Port security, then. A less interesting phrase, but a more accurate one. So is life.
The punditry I hear on the Dubai Ports World deal annoys me just as much as the deal itself does. Extremist demagoguery is exactly what I hate about Bush, and now I hear it from the Dems: uninformed (or worse, inaccurate), xenophobic, fear-filled crap that usually completely misses the point of Bush's dishonesty and dereliction of duty.
On Chris' blog (HHH, at right) I'd commented that, in all the sound and fury on all sides, I've been able to glean little to no relevant information. The cant on this topic signifies nothing. (Ah, the Bard. A bon mot for every occasion.)
Now I know why I love Dave Barry (one of the gurus of the universe). At least when his writing is fact-free, he lets the reader know up front (Dave Barry's Bad Habits: A 100% Fact-Free Book). I can see it now: Commentary on the Emperor's Clothes: A Fact-free Look at Port Security Risk. Where's Maureen Dowd when you need her?
Oh, yeah. Thinking up overinflated but cutely punny metaphors which cater to another demographic of the lowest common denominator- evisceration without evidence or perspective. Funny, but uninformative.
Like I said, Dave Barry any day. Or, for that matter, Molly Ivins. But back to the ports.
So far, all the data I've been able to gather have led me to the conclusion that I don't have enough information to have an educated opinion on whether or not the DPW deal really is a security threat.
Port operation is something about which I- and at least 97% of people on earth- really have no idea. If Bush were a different type of person- i.e., one who actually knew what he was talking about- I might trust his assurances more, but as it is, I think he grabbed at the deal and the propitiation of former business partners first and asked questions later, if at all. Typical.
What really pisses me off about this proposed transaction is that it's a repeat of the pattern of secrecy, criminal negligence, and malfeasance in office for which this administration has become world-famous, as well as (another) backhand to the face of both Congress and the American people.
The only good point in this wretched mess- and it's a mixed one at best- is that it's bloody hysterical to hear Bush voice a cautious, nuanced, inclusionist, moderate stance- and be successfully shouted down by uninformed, fearful, gonad-driven ignorami. HILARIOUS. Possibly a more perfect example of real-life irony than any I've ever seen.
Talk about being hoist on your own petard.
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