[datek23]

Looks like Bush did this on purpose. All the heat was on him about Iraq and Cheney shooting incident, now all the heat is off them and this comes up. How fitting. Looks like a movie of wag the dog, misdirect people and people will focus on something else.

Do you feel comfortable about an arab country controlling sea ports. Bush says they are great allies and can be trusted. Wasn't Saudis are great allies and can be trusted with all our hearts. Wasn't all of Sept 11 bombers Saudi?

They will hire shady employees and trust me that is easy way to get a dirty bomb in. Shame of Bush with all this garbage.

[SBR_John]

I try to be open minded but I say no frigging way! That goes for airports too!

[datek23]

Originally Posted by SBR_John

I try to be open minded but I say no frigging way! That goes for airports too!

I agree John I have no idea seems like they are trying to take heat off them about Iraq and Cheneys shooting, doesn't that seem like it?

[onlòóker]

I do not like it at all, and wondering what Bush is thinking and if he actually thinks the US public thinks its safe and are alright about it.

[Betman]

He will hire a russian company to maintain the US nuclear arsenal.

[Illusion]

Originally Posted by SBR_John

I try to be open minded but I say no frigging way! That goes for airports too!

This is like handing a gas can and lighter to a pyro. This is a very bad decision.

[isetcap]

Unless you want to give the perception that you are racist toward Arabs because they are predominantly Muslim, there is no reason at all that can be given for not allowing a company from Dubai to accept the contract. In fact, Dubai is one of the world's most market friendly environments on the planet. They are the model for the type of state the US would like to have throughout the Middle East. Since when has it been OK for the US to implement an exclusionary policy strictly based on race or religion? I thought our Constitution prescribed us to be a different kind of nation whether good or bad.

[BuddyBear]

nice post Isetcap...the criticism of this deal has nothing to do with the actual deal it has everything to do with the fact that the company is headed by Arabs and nothing else...i challenge anyone on here (i.e. SBR John, Illusion, etc...) to give me one legitmate reason why this company should not be allowed to win this bid...most of you guys hold very latent racist attitudes toward Arabs and just won't admit it. You guys act like all Arabs are like the 9/11 ones...well they aren't.... they are a tiny minority. Most people here in this country have absolutely no idea that Arabs in this country are better educated and better off financially than the average American born and raised here.

I personally think this deal is a real great way to reward a country that has been helpful to us on the War on Terror, a way to boost our self-image and standing with the world esepcially in the Middle East, a way to reach out in helping Arabs who work for this company.....

This is how you win the war on Terror not by occupying a country like Iraq and committing illegal acts of torture and then talk about which country you are going to invade next

[BuddyBear]

Here are the facts: Since 1999, P&O Steam Navigation Company by Dubai's DP World has successfully operated ports in six US cities-New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami, and Philadelphia. The acquisition by DP World would not affect the ports' compliance with US security standards, which would remain the responsibility of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) (an agency of the Department of Homeland Security) and the US Coast Guard. In addition, there would be no adverse effect on American workers employed at the ports. To learn more about the Department of Homeland Security's port security programs, click here.



The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which includes officials from 12 federal agencies such as Treasury, Defense, Justice, Commerce, State, and Homeland Security completed a thirty day review of the acquisition and concluded that DP World's management of the ports would not obstruct the ability of CBP officers to protect our shores.

In fact, the United Arab Emirates has a record of partnership with the United States on the issue of port security and the war on terror. The Emirates committed troops to our efforts in Afghanistan and was the first Arab country to join the US government's Container Security Initiative—a program which places CBP officers at UAE ports to identify and pre-screen cargo headed for the US. When the Gulf nation signed the deal in December 2004, former CBP Commissioner Richard Bonner said, "Dubai Customs recognizes the absolute importance of protecting cargo against the terrorist threat. I applaud their bold action of assuming a leadership role in the Middle East." Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace describes US-UAE military relations as "superb" saying, "In everything that we have asked and work with them on, they have proven to be very, very solid partners."

