Boxer grilling Dubai ports world chief operation officer on C-Span

[Popol Vuh]

Right now.. :)

[MadMaddie]

1. Go Boxer Go.....

[kevinmc]

2. She has been doing great .... as Always ...n/t

[elehhhhna]

3. Was he sworn in?

[0007]

4. Edward Bilkey

Edward H. (Ted) Bilkey is the Chief Operating Officer of DP World and reports directly to the CEO.

Ted has over thirty years of diverse experience in the transportation industry. He has served as the President of Norton Lilly & Co., a premier shipping agency in the United States. Mr. Bilkey was instrumental in the development of China Ocean Shipping Company’s services to the United States after the opening of China in the 1980s. He also served as Vice President of Maher Terminals in the Port of New York, one of the major US Terminal Operators.

In the late 80s to mid 90s, Mr. Bilkey served as the Executive Director of Dubai Ports Authority and Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority and was involved in establishing the foundation for its rapid growth both domestically and internationally.

Mr. Bilkey is a graduate of Yale University and has Masters Degrees from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, run by Harvard, MIT and Tuffs Universities. He served in the US Navy after completing his graduate studies and has been in the shipping/terminal industry throughout his business career.

[xiamiam]

5. is there a thread somewhere talking about this hearing?

cant find it and this is an unbelievable hearing...

[Vonhayek7]

6. HHm..

This is my first post on this forum.

I'll start by saying that I am a libertarian and very free market orientated.

With that hostile intro overwith ( ;) ), I just think it's rather counter productive to criticize this deal. It's a 6.8 billion deal. With our government's track record of snooping and seizing private property, do you really think they would willing to risk billions because of a terrorist attack? Not only does this interfere with common sense, it interferes with Democrats and Republican's vision of bringing the Middle East and the West closer.

Many Arabs are thrown off by our hostility towards this deal. While it can be a bit justified because of 9/11, I really think it's a different scenario. The basic conclusion they have come to, is that it is racism, and most likely, this is true.

It's funny to watch how both parties are coming up with excuses on WHY to hate this deal, even though it contradicts everything they stand for. How are we supposed to bridge the West and the Middle East if we refuse to participate in such deals? Overall, it's hypocrisy and a shame to any free market idealogy.

[High Plains]

8. Welcome, Von Hayek

And you're a libertarian, you say? Never would have guessed it with that screen name.

You might not want to advertise that too much around here. Social libertarians get some traction at DU, but free-market libertarians will be scorned. This is Democratic Underground, after all. Say "libertarian," and you'll immediately get a slew of replies about "a Republican who smokes pot."

Don't wave red flags in front of the bulls; just post your positions.

My friendly advice.

[Vonhayek7]

11. :)

Thanks for the welcome. I knew it was a red flag, but I just wanted to introduce myself and where I am coming from. I really like how this site is set up and how active it is.

[jillan]

9. This spin about racism isn't going to stick - so sorry.

The repugs are going to have to come up with something better than this.

Dubai has boycotted Israel. They will not recognize Israel.
And no matter what you may personally think about Israel, they have
been our ally for ALOT longer than Dubai. They are a true democracy in
the mideast. So Dubai is prejudiced against our ally. But it's not okay
for us to have concerns about the UAE??? And tell me how this is going to
help "promote peace" in the world??

Time for the right-wing to come up with a new talking point?!

[Vonhayek7]

12. Hm.

To me, the whole label left-wing, right-wing stuff isn't productive. Many thinkers in the Enlightenment are considered classic liberals, and I guess I fit that? It really doesn't matter. As I said, labels in politics are just used for spin. Don't you see it as ironic that you're accusing me of coming up with a talking point yet calling me "right-wing?"

I didn't see it as a talking point, it was the truth from an article I read on yahoo. Many arab businessmen had felt that it was due to racism and I see that as logical.

Anyways, while I can see Dubai's boycott of Israel a concern, I really don't see how policing foreign matters has anything to do with domestic trade that will benefit this country.

Not to sound anti-Israel, but U.S. trade policies really shine when it comes to people trading with Israel. For example, it's illegal to NOT trade with someone from Israel. How can we stand behind free trade policies and yet force people to make a transaction with an Israeli who could be a potential rip off to a small business? I have seen it countless times in various music distros (small example, but valid nonetheless).

But I am getting carried away, Israel is a vital trade ally but I don't see them more than that. I do not see them as a base for spreading democracy in the Middle East. I don't see the point of spending billions of tax dollars, acknowledging anf nation building. Since you enjoy democracy and Israel so much, I wonder how you feel about Hamas being elected by the people, in a democracy? Maybe if we stopped not recognizing trade deals because of alliances, hostile countries would see us as a viable partner.

Remain neutral. Acknowledge freedom. Trade and bring prosperity. Stop crippling possible opportunities.

[Sparkman]

10. I stand for U.S. jobs and against the decline of wages, middle class suppo

rt by OUR government. This is not YOUR government, because you libertarians want to GUT THE GOVERNMENT. UNTIL, of course you NEED your medicare and social security check and public utilities.
Let the privitization of prisons and our mercinary army and our corporate-Republican Government demonstrate how nicely our middle-class has eroded from single wage earner families to dual and tripple income families unable to buy homes in urban America.
RIGHT...libertarian Fascists like your names sake have an answer...the highest bidder has our governance in our best interest.

[Vonhayek7]

13. Well..

Corporations NEED medicare. It's a complete corporate writeoff. It encourages businesses not to provide their own insurance, as government welfare will step in and pick it up by the taxpayer's.

The combined income in my family is 50k. Maybe you should study microfinance and how the poor SAVE. Maybe not for you, but it scares me that I am forced to give my money to the government, have it held and then given back to me. The Supreme Court recently ruled that social security could be taken away to pay back student loans. Great! Won't surprise me when an even more corrupt supreme court extends this to other various services. There are various other tax-free options such as an IRA account.

Also, libertarianism != corporation takeover and fascism. For example, Jefferson was very anti big business. States can effectively control such things through legislation, as Montana has with casinos. Read up on it.

Again, please try not to be hostile to my beliefs because they differ. We all want a better country and we all differ how to make it that way. Check out Von Hayek, Rothbard, and Bastiat.

[NoMercy]

7. Good for her. But whose Party leadership do we trust -- Kerry or Boxer

I believe Kerry, Carter, Hart, Clark and such leaders have a
strategy which is in the interest of the Party take over of the congress in
November.

Are we willing to follow Kerry's lead?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2485565