Mariner
Active Member
by money--they are a group of savvy tribes who banded together for self-protection and to manage their wealth better. They are unbelievably wealthy, thanks to our love of SUVs and big houses. For example, they recently built an indoor ski resort (in the desert!) and are constructing the world's tallest building. 1/5 of the world's cranes are at work in the UAE right now, building, buiding. Their port in Dubai is bigger than all six of ours that they would manage.
In terms of being our friends, they're a mixed bag. Some of the money used to plan 9/11 was funnelled through their country and two of the bombers were from there. However, they have cooperated since, and have clearly chosen the path of business over the past of Islamism. On the other hand, they're the least democratic regime in the entire Middle East.
My own take on this whole thing is that it's far less relevant who manages the ports than what the level of required security is at them. The Coast Guard has been begging for years for the $7 billion a year it would take to properly inspect and seal each container, and scan it for radioactivity, before it's loaded on a ship bound for the U.S. and again after it arrives. Congress and Bush have said no, while approving all sorts of pork for themselves under the name of homeland security. They are serving our safety poorly. Similarly, Bush's plan for securing the nuclear material around the world that could be used in a dirty bomb is scheduled so slowly that it won't be complete until 2020. For a few billion more we could do it in a year or two. Bush's priorities in these two areas make zero sense to me.
Mariner.
In terms of being our friends, they're a mixed bag. Some of the money used to plan 9/11 was funnelled through their country and two of the bombers were from there. However, they have cooperated since, and have clearly chosen the path of business over the past of Islamism. On the other hand, they're the least democratic regime in the entire Middle East.
My own take on this whole thing is that it's far less relevant who manages the ports than what the level of required security is at them. The Coast Guard has been begging for years for the $7 billion a year it would take to properly inspect and seal each container, and scan it for radioactivity, before it's loaded on a ship bound for the U.S. and again after it arrives. Congress and Bush have said no, while approving all sorts of pork for themselves under the name of homeland security. They are serving our safety poorly. Similarly, Bush's plan for securing the nuclear material around the world that could be used in a dirty bomb is scheduled so slowly that it won't be complete until 2020. For a few billion more we could do it in a year or two. Bush's priorities in these two areas make zero sense to me.
Mariner.