Ports In A Storm: The Xenophobes Are All Over The Place.

While I did not care to blog this weekend (work, work, and for a moment, a nice dinner with the Sheriff), I engaged in a little tete-a-tete over at The Moderate Voice with a few people who neither understand the trumped-up ports controversy nor wish to be educated on it. Even the Guardian is calling this for the one company out there who has a beef with the deal (though not for the actual reasons), and the reportage of this story has been across-the-board awful.

The Blogojoint has its nose in a kink, with lefties and righties finally finding something to hold hands over. Trouble is, almost everybody is wrong about this.

For the record: Dubai Ports World (DPW) has announced the acquisition of the UK firm Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co (P&O), the very company that has been running port operations in those now under scrutiny by cretins like Charles Schumer (who didn't even know that NY & NJ were being run by furriners). DPW has a long established track record as an efficient and well-run manager. Even though it is owned by UAE, it is run like any other multinational.

But that's not the point.

The point is that all the wailing about this deal has exposed a nasty strain of racism that is running through both parties and partisans of every stripe. Suddenly, we're all to worry about foreign management of ports? Or is it just that we don't want Arabs or Muslims running them? Incidentally, DPW has announced that P&O offices and management will remain, so don't go looking for crazed terrorists to be over running Philadelphia any time soon. Oh, and by the way, security is a separate issue altogether.

We have been hearing how it is important to engage "moderate Muslims." How we need to demonstrate that we can tell the difference between a terrorist and the vast numbers of Muslims who wish nothing more than to get on with their lives. So what do we do when given the opportunity? Why, we show ourselves to be xenophobic, backward and hypocritical.

The UAE is that sort of moderate Islamic nation that the West is always saying we want. It has opened up to the West and the US in particular and is an ally in the war against al Qaeda. The message we send with this prattle is that we don't actually believe there is anything such as a "Good Muslim." We now will lump all you together because, frankly, we can't tell the difference, even when it is staring us right in the face.

We get our hackles up over some rioting over cartoons, when in fact, there is nothing we can do about those. There are a certain number of people that will just not be convinced. Better to occupy our time with those mainstream Arabs and Muslims who wish to do business and get along. These are the people we need as business partners and allies, and who we risk alienating out of fear and ignorance.

It's not a surprise that not very many people know what they are talking about here, as this is quite an obscure topic to most. But this is why one must really look at things the way they are before opening one's mouth or blowing off on a website.

So there, most bloggers and reporters are merely ignorant of the issue. But politicians--surprise--are using this to make cheap points on either side of the aisle, pandering to America's worst attributes and making us look like a nation of bigots.

Comments

[Maggie]

Considering how many countries and their citizens "hate" us, it amazes me that they refuse to put the money where their mouths are but rather invest on the US soil/companies which is in such a "sorry state" of affairs according to the daily MSM news reports.

I learned a few years ago that our local water company had been purchased and was now a subsidiary of a French Company...btw they have now put before the PSC a request for a FIFTY PER CENT INCREASE over the next three years. I believe it's just an attempt to get us buying Evian instead of drinking tap water -- no doubt it will end up being a cheaper solution for us than this price increase.

[ckreiz]

Nice post, Daniel.

By the way- bad boy chef Tony Bourdain says no Billy Joel? I'm totally impressed by the reference. I had no idea who he was.

[Dave Schuler]

You know where I stand on this, Dan. And you're right: not only have the media, the politicians, and the blogosphere (mostly) gone have half-cocked on this they're putting themselves in a pickle. Okay, let's say just for the sake of argument that, in fact, we are at war with all Muslims in general and Arabs in particular. Not my position but let's just suppose.

Don't you think that for strategic reasons we should be picking and choosing our battles? Where's the proportion? We have many more serious opponents than Dubai, for goodness sake.

I think there's a perfectly reasonable argument that we should be tightening up on the security in our ports. Shouldn't that apply equally to port operations run by British companies (who are quite capable of hiring Muslims) as well as to Dubai companies?

[Daniel]

Dave,

I couldn't have said it better.

I just watched C. Krauthammer, whom I respect highly, be completely ignorant on this issue. Doesn't bode well.

ckriez,

Bourdain is a god, a lanky asshole who writes like a woodsprite on crack. Check him out.

[ckreiz]

I checked out some of Bourdain's videos on Travelchannel.com, including "no Billy Joel in my kitchen." What a riot. The guy's got a machine gun for a mouth. Thanks for the tip, Daniel.

[Vavoom]

Brilliant, Daniel. Absolutely brilliant.
\end flattery

[Daniel]

Thanks, V.