Breaking News: Corporations Found Running Ports!

[cal04]

Suddenly it's as if Dubai Ports World had peppered a guy with birdshot.

I reserve judgment on whether the deal to turn American port terminals over to a UAE company is the stupidest move in history or not. But am I the only one who finds it mighty peculiar that this week we're fervently debating an item that nobody noticed last week?

Did the proposed sale really pop up out of the blue? Evidently vast portions of American infrastructure are routinely farmed out to companies scurrying around this (as Tom Friedman reminded us with his trademarked adjective again this morning) flat world. Without rising to the level of front-page news.

Everyone knows about the outsourcing of call centers. What about the rise of privately owned propaganda centers, army auxiliaries, Afghan and Iraqi nation builders, etc.? Why aren't they a huge story combining business-as- usual with national- security? For that matter, why isn't the unprotected state of chemical plants, electric grids, etc. a regular beat?

The port shebang would seem to be a certifiable Big Story, a segment of the Bigger Story of the privatization of nearly everything. But I haven't seen it crop up in national business news. Any more than, before September 11, 2001, I saw anyone reporting that a prime company running airport security was, as the president would say,Great British. Where are the Datelines, the Nightlines, the Closer Looks, the Eyes on America? Where are the business staffs, the Washington bureaus?

http://www.tpmcafe.com/node/26998

[JDPriestly]

1. Subconsciously , Americans are struck by the discrepancy

between Bush's argument that it is vital to our security to eavesdrop on Americans without warrants, but it is not vital to our security to police our ports with great care. Is it so important to know what people are talking about in personal telephone conversations, but not important to know what is coming into our ports. Same applies to the no-fly lists and the impediments to travel in the airports. Americans are willing to cooperate with the security regulations, but it doesn't make sense to x-ray the coat pockets of a 10-year old kid from Wabash Indiana who is going to visit his grandmother in Florida and allow the government of Dubai to decide who and what comes into the port of New Orleans. Ridiculous. And it's becoming obvious that the extreme security measures may have some purpose other than to keep us safe.

[havocmom]

2. Good call! Yep, the underlying emotional issue, not yet framed for many,

is the realization that privatization of certain resource, infrastructure and services makes the nation weak and vulnerable. After several decades of being hammered with "private companies could do it better, cheaper... and get your taxes lowered ;) people are waking up. Most still haven't put it together yet. The REAL problem is not the UAE but the fact that essential resources, infrastructure and services are owned by corporate entities which do not have the best interests of the nation/people as a goal.

What worries me is this: With the springing of this hot button sale, the public is FINALLY waking up a bit to the real monster privatization (unbridled capitalism) is. That makes me wonder just what all has slipped beneath the radar already. Seems unlikely the Extreme Capitalists would allow the people to be snapped out of their nap unless they had ALL their ducks in line and it is too late for the people to head them off.

THAT is my real concern about the sale if control of six great American ports to a group of Arab businessmen. Has nada to do with skin. Had EVERYTHING to do with control of the world by soulless, heartless ghouls hiding behind the shield of our old perceptions of Capitalism.

I fear we are now cattle.

[katty]

3. Infrastructure of Bush&Co do not have ANY interest in American

citizenry/nation...they NEVER have. Any study of the Bush Family & their global biz associates underscores the fact that they & theirs are globalist, not Americans, selling ports means nothing to them-it's just another slave auction to them.

[havocmom]

4. I know that, you know that. A lot of folks who put off thinking about it

are getting the picture. Thus the high energy response to the port authority going to UAE. It isn't just this one issue people are responding to. They are finally feeling the thorn in the pretty rosey picture bushco painted for their amusement.