Guest blogged by David Edwards of Veredictum.com
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This video contains clips from CNN Lou Dobbs Tonight and MSNBC Countdown that focus on the financial concerns that are motivating President Bush to stand firm on the Dubai Ports takeover in the face of extreme public dissent, political pressure and possible national security concerns.
Lou Dobbs puts together financial connections between both Bush Presidents, the UAE, the Carlyle Group, Dubai Investment Fund, Neil Bush and John Snow.
The Bush appointment of a former Dubai Ports Executive, David Sanborn, as head of the U.S. Maritime Administration is also under scrutiny. In his new position, Sanborn now oversees all U.S. port operations. Dubai Ports has hired Bob Dole and two other Republican ex-senators to lobby Congress. The UAE paid over $750k to lobbying firms last year.
MSNBC Countdown provides analysis from David Sirotaan who is an expert on big money’s influence on government:
…
America’s trade policy, for two decades, has entirely been [controlled by] corporate-owned free trade. If this deal is allowed to be blocked it would set a precedent that security concerns are now going to be put into the trade policy. That is something that [Bush’s] big corporate donor’s do not want.
…
During NAFTA we saw labor and environmental standards thrown out the window. During the China PNTR deal we saw human rights standards thrown out the window. And now what we’re seeing here is essentially security concerns thrown out the window. Basically allowing corporations to pursue the profit motive no matter what they want.
wave some bundles of cash in front of Bush and "friends" and they flip-flop all over the place….
Amazing that 2.5 million people in a country the size of Maine is our "BEST BUDDY".
Sure glad Lou Dobbs is letting the world know the long, enduring connection of the Bushes with Bin Ladens. Bush probably has a direct phone line to ask what color tie he should pick each day.
It seems the American sheep are finally waking up even in Peoria.
Ultimately, its the AMERICAN dock workers who are going to get the royal shaft in this deal. Remember what happened in 2002?
MORALITY
Evangelicals constitute a
dependable reliable unquestioning
constituency.
Pharmaceuticals writing the
legislation costing all Americans.
Bankruptcy legislation written by
the lending institutions which is a
complete disaster. The Neocon’s
are robbing the U S treasury
creating a national debt that is not
sustainable. Tom Delay and Jack
Abranoff were responsible for
slave labor and forced abortions
of young Chinese girls in the
Mariana islands for which
Delay apologized.
The cousins of Osama bin Laden
are taking over control of the US
ports. The evangelical’s only have
to assure their base they will
protest jack marrying john,
protect all embryos and announce
they are "Born Again." and the
evangelical base is satisfied.
any criticism of their leaders and
this invisible shield separating
the evangelical supernatural world
from the real world.
The evangelical’s are not troubled
with the chaotic and lawless
behavior of there leaders in the
real world. The white House tested
their control over the faithful by
asking them to buy duct tape for
fear of terror. The stores sold out
of duct tape and Karl Rove is still
laughing.
The hearing with t. Gen. Gonzales
were a farce. I think Karl Rove has
all the republican senators by the
short hair. When I see Gonzales
setting there smiling I think of the
1948 movie Treasure of the Sierra
Madre staring Humphrey Bogart.
Bogart ask the Mexican Bandit
to show
his badge and the bandit said quote
" I no got to show you stinking
badge ".
George williams
40283 road 104
Dinuba Ca 93618
559 591 1572
gwill@wirelesstcp.net
This is a good illustration of how Bush is not an isolated phenomenon, regardless of how absurdly corrupt and dangerous "his" administration is.
Corporations have had their own revolution from the top in the form of NAFTA, WTO rules, and so on. That’s the big story of the last few decades. Representative democracy has suffered where a few elite are making rules affecting all citizens – outside of the legislative and judical processes.
Americans should realize where the ultimate blame lies if we are ever to recover our nation.
This is the right way to tackle this problem. It’s all about money and corruption.
Unfortunately most people complaining about the port deal seem to be doing it on a baseless fear of arab terrorism. Almost half of those accused of the 9/11 hijackings have been found alive and most likely the whole list is wrong. Bin Laden and the other muslims are wrongly accused, they could not have stopped the US air force or blown up WTC7.
There was probably some wrongdoing in the setup of this deal and any selling out of national ports should be given a security check, but complaining because they’re muslims or arabs just fuels the already excessive racism and fear.
It’s saddening to see so many on the left side of the political spectrum blindly accept and spread the type of racist propaganda that usually comes from the white house, just to get a cheap shot at the "president".