"Of course my community supports any measure that makes our country more secure, including an honest debate about port security," said AAI President James Zogby. "However, this campaign is nothing more than a self-serving use of anti-Arab sentiment callously playing off of post-9/11 fear and insecurity. The rhetorical excesses on the part of those politicians who are most outspoken on this issue has been shameful, irresponsible, and uninformed. Port security will remain the sole responsibility of the US government, but it's an election year, national security remains a legitimate concern, and the UAE is an Arab country, and for some politicians, this represents an opportunity ripe for exploitation.



"The anti-Arab impetus behind these protests is impossible to ignore, certainly doesn't make us safer, and trumps any positive message our public diplomacy efforts seek to portray. The concern we have is that if an ally of the United States like the UAE can be smeared in this manner, simply because it's an Arab country, then our relations with the broader Arab world may be irreparably damaged. It is not just wrong, it is unconscionable for the UAE to be described using language such as a "rogue" government with "ties to Islamic Fascism." Because the challenges we face are global in nature, our national security is served by building strong alliances, not alienating ourselves unwisely."



Government Officials Have Been Weighing In On the Issue

President George W. Bush: "I can understand why some in Congress have raised questions about whether or not our country will be less secure as a result of this transaction. But they need to know that our government has looked at this issue, and looked at it carefully."



"If there was any chance that this transaction would jeopardize the security of the United States, it would not go forward."



"This is a company that has played by the rules, has been cooperative with the United States, from a country that's an ally on the war on terror, and it would send a terrible signal to friends and allies not to let this transaction go through."



"I want those who are questioning it to step up and explain why all of a sudden a Middle Eastern company is held to a different standard than a Great British company. I am trying to conduct foreign policy now by saying to the people of the world, 'We'll treat you fairly.'"



President Jimmy Carter: "My presumption is, and my belief is, that the president and his secretary of state and the Defense Department and others have adequately cleared the Dubai government organization to manage these ports. I don't think there's any particular threat to our security."

Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge: "The fact of the matter is, you're going to find in many, many ports … are owned and operated by foreign companies or foreign contractors. It's a matter of the global maritime industry. It happens around the world. The bottom line at the end of the day is who's ultimately responsible for security. A lot of people have confidence in the Coast Guard and they should. I admit that to the average citizen, the optics don’t appear very good, but frankly there's a huge difference between what they perceive and what really is.

"The conclusion that you draw from some of these public statements is that no one in this administration cares enough about security or port security, they like to be very cavalier about this transaction. That couldn't be the furthest thing from the truth. We all know better than that."



Former CBP Commissioner Robert Bonner: "The threat of terrorism is real and, it's a global threat. Dubai Customs recognizes the absolute importance of protecting cargo against the terrorist threat. I applaud their bold action of assuming a leadership role in the Middle East." [December 2004 upon UAE's entry into CBP's Container Security Initiative]



US Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Michele Sison: "I congratulate the Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation on this historic event. They are now partnering with the United States and are a leader in protecting the global trading system." [December 2004 upon UAE's entry into CBP's Container Security Initiative]



DHS Assistant Secretary for Policy Stewart Baker: "We have a relationship with this company because they have been a participant in some of our cargo and port security measures. Remember, our interest in port security extends well beyond the United States. If we discover weapons of mass destruction inside a US port, we've already lost. So we do lots of screening abroad, and our general experience with this company has been positive."

Washington Post editorial, February 22: "At stake -- in theory -- is the question of whether we should "outsource major port security to a foreign-based company," in the words of Mr. Graham. But those words, like that of almost all of the others, sound, well, tone-deaf to us. For one, the deal cannot "outsource major port security," because management companies that run ports do not control security. The U.S. Coast Guard controls the physical security of our ports. The U.S. Customs Service controls container security. That doesn't change, no matter who runs the business operations. Nor is it clear why Mr. Graham or anybody else should be worried about "foreign-based" companies managing U.S. ports, since P&O is a British company. And Britain, as events of the last year have illustrated, is no less likely to harbor radical Islamic terrorists than Dubai…

"…Even more disturbing is the apparent difficulty of members of Congress in distinguishing among Arab countries. We'd like to remind them, as they've apparently forgotten, that the United Arab Emirates is a U.S. ally that has cooperated extensively with U.S. security operations in the war on terrorism, that supplied troops to the U.S.-led coalition during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, and that sends humanitarian aid to Iraq. U.S. troops move freely in and out of Dubai on their way to Iraq now.

