Framing! Privatization - people are waking up - emphasize it. This

[peacetalksforall]

is the day we need to start framing the privatization of the ports. Some people are amazed that the British had the contract - they assume that the U.S. handled them. If their conscience can be raised about privatization - it will help on all levels to come - the water - the roads = and any attempts to continue with social security or anything else this regime comes up with.

If we paid for the ports to start with - we have even more reason to keep them in our hands (even if it's the sorry hands of a U.S. corporation).

Support Feinstein - should be in government hands.

This is a framing opportunity.

[xiamiam]

1. i think most people thought the security of our ports was being addressed

after 911...thats why all of the fervor surrounding this...this move is the antithesis to the reason homeland security was created...

[iconoclastNYC]

2. Is FEINSTEIN calling for nationalition of the ports?

That's surprising .... isn't she DLC? This seems antithetical to the DLC ideology of free trade above all else.

[KittyWampus]

3. Agreed, it's not about having an American COMPANY responsible f/ security

it's about the American GOVERNMENT being responsible.

[peacetalksforall]

4. We also need to know how the taxes work - is the land they are on ours?

We need to know everything to know what should be done and who should be doing the work and given the contract.

One thing we can guess - somewhere along the way there was a move against the unions?

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

5. This is outsourcing but it is NOT privatization

because a privately owned corporation is not being put in charge, like the British company was. ANOTHER COUNTRY is being put in charge of our ports!! A company is responsible to its shareholders and is profit driven. You would have to assume that a state-run entity is responsible to the state or government that owns it and would forward the interests of that country.

The ports have been the subject of frequent conversations about how they are the most porous, perilous and un-protected part of our National Security. The ports SHOULD be nationalized as part of NATIONAL Security.

I do agree with you higher class, that this is a good opportunity to talk about the concept of privatization in general and that the American people have been sold a bill of goods with all of the neo-con agenda that wants to dismantle our government and sell off its roles piecemeal for profit to PRIVATE ENTITIES.

[peacetalksforall]

7. So this is outsourcing on OUR SOIL?

Thanks. This is what we have to sort out. We are constantly learning. In some ways they work against themselves because we learn too much.

[JaneGat]

6. Absolutely the matter. There is a huge push to privatize *everything*

and it seems that concerning the port issue, some lawmakers (on both sides) are suggesting that the government should privatize discriminatingly, as opposed to non-privatization. Thanks for framing this, because if we stay on this course, everything will be privatized, nothing at all will be publicly owned, and Americans won't know what hit them.