| March 9, 2006 Looks
like we now have a new chapter in the Ports deal with the Dubai.
Basically, Dubai backed down and has said it will sell its interests to an
American company -- yet to be announced.
Just before this announcement, the Administration was
already making veiled hints at a compromise to save face. Of course
everyone is now relieved -- well, maybe not everyone.
I'm still holding my breath. If I've learned
anything over the years, it's that the deal isn't done until the ink is
dry -- and things may change even then. I believe this situation
should be closely monitored until the American company is specified
and all Port interests have been successfully transferred; otherwise Dubai
may quietly and firmly retain control after having survived the
conflagration.
Politics, after all, is about headlines. This
deal will be easily forgotten once the storm has blown over and the all
the politicians on both sides of the issue get to claim victory.
One thing is for certain, President Bush has finally
lost my confidence. I have tried very hard to give him the benefit
of the doubt. At the very least he has faced a combination of
natural and unnatural disasters almost unprecedented in our history.
I still doubt anyone else would have done better overall.
On the other hand, I very much resent an attitude
that says my opinion and my vote don't count and that President Bush will do whatever
he wants. I believe his dogged determination has been flying in the
face of reason and has manifest itself as a weakness. His constant
assertion that the UAE is such a good ally indicates he has no respect for
history either. A principal tenet that has fueled the Middle East
for centuries is "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
They may be our friend for the next five minutes, but they may have supported our
enemies for the last five, and there are five more to come. As the
quote goes, "those who fail to learn from history are doomed to
repeat it."
Regardless, the political firestorm should only be
about one country -- ours. This is not about geocentrism, nor
is it about racial, religious, or political bigotry. It is
about the changing landscape and future of our country's security, about
whether and how far we should entrust that security to those outside our
borders, about whether and how far we should entrust our fate to our
elected officials.
Those issues have been debated in this country for
over 200 years are not yet fully decided, so it's not surprising that we
are still trying to sort it all out. The main thing to remember is
to remain vigilant. Our government belongs to us, and it's up to us
to take care of it.
|