Finally, we're wondering if perhaps American politicians are having trouble understanding some of the most basic goals of contemporary U.S. foreign policy. A goal of "democracy promotion" in the Middle East, after all, is to encourage Arab countries to become economically and politically integrated with the rest of the world. What better way to do so than by encouraging Arab companies to invest in the United States? Clearly, Congress doesn't understand that basic principle, since its members prefer instead to spread prejudice and misinformation."

[isetcap]

BB, Thank you for this poignant article and your voice of reason in this maelstrom of fear.

[Winston Smith]

Good stuff, isetcap and BuddyBear.


It seems to me that there is strong opposition to this move. But, then I ask myself, "What do people know about it?" Of course, if you go up to a man on the street in Alabama and ask if he think Arabs should be in charge of the ports, you can prove that nobody thinks this is a good move all day long.

Regardless of which side you're on in the right-left, liberal-conservative mass media battle (which is painfully monotonous and asinine, IMO), the fact remains that neither presents the full picture of any story. We are presented with a general idea, and then a series of blabbering imbiciles are paraded in front of us and we're supposed to make a decision.

Does anyone know the history behind this company? Only the 3 people that took it upon themselves to look it up. Does anyone know anything besides the fact that its an Arab company? Not if they only get their news from mass media.

I challenge anyone to walk into an airport and tell me they feel safer with the TSA (run by nice, quaint, white America, mind you) behind the metal detectors. I don't. It's incompetence, not social background, that's the danger here. But nobody's thought it through on those grounds. The extent of the talk shows and the extent of public sentiment is Arab=terrorist.

[tacomax]

Originally Posted by Winston Smith

Does anyone know the history behind this company?

Probably not. One mention of the word "Arab" by the scare-mongerers is enough to strike a false fear in the heart of Americans.

The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (aka P&O) was a British shipping company which dated back to the early 1800's. In February 2006, their stock was purchased by Dubai Ports World. Unless, in the past couple of weeks, Dubai Ports World has sacked all the old employees and replaced them with angry Arabs with a copy of the Qur'an in one hand and "al Qaeda for Dummies" in the other then I really don't think there's going to be much difference in American ports.

Originally Posted by Winston Smith

I challenge anyone to walk into an airport and tell me they feel safer with the TSA (run by nice, quaint, white America, mind you) behind the metal detectors. I don't. It's incompetence, not social background, that's the danger here. But nobody's thought it through on those grounds. The extent of the talk shows and the extent of public sentiment is Arab=terrorist.

Hey, don't tell people that Saudi Arabian Airlines fly into American airports every single day. There's gonna be fighting in the streets if that one ever gets out.

[isetcap]

Originally Posted by Winston Smith

...The extent of the talk shows and the extent of public sentiment is Arab=terrorist.

Correct, and that is supposed to be unAmerican. This administration often gives lip service to its significant Muslim population by saying it's not Muslims they're fighting, it's terrorists. Finally this might be a positive instance where they are backing up their words with actions, and I sincerely hope they don't start governing by polls when they haven't done so since they were put in place.

[isetcap]

Originally Posted by tacomax

Hey, don't tell people that Saudi Arabian Airlines fly into American airports every single day. There's gonna be fighting in the streets if that one ever gets out.

