Dealings
show undercurrents of dirty politics
Patrick
Creaven
I
would like to formally congratulate the
members of the United States House and
Senate on the successful campaign against
the scary Arabs who wanted to run our
ports. Thank you very much.
Everybody knows we can’t trust those violence-loving, car-bomb-making
and America-hating Arabs. It’s just common sense that American companies
are better at protecting Americans.
Look at the commuter airline industry, for example. American Airlines and United
Airlines both have fantastic track records on making sure terrorists don’t
hijack their planes and then crash them into buildings. Well OK, maybe that
isn’t the best example.
The truth is, the ousting of Dubai Port World from taking over six America
ports had very little to do with national security. Instead, it was all about
the disease that has plagued this country from its very beginning — racism.
If you missed it, DP World, a United Arab Emirates company, struck a deal with
a British company to take over six American ports.
The deal went unnoticed, until Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., saw an opportunity
to exploit the business transaction. He turned it into political charade, claiming
that an Arab-based company running American ports would make them even more
unsafe. Schumer said it didn’t have anything to do with race, and he
just wanted to take a closer look at the company.
It was politically brilliant, so much so one might have thought Karl Rove had
switched teams and came up with the idea.
In reality though, it was completely bogus. DP World runs ports all over the
world, and has a safety record American Airlines and United Airlines would
be envious of.
On top of that, security experts said it doesn’t really matter who runs
the day-to-day operations at a port because security is done by the U.S. Coast
Guard, U.S. Customs and dock workers hired by unions.
But Schumer and his Democratic friends in congress pounded Republicans on one
of the few issues conservatives still hold an advantage in, national security.
House and Senate Republicans, who were already worried about re-election in
November, jumped ship and joined in on the Arab-port hysteria.
One of the few people who didn’t drink the Kool-Aid was President Bush.
He stood by the deal until the very end, and after DP World backed out of the
takeover last Thursday, Bush still said, and rightfully so, that the deal posed
no national security risk.
“
My administration was satisfied that port security would not have been undermined
by the agreement,” Bush said.
What makes the Democratic political stunt so disturbing and unethical is that
it’s inflaming anti-Arab and Islam sentiment for political gains.
According to a Washington Post-ABC poll published on the same day DP World
backed out of its deal, 46 percent of Americans have a negative view of Islam,
and one in three believe Islam helps to promote violence against non-Muslims.
The Washington Post quoted Gary McCord, 65, a school bus driver in Chicago.
“
I don’t mean to sound harsh or anything, but I don’t like what
the Muslim people believe in, according to the Quran. Because I think they
preach hate,” he said.
The article also quoted, Frederick Cole, 30, a welder from Utah.
“
As far as being prejudiced against them, I’d have to say maybe a little
bit. If I were to go through an airport and I saw one out of the corner of
my eye, I’d say, ‘I wonder what he’s thinking.’’ Still,
Cole said, “I don’t think the religion is based on just wanting
to terrorize people.”
This might be shocking, but people who practice Islam don’t preach hate.
Seriously, they don’t. I know some. An overwhelming majority are nice,
polite and peaceful people.
Going through an airport and feeling nervous when you see an Arab would be
like seeing a white person in a U-Haul garage and thinking, “Wasn’t
Timothy McVeigh white? I wonder what that white person is thinking?”
Democrats should have embraced the port deal, showing Americans that they understand
only a microscopic percentage of Arabs pose a threat to the country. No, it
wouldn’t have embarrassed the president, and no, it wouldn’t have
given the appearance Republicans were weak on national security. It would have
been the right thing to do.
If you still think this didn’t have anything to do about race and politics,
ask yourself this question. Would we have ever heard of DP World if it were
based out of Dublin instead of Dubai?
Patrick Creaven is a senior journalism major.
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