Business as Usual: Trade Trumps Security
JOE MAYER
Regarding Dubai Ports of the United Arab Emirates and its purchase of management rights over six or more of the larger ports in the United States, President Bush is acting with consistency. Free trade and a complete sellout of our government to corporate interests have marked this administration from its beginning. The imperial reach of big business has been offered the use of the world's most powerful war machine.
If corporate trade is more important than citizens, then the next logical step is to surrender national security on the altar of the markets. It happened before in the quagmire of Iraq – with no Osama bin Laden, no evidence of Taliban present, no evidence of terrorists from Iraq threatening the U.S., Bush still elected to preemptively invade Iraq, and for what reason? The United States arms industry is doing well, American private contractors in Iraq are reaping huge profits, the privatization of Iraqi infrastructure is proceeding, and the "war on terror" continues to generate enough hate and fear to allow the corporate agenda to go forward unabated.
Rarely mentioned is the fact that the United States and the United Arab Emirates have been negotiating a "free trade" agreement for two years. Besides liberalizing trade between the two countries it would also allow companies to own and operate businesses in the other's nation. Thus, Bush threatens his first veto to protect the interests of another state, the UAE.
Tying this decision even closer to corporate interests is the fact that the UAE is one of the largest purchasers of U.S. armaments. The sale of eighty U.S. F-16E/F fighter planes and other military hardware totaling 6.4 billion dollars is to be completed in 2007. Upgrades and maintenance of these items will keep the U.S. arms business prosperous for years.
Recall that in the 1980s we helped arm Iraq for their war against Iran. The question never asked is, "Where do the weapons of the terrorists and "insurgents" come from? Whose armaments industry contributes to the death and injury of U.S. soldiers?
The United Arab Emirates is floating on oil!!!
Interestingly, Dubai Ports is a state-owned corporation. Is Bush defending a "socialist" state/owned economic entity?
The irony is remarkable. George Bush, the rhetorical scourge of Islamic fundamentalism, is defending an Islamic country with known ties to terrorist organizations. Is this for "we the people" or for his business associates?
After the politicians have milked this "crisis" of all political utility, national security issues will be lost in the eloquence. When the sensationalism wanes, corporate lobbyists will most likely prevail once again. According to the 9/11 Commission, port security was one of our most vital and vulnerable areas of concern. Neither the president nor Congress has addressed this issue in their budgets. This budget item had no pizzazz until trade trumped security.
Regarding Dubai Ports of the United Arab Emirates and its purchase of management rights over six or more of the larger ports in the United States, President Bush is acting with consistency. Free trade and a complete sellout of our government to corporate interests have marked this administration from its beginning. The imperial reach of big business has been offered the use of the world's most powerful war machine.
If corporate trade is more important than citizens, then the next logical step is to surrender national security on the altar of the markets. It happened before in the quagmire of Iraq – with no Osama bin Laden, no evidence of Taliban present, no evidence of terrorists from Iraq threatening the U.S., Bush still elected to preemptively invade Iraq, and for what reason? The United States arms industry is doing well, American private contractors in Iraq are reaping huge profits, the privatization of Iraqi infrastructure is proceeding, and the "war on terror" continues to generate enough hate and fear to allow the corporate agenda to go forward unabated.
Rarely mentioned is the fact that the United States and the United Arab Emirates have been negotiating a "free trade" agreement for two years. Besides liberalizing trade between the two countries it would also allow companies to own and operate businesses in the other's nation. Thus, Bush threatens his first veto to protect the interests of another state, the UAE.
Tying this decision even closer to corporate interests is the fact that the UAE is one of the largest purchasers of U.S. armaments. The sale of eighty U.S. F-16E/F fighter planes and other military hardware totaling 6.4 billion dollars is to be completed in 2007. Upgrades and maintenance of these items will keep the U.S. arms business prosperous for years.
Recall that in the 1980s we helped arm Iraq for their war against Iran. The question never asked is, "Where do the weapons of the terrorists and "insurgents" come from? Whose armaments industry contributes to the death and injury of U.S. soldiers?
The United Arab Emirates is floating on oil!!!
Interestingly, Dubai Ports is a state-owned corporation. Is Bush defending a "socialist" state/owned economic entity?
The irony is remarkable. George Bush, the rhetorical scourge of Islamic fundamentalism, is defending an Islamic country with known ties to terrorist organizations. Is this for "we the people" or for his business associates?
After the politicians have milked this "crisis" of all political utility, national security issues will be lost in the eloquence. When the sensationalism wanes, corporate lobbyists will most likely prevail once again. According to the 9/11 Commission, port security was one of our most vital and vulnerable areas of concern. Neither the president nor Congress has addressed this issue in their budgets. This budget item had no pizzazz until trade trumped security.
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1 Comments:
When it comes to detractors of the war in Iraq or the POTUS, nobody stands in front of me in line. And this Dubai Ports World deal requires a second look. However, the xenophobia rattling about, including in this post, is appalling.
Connections to terrorism? Jeebus Christmas, everybody has ties to terrorism: the US, Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Saudi Arabia; the list goes on. Whether it is transshipment of arms, finance, logistical support, or whatever, nobody is free of taint. It is monumental hypocrisy to suggest othewise.
So it's a state run company? When has that ever stopped the United States? No often, including the sale of grain and other commodities to our pitched enemy the Soviet Union. Or the purchase of oil from it.
I am not surprised by the reaction of W's base, but I wish the rest of us would grow up a little.
I would like to know what Maertens has to say about this.
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