Hey, don't tell people that the Muslim population in America is well in excess of 5 million people. Maybe we can institute a policy such as this:

Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the United States was gripped by war hysteria. This was especially strong along the Pacific coast of the U.S., where residents feared more Japanese attacks on their cities, homes, and businesses. Leaders in California, Oregon, and Washington, demanded that the residents of Japanese ancestry be removed from their homes along the coast and relocated in isolated inland areas. As a result of this pressure, on February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which resulted in the forcible internment of 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry. More than two-thirds of those interned under the Executive Order were citizens of the United States, and none had ever shown any disloyalty. The War Relocation Authority was created to administer the assembly centers, relocation centers, and internment camps, and relocation of Japanese-Americans began in April 1942. Internment camps were scattered all over the interior West, in isolated desert areas of Arizona, California, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, and Wyoming, where Japanese-Americans were forced to carry on their lives under harsh conditions.

Oh yeah, those were the good old days.

[Betman]

I don't believe in the racist attitude theory.

Arabs have over a hundred billion dollars invested in the US. If there were a racist attitude toward them, that amount would never be allowed to go beyond zero dollar.

The security of a port is a sensitive matter and I don't think it should go to a company originating from a country that was tied to the 9/11 attacks in two ways :

1) Some of the 9/11 terrorists were from the UAE

2) The terrorists were funded by banks located in.....Dubai.

Let us not also forget that the company in question is UAE government owned. Last time I checked, corruption ran very high in the arab world where 300 billion dollars a year vanish in thin air and land in private bank accounts all over the world.

Could a terrorist pay a bribe and corrupt an official to smuggle a weapon of mass destruction on board of the container and detonate it upon arrival ? You bet.

[BuddyBear]

1) Some of the 9/11 terrorists were from the UAE

What's your point? Wasn't Timmothy McVeigh from Oklahoma...what does a 9/11 hijacker have anything to do with a port deal??? Doesn't make any sense betman...in short, this lacks validity to what we are talking about.

2) The terrorists were funded from banks located in.....Dubai.

Again...what does this have to do with the port deal? How is that connected to this deal...and what terrorists are you referring to???

Last time I checked, corruption ran very high in the arab world where 300 billion dollars a year vanish in thin air and land in private bank accounts all over the world.

Last time I checked, corruption is ran high in a number of countries not to mention the U.S. government.

Could a terrorist pay a bribe and corrupt an official to smuggle a weapon of mass destruction on board of the container and detonate it upon arrival ? You bet.

Could the U.S. sell materials for WMD to Saddam Hussein in the early 1980s via an export license from the U.S. Department of Commerce through 24 U.S. corporations...you bet.

Could the U.S. help fund Osama Bin Laden in the early 1980s with money and weapons...you bet

Could the U.S. continue to support some of the harshest dictators and regimes across the world with full knowledge of their discrimitation of minority groups, women, etc...and their anti-democratic practices...you better believe it!

Your arguments are less than spectacular and sound almost identical to a talking points cue...I am not impressed the least bit by your claims....read my post on what the UAE has done to help our country.

[Betman]

What's your point? Wasn't Timmothy McVeigh from Oklahoma...what does a 9/11 hijacker have anything to do with a port deal??? Doesn't make any sense betman...in short, this lacks validity to what we are talking about.

It makes all the sense in the world and your failure to see that shows how naive and out of touch with the seriousness of the situation.


Again...what does this have to do with the port deal? How is that connected to this deal...and what terrorists are you referring to???

I believe that I made my point very clear. I am referring to the 9/11 terrorists.


Last time I checked, corruption is ran high in a number of countries not to mention the U.S. government.

I suggest you read some of the reports published by Transparency International so that you may get a better understanding what I am talking about.

Comparing the corruption within the US Goverment and the corruption in the arab world is a clear indication that you are totally clueless regarding this matter.

Please get the facts and once you do, I will be glad to discuss this matter further with you.


Your arguments are less than spectacular and sound almost identical to a talking points cue...I am not impressed the least bit by your claims....read my post on what the UAE has done to help our country.

LOL

My presence here is not inspired by the need to impress you. Please don't flatter yourself. How arrogant can you possibly be to even suggest that ?

I am here to exercize a God given right to express an opinion. Whether you like my opinion or not is not a justification for cheap and deliberate personal attacks.

