dollars they accept for sending us the oil our lives depend on.
Of course, the utopian fantasy of the economic libertarians is that these dollars are supposed to coming back to the U.S.A to purchase American products and services. Which of course will provide jobs to American citizens.
But like the rest of the world, the U.S produces precious little that they want. After 35 years of political liberalism and no industrial policy, the US can’t even provide the uniforms, weapons and equipment for it’s own defense!
The electronic gadgets and whirlygigs that American companies do sell, aren’t even made here, but are made by contract manufacturers that outsource everything from software to manufacturing to assembly to Asian subcontracters. While there is less and less of anything that’s “American made” in a Ford or a Chevy, there is almost NOTHING that’s American made in a I-Mac, a Gateway, a Blackberry, or a cell phone that provides jobs to Americans.
Thus, the US economy has come to resemble an Keynesian perpetual motion machine, wound up not on Government SPENDING, but private debt, financed by government fiat, and the willingness of the Communist Chinese to lend us the money to buy all the consumer goods in which Americans define themselves. As long as we pay it back, with interest.
Not to mention the willingness of a bunch of Arab shieks to buy what’s left of our infrastructure in exchange for their oil.
Fact is, the US government is held hostage by the tyranny of free market fundamentalism, and is not in any position to deny the Arab shieks this sale.
If the Arabs get the idea that they have to buy American PRODUCTS and services, instead of American ASSETS, they might start dealing in Chinese Yen, or European Euros, and then the little farce that the Republican Party has erected around the economic performance of this economy would collapse.
Of course, the problem is that if we are compelled by free market fundamentalist doctrine that we must INVITE the world into our economy, we are also compelled to INVADE the world to make it safe for ‘free trade’ that we so depend on.
I’ve got news for you—that’s classic IMPERIALISM, and not only is it unsustainable, but it’s Un-American.
Yep, that is what I thought. It’s America’s fault again :(
It’s certainly not America’s fault, and certainly not the fault of everyday Americans that do all the work in this country.
IF anything it’s the fault of America’ elite…the Corporate CEO’s who unable to make their own business plans work, make short term decisions that have long term negative consequenses. And the responsibility lays directly at the doorstep of those who pawned off their idiotic ideas like selling our important assets to Arabs who hate us, and financing a real estate bubble with long term debt sold to our mortal enemies.
You’re hardly able to call yourself a Conservative, and then with a straight face defend the outsourcing of the management of America’s ports to the highest bidder.
The fact you are overlooking is that whether or not this sale will undermine homeland security is irrelevant. The US government has no choice to but to sell everything the Arabs whatever they want, because without them and their oil, America and her military power means nothing.
Echoes of Jeff Ward, “You’re hardly able to call yourself a Conservative, and then with a straight face defend the outsourcing of the management of America’s ports to the highest bidder.” Translated; think like me, talk like me, do like me, or you are not a true ________ (fill in the blank).
Whether or not they are “Conservative” depends on whether or not you actually believe in the things that conservatives believe in. And conservatives are supposed to believe in national security, patriotism, and fiscal responsibility.
Selling a strategic asset like the management of our ports to Arabs that hate us, and funding an short term economic bubble with long term debt sold to our mortal enemies are things that defy common sense, much less Conservative principles.
Count me in the coalition. Good grief.
Since I’m a candidate for Congressional office, I suspect I’ll have to issue a position statement soon. I am still studying the issue and unlike some I do not want to “knee-jerk” on this one without getting the facts. But I suspect that I will be asking for a coalition bumper sticker very soon.
[…] So Mick, you can consider me a member in good standing. […]
Look guys, let’s hope the WTO does not step in and over rule Congress, if the Congress decides to stop the deal. Remember guys, you all love NAFTA, WTO/GATT, CAFTA and soon FTAA.