When Economic Sense And Common Sense Collide

These days in the West, economic sense triumphs over common sense with alarming regularity. No finer example of this can be found than the recent decision here in the United States to give control of six ports to the United Arab Emirates. And this decision at a time of war with the ‘Christian’ West’s mortal enemy: Islam!

On November 6, 2001, when the ‘War on Terror’ was in its infancy, President Bush said : You are either with us or against us in the fight against terror. Indeed, Mr. President! Indeed! So who do you really think the UAE are with? With us infidels? Or, perhaps, with the believers? That means to say, Osama bin Laden and his entourage?

One thing you fail to understand, Mr. President, is that the West, not just the USA, is under attack from Islamic jihad. The jihadists will stop at nothing till they win this war against ’infideldom’. Even if, for one incredible minute, we assume that the intentions of the UAE are good and benign towards the US and its allies, how are you going to be able to ensure that the people given control of the ports won’t be infiltrated by jihadists?

Ports, because of all the containers handled in them, are notoriously difficult to police and control. It would seem that the US is doubling its headache to relinquish control to a company based in the United Arab Emirates. It must surely be tantamount to inviting trouble.

Nobody is trying to say that all people in the UAE are bad people. Far from it. But it must surely be conceded that they are Muslims. On 9/11 America was attacked by Muslims! The jihadists, people who follow the teachings of their prophet to the letter, have stated openly that they wish to destroy the West in general, and the US in particular. You surely cannot be unaware of their objectives, can you?

You stated yesterday that you were trying to conduct US foreign policy by treating the people of the world “fairly”. This is a lofty ideal, Mr. Bush, to be sure. But please don’t forget that your first duty is not to the people of the world, but to the people of the United States, to US citizens. Their safety MUST come first, and it must take the HIGHEST priority.

You would do well to remember Churchill’s words: "The whole history of the world is summed up in the fact that, when nations are strong, they are not always just, and when they wish to be just, they are no longer strong."

One thing the President said yesterday was incomprehensible to me, and certainly insulting to Britain. He asked his opponents to explain why they were opposed to a Middle Eastern firm taking over control of the ports when they did not oppose a British company controlling them. Really, Mr. President! Are you serious?

For a start, if you didn’t know it before, the United Kingdom is the US’s staunchest ally. The British always stand four-square behind the US. The UAE does not. I see that comment as a smack in the teeth for the British. That comment certainly does not pay them any compliment; indeed, it does them a disservice.

If you, Mr. President, really think that placing the control of these six ports in the hands of a Middle Eastern company, indeed any Middle Eastern company, does not pose a greater threat to the security of the US than it does in the hands of a British company, then one can only raise serious questions about your judgment, serious questions about your ability to come to sound conclusions, serious questions about your ability to take sound decisions.

George Bush has gone further, though. He has threatened to veto any law blocking a deal giving an Arab company control of the ports. Veto the law? But why? Why is the President so keen for an Arab company to take control of the ports? To me, it seems suspect that the President should be so keen for control to be handed over to the Arab, Islamic world. One can only ask the following questions: Who stands to gain financially from this? And by how much? Because financial gain by some people, or some companies, must surely be at the root of this! Mega-money must surely be at stake!

But there is one further question I should like answered. It is this: Since when do the Emiratees have the expertise to run six American ports? To run their own country, they have to depend on foreign workers. About 84% of workers in the UAE are foreign workers, and low-paid, Third-world workers at that! So where have they gained all this experience all of a sudden?

In times of war, we cannot be circumspect enough. Common sense must prevail. This, if it goes through, will be a triumph of the power of economics over common sense, the triumph of stupidity over sound judgment. Indeed, this must surely be a fine example of the collision of economic sense with common sense!

©Mark Alexander