[BuddyBear]

Explain to me how the 9/11 terrorists are in any way connected to this port deal?


Betman...here is a clue you, SBR John, and Illusion don't have opinions...you mimic what the media is telling you and you repeat it...you haven't thought one second about this issue yet.

Give me one valid fact as to why this deal shouldn't go through?

[imgv94]

I voted that George Bush must be smoking better weed than me.

[Betman]

I am not going to dignify your ignorance.

Only an idiot would compare the corruption within the US government and the corruption within the arab world.

It tells me one thing : you don't know what you are talking about and you are clueless.

That's all I needed to hear from you. That was a confirmation that you don't know what you are talking about.

And spare me those cheap accusations that we are not able to form an opinion of our own. That's an ooooold line. Is that the best you can do ?

Are you really a university professor ? If you are, it is laughable.

Go ahead and keep up with the personal attacks. That's all you can afford anyway.

[Ganchrow]

Here's an excerpt from an opinion piece on the subject written for Salon.com by Jon Conason:

Originally Posted by Joe Conason

Bush's passionate defense of the United Arab Emirates and the ports deal inevitably raises questions -- not only about the due diligence of his administration in this instance but about his and his family's long-standing ties to the Persian Gulf sheikdoms, and specifically to the UAE's rulers. His insinuation that skepticism is equivalent to bigotry cannot deflect such concerns, which first arose in the months after the 9/11 attacks.

By now, everyone paying attention to the furor over the Dubai ports deal should be aware of the UAE's mixed record with regard to terror and global security. ...

What seems worrisome even to some who might ultimately accept the Dubai ports deal is the "casual attitude" of the Bush administration in vetting the company, as Sen. Carl Levin put it. Considering the history of Bush entanglement with the oil despots of the Gulf, that lax indulgence was bad policy and worse politics.

For the president, his administration's lenience toward the Emirates recalls the unpleasant history of Harken Energy, the loser oil exploration firm that provided him with a handsome profit when he unloaded his shares during the summer of 1990. Years earlier, Harken had been rescued from bankruptcy by timely investments of millions of dollars from the scandal-ridden Bank of Credit and Commerce International, also known as the "bank of crooks and criminals." Although dominated by Saudi friends of Dubya's dad, BCCI was headquartered in the Emirates, specifically in Abu Dhabi.

That may seem like old history, but the first family's intimate connection with the UAE royals has continued without rupture over the past two decades.

Consider the Carlyle Group, the huge, politically wired private equity firm that has employed both the president and his father -- and from which the members of the Bush family and their closest associates, such as former Secretary of State James Baker III, have profited handsomely in recent years. With its sole Middle East office headquartered in Dubai, Carlyle has managed to attract substantial funding from the UAE government, which controls most of the tiny nation's oil wealth and channels that money into foreign investments.

Last year, to cite only the most recent example, Carlyle's newest buyout fund won an infusion of at least $100 million from the Dubai Investment Corp. -- another state-owned outfit created by the ruling families to reinvest the enormous inflows of capital from rising oil prices and oil consumption. If that individual deal with Carlyle represented only a small fraction of the Emirates' investments, the upside potential of the relationship could be far greater in the future. The directors of Dubai Investment expect to invest as much as $5 billion every year for a long time to come.

No doubt Carlyle will ardently bid to manage a slice of those billions -- and the president surely understands that maintaining good relations with the Emirates will enhance the prospects of the family's favorite equity firm. But to deprive Dubai of its $6.8 billion ports acquisition might well have the opposite effect. For a company that trades on its political influence as well as its business acumen, such incidents can be pivotal.

...

[Betman]

You come across as the kind of guy who would volunteer in the 2008 Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign.

