In Dubyous Battle (Lame duck or paraplegic parrot?)

[atommom]

The row in the United States over Dubai World Ports' US$6.8 billion takeover of P&O, which would give the United Arab Emirates company control of operations at six US ports, is a perfect example of a storm in a teacup that American politicians can raise, but which can splash way beyond the saucer.

For days, legislators on both sides of Congress have united to attack that unlikely defender of Arab rights, President George W Bush, for allowing Dubai to purchase, along with P&O's other assets, six marine terminals on the east coast of the US - New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans and Miami.

The fuss was wholeheartedly embraced by Democrat legislators, who, if not as all-around xenophobic as the Republicans, do not usually have to be pushed hard to grandstand on an anti-Arab platform.

While most of their voters, for example, considered the Iraq war a disastrous mistake even before it was started, both New York Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton have yet to withdraw their support for it. And they led the charge against Dubai, almost the only ally the US has in the region. For a New York politico, the only good Arab is a pilloried one.

Throw together the US fear of terrorism and Arabs, and the resulting heady brew drives out all reasonable discourse. No wonder the Republicans, already wondering whether the Bush administration was a lame duck or a paraplegic parrot, broke ranks to join the silliness. They were not going to be out-xenophobed by a bunch of liberals.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HB25Ak01.html

[Quakerfriend]

1. I agree!

And, btw, it is 21 ports- Shout it loud!