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Dubai Do Buy? Only If We Let Them
February 20, 2006PurpleThinkers love competitive capitalism. If a company proves to offer a valuable product or service, it should be permitted to fairly compete and win in a free and open market.
Enter Dubai Ports World. DP World is a wholly owned subsidiary of the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). DP World recently struck a deal with the Bush administration to maintain 6 major US commercial ports – including Miami, New York and New Orleans.
The free market should prevail in most cases. However, PurpleThink believes there’s a shortlist of things that trump the free market. Any one of these things does not automatically trigger government involvement, but a combination of these things certainly should raise some flags.
1) Would the goods or services offered allow a foreign firm to control military, commercial, utility, or technology infrastructure vital to national security? For example: restaurant chain, cool – electric grid operation, not so cool.
2) Would the firm in question be owned (wholly or majority) by a foreign government?
3) Has the foreign government in question been linked to terrorist activities?
4) Are we currently at war?
Especially when the answer to all questions is “yes,” some serious debate is warranted. Should this deal go through? Maybe. What's lacking is complete transparancy in this deal. Bush claims that this is just another deal with a Middle Eastern company buying a European one. If you believe the White House, only the day-to-day management of dock operations is on the table. Security, customs, and all other safeguards remain.
Then, what's with the secrecy and closed-door negotiations? PurpleThink has an idea what’s going on. UAE has had some questionable dealings with some nefarious folks, but all-in-all they are an ally – for now. Bush wants to keep it that way. The UAE has some oil prospects but doesn’t have the infrastructure of Saudi Arabia or Iran. Offering the UAE an opportunity to build its empire through its strength, international shipping, Bush hopes to keep the UAE a close ally.
Not bad, but sorry George, Numbers 1 through 4 trump it all. The security provisions in the agreement simply aren’t satisfactory to most Democrats,Republicans or us common PurpleThink folk. The safeguards and oversight necessary to mitigate all the risk is far too costly. If you want us to believe otherwise, you've got to come clean on the closed door negotiations.
In an attempt at compromise, PurpleThink offers the following conditions necessary to earn our approval.
1) The UAE must agree to become the 51st state or at least be like Puerto Rico with some really nice low cost all-inclusive resorts.
2) The UAE must allow ExxonMobil and Halliburton to take over the state-controlled oil program.
3) The UAE must be forced to build “Arab Disney.” Snow White and Minnie Mouse must be allowed to roam the streets without a burkah.
4) Paris Hilton, Michael Jackson, and Brittney Spears must be permanently relocated to UAE(they all MUST where burkahs).
5) The UAE border with Yemen and Saudi Arabia must be as secure as the US border with Mexico – wait, I mean, MORE secure.
6) Come clean on what this is really all about.
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