When she is in a pissy mood, she points her finger at you and she will order you to jump for her amusement, make sure you ask her this question :

" How high, Madame ? "

[BuddyBear]

I am not going to dignify your ignorance.

okay...you lose then...it's obvious you don't have a clue what you are talking about...we are sitting here debating whether the U.S. should give the port deal to a UAE company and then in your infinite ignorance you say 2 of the terrorist come from the UAE...i ask you what does that have anything to do with the port deal...you fail to answer then you attack me calling me ignorant....it says more about you than it does about me.

Only an idiot would compare the corruption within the US government and the corruption within the arab world.

I guess I am an idiot then...how come the U.S. corruption is different and both are intertwined with one another wouldn't you agree? You act like you never knew that the U.S. gave weapons to UBL or gave Saddam materials for WMD via an exporting license through U.S. corporations...or the strong and enduring relationship between the U.S. and countless MidEast dictatorships...Am I wrong on any of those???

It tells me one thing : you don't know what you are talking about and you are clueless

That's all I needed to hear from you. That was a confirmation that you don't know what you are talking about.

I haven't the faintest idea of what I am talking about but you somehow do though b/c you cited the fact that two 9/11 terrorists came from the UAE...wow, what great evidence I should change my opinion on this port deal b/c 2 9/11 terrorists came from the UAE...great evidence!!!

And spare me those cheap accusations that we are not able to form an opinion of our own. That's an ooooold line. Is that the best you can do ?

Okay...but that's what the research show that individuals take thier cues from political elites and then internalize those opinions as their own. When you cite two reasons that have been repeated ad nauseum the past week on the media...i guess I should not call you out on that then?

Are you really a university professor ? If you are, it is laughable.

Nope...I could be if I wanted to but it doesn't interest me too much....never cared much for grading papers....I prefer to analyze data.

Go ahead and keep up with the personal attacks. That's all you can afford anyway.

I hold advance degrees in political/mass communication...I think I can hold my own when it comes to politics and don't need to resort to personal attacks.

[BuddyBear]

Originally Posted by Betman

You come across as the kind of guy who would volunteer in the 2008 Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign.

When she is in a pissy mood, she points her finger at you and she will order you to jump for her amusement, make sure you ask her this question :

" How high, Madame ? "

I doubt I'd vote for Hillary let alone work on her campaign...

[BuddyBear]

You come across as the kind of guy who would volunteer in the 2008 David Duke Presidential Campaign.

When he is in a pissy mood, he points his finger at you and he will order you to jump for his amusement, make sure you ask him this question :

" How high, Sir ? "

[Betman]

Advance degree in politic/mass communication ??? you ???

I am afraid to even ask the name of the university. You don't come across as Ivy League material to me.

Correspondence school would be more like it.

God bless the United States Postal Service.

[BuddyBear]

UW....

what are your degrees in butman?

[Betman]

You want to know about my degrees ???

That's the kind of question I wouldn't ask if I were you. I am the kind of guy who would bury you under the weight of his academic credentials.

[BuddyBear]

Originally Posted by Betman

You want to know about my degrees ???

That's the kind of question I wouldn't ask if I were you. I am the kind of guy who would bury you under the weight of his academic credentials.

Okay you don't have any and you are really fat apparently...thanks for clearing that up

[Betman]

Did you just call me Butman ???

What a clown you are, man ! What a freaking idiot you are !

You sound like a little girl who must resort to insults when she is cornered.

[BuddyBear]

sorry about that...i am not a very good typer

[isetcap]

I am actually impressed that this forum has participation that would yield a somewhat equitable split between yes and no on this topic. I'm certain this is not the prevailing sentiment in the overall population. My concern is not in whether or not this is an appropriate deal. I would be lying if I claimed to have any level of expertise on the deal itself. It may in fact be a bad situation that is being entered into too lightly. Opinion pieces from opinionated publications usually only serve to make me contemplate the facts they are omitting. What concerns me is the close-minded approach to such a deal simply based on the company's Arab backing. If the deal can be shown to compromise the nation's security, then it should not be entered into, but I haven't heard anything that leads me to believe that is the case.