Jesus H. Christ. I’m gonna go buy some bourbon.
George Williams:
Are you WRITING on duct tape?? What is that?
Joan, I’m gonna make mine brandy, and I think George calls that a poem.
Specifically, what is at stake here from a global economic standpoint (as opposed to a security standpoint) is the principle that corporate mergers, unfettered by any regulatory oversight, may continue indefinitely.
The rationale for putting the Sherman Antitrust Act in mothballs has been, "American corporations must not be inhibited in the global marketplace." In other words, if we say Chrysler can’t merge with Daimler Benz because it’s a violation of our antitrust laws, that would put Chrysler (or any American company seeking to merge, here or abroad) at a competitive disadvantage.
The theory is tenuous at best. Now we’re seeing a merger between a Dubai company and a British company. Neither is subject to the Sherman Antitrust Act, so we can’t stop the merger, but if Congress tells Dubai Ports, "Sorry, no deal," and overrules a Bush veto of any bill blocking it, it will have the effect of killing the merger. If it happens once, it could happen again…and the whole house of cards supporting globalization could come down.
Robert Lockwood Mills: I do not think this could have any significant impact on the neoliberal economic globalization even if the deal is stopped. Things like that happen all the time.
It was not many months ago that a chinese oil company was stopped by congress from buying an american oil company, supposedly for security reasons and in clear break with recent free-trade traditions. The economically neoliberal government in "communist" China yelled at the US congress for hindering free trade.
But the US congress could not stop the spread of ‘free trade’ globalization even if it wanted to, it is not a big enough player. The corporations and multilateral (though often US dominated) institutions like the WTO, World Bank and the IMF are calling the shots on this one. The whole third world has been more or less forced into free trade by the IMF and WB with catastrophic consequences for everyone but huge transnational corporations. The regions of the world are competing over having the most liberal trade and financing laws so not to scare off the big players and their investments.
Stopping a few deals in congress is of little importance for general trade regulations wich are becoming ever more "free" and corporate-friendly.
Sorry if this all became a bit off-topic.
You know we all blame Bush for the latest in selling of America. All of us are to blame, not just NAFTA and CAFTA, everyone driving a Toyota, or other foreign makes need to take a share of the blame.
Don’t tell me these brands get better mileage or last longer. My 1989 Chevy has way over 150,000 miles, my husbands 1994 Taurus is over 120,000 miles and ticking just fine. And we get way over 25 miles to the gallon. Try a little maintenance.
We are told unemployment has dropped but income also dropped. Many unemployed have used up their benefits so no longer counted.
Except in the soup lines which fed 25,000 last year.
What can we do? How about a boycott for just a week on everything not made in America. Of course we sure wouldn’t have much to buy from would we?
My 1989 Honda Prelude, made in Japan, has 320,000 miles on it and still drives like a brand new car, also gets 30 miles to the gallon, and regular maintenance is ALL it has ever needed. Nothing breaks. Buying foreign products is not the problem. It’s very plain what is.
I have to agree with Agent99
I had a 1985 toyota pickup that went 250,000 miles without any major repairs before I sold it. I replaced it with a 1992 Ford Bronco ll wich made it 160,000 miles before the automatic transmision started going out. I never was able to replace the tranny. One day while driving to work the PLASTIC radiator end cap broke and by the time I realized there was a problem both the cylinder heads were broken – about 4 miles from home.
I went to numerous junk yards trying to find used heads or a used engine. I got the same response at every one – they would not sell them because they were such pieces of junk that they didn’t want the hassle of dealing with irrate customer when the used parts failed.
I got to clain $500 on my taxes for having it hauled away to charity.
Texaslady,
I’m with you. I own three Chevys and one old Chrysler. As long as one U.S. owned car company exists, that’s what I will drive. In 1985 I spent three weeks in Japan and saw only two non-Japanese cars. U.S. vehicles are fine with me.
When we are importing more than exporting buying foreign made is a very big problem.
And its our fault we demand cheaper and cheaper.
No one cares who is making the goods, child labor or whatever, as long as it is cheap.
So would you rather pay in welfare for people who lost their job or a little more for goods made in America. Am I upset with some of the quality and all of the customer service, YOU BET ! I am old enough to remember good customer service, companies making reliable products. But I live here and this is my country good, bad or indifferent.
Do I think there should be a heavier tax tarriff on companies importing ABSOLUTELY. The playing field must be made more level.
Which only a different administration can change.
When we are importing more than exporting you better believe buying foreign is important to all of us.
Putting Americans out of work and into welfare and soup lines is not profitable for any of us.
