Ship of Fools:Free Trade Fundamentalism Trumps National Security-C. Floyd

[Clara T]

Ship of Fools: Free Trade Fundamentalism Trumps National Security

Wednesday, 22 February 2006

David Sirota serves up an interesting angle on the UAE-port security imbroglio in The dirty little secret behind the UAE port security flap. It seems that free-trade fundamentalism has once again reared its extremist head, overriding any security concerns. Of course, it's long been evident that the Bush gang could not care less about actually protecting the useless lives of the rabble out there; but it's striking how their sneering contempt for ordinary Americans is coming more and more to the forefront. Meanwhile, John Nichols at The Nation also parts the curtain of katzenjammer to reveal the larger issue behind the Dubai-Dubya dust-up: putting America's ports in private hands, wherever the grasping mitts might hail from.

Excerpt from Sirota: How much does "free" trade have to do with this? How about a lot. The Bush administration is in the middle of a two-year push to ink a corporate-backed "free" trade accord with the UAE. At the end of 2004, in fact, it was Bush Trade Representative Robert Zoellick who proudly boasted of his trip to the UAE to begin negotiating the trade accord. Rejecting this port security deal might have set back that trade pact. Accepting the port security deal - regardless of the security consequences - likely greases the wheels for the pact. That's probably why instead of backing off the deal, President Bush - supposedly Mr. Tough on National Secuirty - took the extraordinary step of threatening to use the first veto of his entire presidency to protect the UAE's interests. Because he knows protecting those interests - regardless of the security implications for America - is integral to the "free" trade agenda all of his corporate supporters are demanding…

Look, we've seen this before. Just last year, Congress approved a U.S. taxpayer-funded loan by the Bush administration to a British company to help build nuclear technology in Communist China. Despite major security concerns raised - and a legislative effort to block the loan - Congress's "free traders" (many of whom talk so tough on security) made sure the loan went through so as to preserve the U.S.-China free trade relationship that is allowing lawmakers' corporate campaign contributors export so many U.S. jobs.

There is no better proof that our government takes its orders from corporate interests than these kinds of moves. That's what this UAE deal is all about - the mixture of the right-wing's goal of privatizing all government services (even post 9/11 port security!) with the political Establishment's desire to make sure Tom-Friedman-style "free" trade orthodoxy supersedes everything. This is where the culture of corruption meets national security policy - and, more specifically, where the unbridled corruption of on-the-take politicians are weakening America's security. The fact that no politicians and almost no media wants to even explore this simple fact is telling. Here we have a major U.S. security scandal with the same country we are simultaneously negotiating a free trade pact with, and no one in Washington is saying a thing. The silence tells you all you need to know about a political/media establishment that is so totally owned by Big Money interests they won't even talk about what's potentially at the heart of a burgeoning national security scandal.

http://chris-floyd.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=495&Itemid=1

[mrcheerful]

1. To put it simply for the simple minded freepers, heres the real goal

of your fearful leaders, security for those who arm and fund terrorists. Plain and simple, shrub has made it very easy for OBL to get more funds for his terrorist cells.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

2. Good stuff.

All hail the Almighty Buck . . .

Lotsa luck, working class.

[jedr]

3. "A capitalist will sell you the rope you hang him with"