[datek23]

Originally Posted by isetcap

Unless you want to give the perception that you are racist toward Arabs because they are predominantly Muslim, there is no reason at all that can be given for not allowing a company from Dubai to accept the contract. In fact, Dubai is one of the world's most market friendly environments on the planet. They are the model for the type of state the US would like to have throughout the Middle East. Since when has it been OK for the US to implement an exclusionary policy strictly based on race or religion? I thought our Constitution prescribed us to be a different kind of nation whether good or bad.

Isetcap there is nothing about being racist. Have you forgotten how friendly the Saudis were until they did all the Sept 11 attacks? One day they say some Saudis Arabi government people was involved now there isn't, another big cover up by USA and Saudi Arabi. Focus on something else and it will die out theory. All of it was Cover it up because of oil and money and greed. How do we know sure the employees are legit or Al-Queda already infiltrated inside the company, just keeping a low presence until wake up call from there sleeper cells? If there are thousands of employees at these ports what are the chances one or two or maybe more already infiltrated inside the company and already Al Queda? Al Queda is smart they know what they are doing 24/7 of the time, don't think for a minute because there hasn't been a major attack in a while or think USA is safe because we are going after them, there are still thousands of sleepers cells in the USA. This is going to bit us in the ass, when they smuggle a nuke bomb in. As a general rule of life in human nature people get lazy, relaxed, and greed gets the best of them. For example I remember People told me in several cities they went to thought they were getting busted for a DUI or having drugs and etc, but guess what the cops let the some drunk drivers go and drug users go because of the lazyness factor. All the paperwork, time, and etc. Cops just want a paycheck and don't want to be there all day doing paperwork. the Lazyness factor.

Since I have described that, have you venture outside the USA and the Middle East and see how most people over there are lazy, just like us in the USA. THey don't care about our security they just want a paycheck, why would a foreign contry care about our port security anyways. If in the hands of the USA, they might be Lazy, but they have pride and care.

I will show how lazyness can cause deaths in the thousands but they is a great example. THis is what happens when people get lazy and it happens to everyone. Just read the stories and this will make you sick to you stomach.

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...350/1003/METRO

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...=2006602250356

[makadonska]

Originally Posted by datek23

Isetcap there is nothing about being racist. Have you forgotten how friendly the Saudis were until they did all the Sept 11 attacks? One day they say some Saudis Arabi government people was involved now there isn't, another big cover up by USA and Saudi Arabi. Focus on something else and it will die out theory. All of it was Cover it up because of oil and money and greed. How do we know sure the employees are legit or Al-Queda already infiltrated inside the company, just keeping a low presence until wake up call from there sleeper cells? If there are thousands of employees at these ports what are the chances one or two or maybe more already infiltrated inside the company and already Al Queda? Al Queda is smart they know what they are doing 24/7 of the time, don't think for a minute because there hasn't been a major attack in a while or think USA is safe because we are going after them, there are still thousands of sleepers cells in the USA. This is going to bit us in the ass, when they smuggle a nuke bomb in. As a general rule of life in human nature people get lazy, relaxed, and greed gets the best of them. For example I remember People told me in several cities they went to thought they were getting busted for a DUI or having drugs and etc, but guess what the cops let the some drunk drivers go and drug users go because of the lazyness factor. All the paperwork, time, and etc. Cops just want a paycheck and don't want to be there all day doing paperwork. the Lazyness factor.

Since I have described that, have you venture outside the USA and the Middle East and see how most people over there are lazy, just like us in the USA. THey don't care about our security they just want a paycheck, why would a foreign contry care about our port security anyways. If in the hands of the USA, they might be Lazy, but they have pride and care.

I will show how lazyness can cause deaths in the thousands but they is a great example. THis is what happens when people get lazy and it happens to everyone. Just read the stories and this will make you sick to you stomach.

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...350/1003/METRO

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...=2006602250356

Great stuff Datek23. People are lazy in general and like to find ways around things all the time.

[BuddyBear]

Datek is there something seriously wrong with you...this is the sorriest execuse for a post I've ever seen. You use to be a good poster and now you've written up this trash.

