I'm not as informed as I thought I was..... I didn't know foreign corp.

[merbex]

could "own" our ports or "control" our ports' security or "operations"

Now that I am aware of this I don't like it

Does that make me a racist?

No

It makes me an American citizen who is sick of seeing important infrastructure sold off to the highest bidder.

It makes me an American citizen who is concerned about national security and one who doesn't trust any foreign national company to have that same concern to provide the level that I would like to see.

[Avalux]

1. It's not just a foreign company -

it's a foreign government. The UAE has an authoritarian government and this 'company' is run by them; not private.

So, you can change the word "corp" in your post to "country". Makes it even worse, no?

[Just Me]

2. Yep. It is a country being placed in charge of our ports.

Moreover, a country that harboured ObL, has direct ties to international terrorist and has financed terrorism.

Kinda' wacky, huh. :eyes:

[merbex]

3. Chinese companies, the previous British Company - I don't like

any of these who currently or most recently or even the proposed GOVERNMENT of UAE running a critical aspect of our infrastructure.

It isn't just the UAE I'm talking about

[90-percent]

7. But but but

This administration checked them out and determined they are A-OK for such a task.

I say we just trust this administration. HAve they ever lied to us before?

-85% Jimmy

[wakeme2008]

17. But Rummy and the military was NEVER checked

makes you wonder who checked.

[shadowknows69]

5. Yes

I don't even like the fact that the UK is in charge now. Allies or not. We don't have enough unemployed AMERICANS in this country to handle it? It's not a race issue it's an outsourcing and security issue. Particularly after 9/11 who is going to guard our ports more dilligently than the people who live on these shores?

[Coexist]

4. the states the ports are in actually OWN the ports

the companies run the operations.

[mdmc]

6. my local airport is run by a scotish company

[katinmn]

8. I'm concerned about the jobs and business that are outsourced

with these deals.

[libertad]

9. No, it doesn't make you a racist. You don't want Russia, Mexico,

China, Brazil or Mozambique running our ports. It's a security issue, not a race issue.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

10. I don't care what race they are

I'm British by heritage and if the UK owned them I'd gripe, too. It's just nuts. I completely don't get it and I think the world has gone crazy.

[merbex]

11. Right at this present time foreign corporations and 1 proposed

foreign government have or may possibly have some integral hold on our important infrastructure

I don't think that any foreign corporation or gov't should have that control over ports,drinking water,nuclear facilities,public transportation - planes,trains, subways,ferry systems,power grids, telecom

I'm probably leaving a ton out but these that I mentioned serve vital national security concerns and any threat to them could devastate our nation

We should craft laws that see that Americans guard American natinional security concerns

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Do you trust domestic corporations? Like Halliburton? Enron?

"our" ports? What percentage of the ports do you own as an American citizen? Do they pay dividends to you? Do you similarly object to the Brits, Germans, Danes and Chinese running other parts of the ports in New York and New Jersey?

[greenisin]

15. Good point about Halliburton

It's much safer for us to have a foreign government control the port than have Halliburton do it.

[merbex]

16. Would I be happy with Halliburton or Enron running things?

I'll answer this way:I actually see the leaders of Enron on trial right this minute. That makes me feel good for many reasons but for this particular discussion I have more confidence that if anything were to happen we could hold Americans accountable easier than a foreign national who could more easily "skip town"

What I'm saying is now that I and many more Americans see this as an issue some American entrepenuer may say "I can provide that service"

I'm sick of the outsourcing and it is just not safe

[HereSince1628]

13. I don't trust ANY corporation, domestic or foreign.

Corporations know no patriotism, they exist only for profit.

What Americans have just woken up to is that our ports are NOT secure. We suddenly acknowledge that importers might not care about our security and thus we suddenly shudder at the knowledge that 95% of shipments not inspected.

And why aren't all incoming shipments inspected? Because it would be expensive to do otherwise? Because consumer prices in the big box stores would rise a few cents per pair of socks? Because warehousing and checking every container would add costs to the retail price of foreign produced goods? What?

The wacked out politicians think it's ok for US Citizens to take on 400 billion dollars in debt to fight Iraqi's over there, but don't think American's would pay pennies on every purchase for securing American ports of entry? Who the hell is it politicians think Americans really want protected?

Congress ought to impose a federal inspection fee on every shipping container imported so that we can hire, train and maintain enough quality inspectors to really do the job.

[AngryAmish]

14. The Skyway was sold to the French

(or maybe another nationality, I'm not sure) Are you opposed to that also?

[merbex]

19. see post 11

[Zech Marquis]

18. you're not a racist

for being against the port deal my friend :-) that's simply an excuse from the facists who KNOW they're selling all of us to the highest bidder. in fact, this makes you more patriotic than any freeper I could name :-)

just this morning, I was chatting with my Japanese girlfriend in a chatroom, and because I was typing in Japanese, I had 6 freeps yell "this is an english room" to us both. I said,"this si america, and I do recall we have free speech, not to mention I wasnt speaking to you to begin with". One woman started typing like memewababa to make fun of me,so I told the whole,"this is exactly why so any people hate America right now, this stupid ass jingoism bullshit" and left.

[90-percent]

20. Port Ownership

I think GWB should sell the Ports to Hamas.

They were democratically elected, after all, and I'm sure a check of them by this Administration would show them to be OK guys that most of us would want to go out and have a beer with.

:sarcasm:

-85% Jimmy