Why can’t we demand higher tax tarriffs on companies shipping into the states. And don’t let them get by with adding one small part over here and calling it American made.
Just check and see where your next product comes from but don’t fuss when someone you know no longer has a job.
Some interesting facts about this sale from "Judicial Inc."
texaslady #12
I do agree with your message. But in some areas American companies have some things to learn.
Regarding the soup kitchens, here’s an article which shows you have forgotten a number of zeros.
America’s Second Harvest is helping to more than 25 million people, an 8 percent increase over 2001.
For Erik N.: Congress can pull the funding for the WTO and the World Bank. If enough people on Capitol Hill get mad enough at being left in the dark on these deals (even Bush was out of the loop on the Dubai Ports one), you might be surprised what could happen.
People are angry, Erik. Until very recently most of the anger was on blogs. Now it’s Congress that’s pissed off. Most of them are up for re-election this year, and they have a lower overall rating in the polls than Bush does. What some of them are starting to figure out is that a failure to stand up to Bush in the past, together with their sleaziness and crookedness, accounts for their low numbers.
And, Congress doesn’t have a Karl Rove working for it. Rove’s talent for blaming someone other than Bush every time something goes wrong explains why Bush ranks ahead of both Cheney and Congress in the polls. Now, it seems to me, Congress is getting fed up…because the mid-term elections are coming and they want to keep their jobs. Don’t be so sure the status quo is immutable.
Bluebear2 – thanks for the correction…almost unbelievable isn’t it?
Bush keeps telling us more jobs are created, but no one addresses what those jobs are paying..it doesn’t matter your skill level. And when we are told the unemployment numbers are down, truly it is because many have dropped off the rolls but are still unemployed.
So many people we know are now self employed and doing only cash business…small businessmen have been taxed out of business.
The one ray of sun I can see is the wheel will turn it always does things will get better.. More people are waking up to the horrific conditions Bush and Co have created. Wish we could demonstrate as they did in the Phillipines this morning and demand a resignation from the whole bunch not just puppet man Bush.
Old money, young money, feel alright, on a warm neoCon bu$hit night …
on buying ‘foreign’ – you can buy junk and the manufacturer will be encouraged to make more junk.
you can buy a german chrysler made in canada, or get a toyota or bmw made in the usa.
The problem isn’t that the Asians are more capable of making better cars (or other things), it’s that the American corporate leaders think the best way to make profits is to sell junk at a premium price. Wall Street pressures them into doing this by looking only at the bottom line every 5 minutes.
Where does this crazy desire for profits come from?
The effect is that the non-American corporations make better products (to win market share) and will drive the American car companies out of business, just like they did consumer electronics manufacturers. It’s the way of competition in the commercial world.
Nobody seems to speak for the American public. We are so much ‘capital’ to be bought, sold, used, discarded and ignored.
Worst is that they’ve also rigged elections, bought government (with campaign funds) and had that same government destroy unions. What’s left for the public to do to have their say?
This trend BACK toward the Roaring Twenties mentality which lead to the Great Depression is pretty scary. Do the corporate "leaders" see this? One wonders.
#20 Good to read that comment…George Williams, does it give you the creeps that Canada just went conservative due to liberal corruption. You have a balanced budget and low unemployment. Reminds me of US in 2000.
For those in the Los Angeles area, an astounding documentary will let you know that they have not killed all the real journalists yet:
Well, the title as it is, I saw the film "America: From Freedom to Fascism" tonight in Tucson, Arizona. From the moment it begins it is gripping,informative and down right scary! The viewer comes away with an understanding that as good as we might be in our day to day lives, we are all targets of a runaway government, intent on exerting its power and expressing it’s will – despite the law. (link here).
Others keep an open eye, it is coming to a theatre near you this summer.
According to what I read someplace, El Chimpo’s brother, who owns a computer / software company (?) received funding from Dubai for his business. If that is true, I’m curious as to why he wouldn’t seek funding from banks in his own country.
Anyone have any info on this..????? My curiosity is killing me…!!!!
hah.. why u scared for dubai port company is they a the one who capable to do jobs why cant they do?? is that any world policy a foreign company cant get job or contract in america?? n why america so damn eager to invest and control gold mining in indonesia??? well u think only america can do excellent job??? others can not?? all or them are god’s creation we are the same nothing different arabs, malays, javanesse,japanesse,chinesse,europeans and so on…belive me one day america will be another rusia……so wat u can tell me??? a story of proudfull man who never listen others that we are family 🙂