Have you forgotten how friendly the Saudis were until they did all the Sept 11 attacks?

Let me explain what you are doing here....this claim lacks total validity in the sense that you are comparing apples to oranges. You are comparing a few individual deranged hijackers with the Saudia government...you can't make such a comparison b/c the Saudi government does not represent the actions of those individuals....nor do those individuals represent the Saudia government. In short, you are measuring two totally different concepts (i.e. hijackers vs. government)


How do we know sure the employees are legit or Al-Queda already infiltrated inside the company, just keeping a low presence until wake up call from there sleeper cells?

Because our country will do an exhuastive and systematic security review of the company would be one way. Basically you are assuming or suggesting that every individual or group connected to Arabs is a terrorist....that is definitiely implicit in this statment you are advancing. So pretty much anyone remotely connected to an Arab has the potential to be connected to Al-Queda or a terrorist group...yeah good one Datek????


As a general rule of life in human nature people get lazy, relaxed, and greed gets the best of them.

Any evidence from an acadmeic journal or some type of scientific manuscript that would support such a wild conclusion. This seems more like a myth than anything else or just your own personal experiences.

People told me in several cities they went to thought they were getting busted for a DUI or having drugs and etc, but guess what the cops let the some drunk drivers go and drug users go because of the lazyness factor. All the paperwork, time, and etc. Cops just want a paycheck and don't want to be there all day doing paperwork. the Lazyness factor.

All this is speculation...you have a sample size of let me guess around two or three maybe five people who have shared these comments with you and you are generalizing onto an entire police force and even worse an entire population of workers. This is really pathetic in my opinion....you can't make inferences on people like this...you need actual scientific data to understand human behavior. This is an example of how certain biases are clouding your judgment in making a decision.


Since I have described that, have you venture outside the USA and the Middle East and see how most people over there are lazy, just like us in the USA.

Again...you have no evidence...at this point you are just talking out of your ass I would think. What makes you say people there are lazy...let me guess a friend told you a story or something. Sure some are lazy, others are not.....what does this do to support your argument. You sound very uninformed when you make statements like this. And where did you find that people in the USA are lazy...if anything the USA has always earned a reputation as the hardest working in country where immigrants have come across generations and worked hard to create a bettter future. Your reasoning on this issue is very unsound and illogical...


THey don't care about our security they just want a paycheck, why would a foreign contry care about our port security anyways. If in the hands of the USA, they might be Lazy, but they have pride and care.

Okay, here's the deal the UAE government stands to make billions of dollars from this deal. They will do everything they can to ensure that everything goes smoothly....you think the UAE government would in anyway compromise this deal by working with terrorists instead of the U.S. government...you have to be out of your mind. Just like in this country, money talks over there as well. That's why you see strange bedfellows like this b/c both are going to earn quite a bit of money out of this and nobody is going to jeopardize it....i find it laughable that the UAE is going to sign a deal that would net them billions and then risk it by allowing a terrorist to come in with "a nuke"...you have to be crazy to assume such things...


I will show how lazyness can cause deaths in the thousands but they is a great example. THis is what happens when people get lazy and it happens to everyone. Just read the stories and this will make you sick to you stomach.

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...350/1003/METRO

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...=2006602250356[/quote]

Have you completely lost your mind??? What do you mean "it happens to everyone." What the hell are these links...they have nothing to do with this topic. Yes it is unfortunate...but you act like this is the rule...when in reality it is not. Haven't you ever come across a story where someone's hard work and dedication saved a live...you seem to only find the story where they haven't... (i.e. selective bias).


All in all, this is an exceptionally weak post fraught with biases that are grounded in your own personal experiences which of course are devoid of any scientific reasoning on your part. Not a single statement you made would stand any test of scientific rigor and most of the statements you made are generilizations that expose your social and political biases. It's almost comical this post...it's not even worth the paper it's written on...I can't believe you wasted your time writing such a post...it sounds almost like a 5th grader wrote it.
Sorry to say you are speaking out of your ass totally.