I agree with you, and I am ashamed to. I think what is to Congress a petty political manuver might well be something historians consider a pivitol moment later. It certainly won't take many acts like this to totally isolate ourselves from what is left of our support in the Middle East.

I don't think things like this will cause war, but I think every act like this makes whatever war comes that much worse.

It was only a matter of time before we reached a new low. The same weapon many claim we use against our allies and enemies, fear, has now been used on us and very effectively. We are no longer what we once were. The need for power and money has corrupted this country to the point that we will attack with force any idea made by the opposing party, dem or rep, no matter how good it might be just to have power on their side.

It doesn't bother me that the deal is dead, but so far I haven't heard an argument against the deal that wasn't based on a lot of ignorance.

The only thing I'm wondering now is, are the politicians and people who were so up in arms about DB World buying port terminals now going to turn their sites on China and other countries who have been running port terminals for years? Or is it going to be another example of Press=Participation?

wow...

whatta difference a few weeks hath apparently wrought here. 

don't get me wrong.  although i've not been nearly as ashamed of my government (for pretty much the same inconsistencies you  mention, but different  circumstances) as many times during the past 10 years as i was every year 40 years ago, racial inequities are still very real.  

i am a bit confused tho.   what's so different in your life now compared to a couple weeks ago? 

looking thru your blog archive i discovered what seems to be the work of another, much less tolerant shadowwar.  

for instance:

Think that Islamic violence is limited to outside the US??  2/8/2006  (if i read it right, you were pretty sure it wouldnt be for long)

 Where was the Muslim outrage when: 2/8/2006  (quite frankly, i wouldnt have wanted to be a tourist from dubhai or bahrain who ran into you on february 8, 2006)  

 NJ Muslims 'Profiled' For Praying at Giant's Stadium 2/8/2006  (as i said, you seem to have a whole new outlook on profiling now as opposed to a mere 26 days ago)

 Radical Muslims could establish solid base in U.S. 2/9/2006  (if you posted this today, i'm thinking the title might be 'unless you can prove otherwise, it's not right to say radical muslims could establish a solid base in the us')

 Christians Targeted as Bloody Cartoon Violence Continues 2/20/2006  (hmmmm  i've run outta irony dammit)

i'm having a difficult time expressing myself today so i hope you won't mind me goin with a dylan lyric that seems well..if not truly appropriate, perhaps applicable?.

but you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears,
take the rag away from your face.
now ain't the time for your tears.

More succinctly, I am ashamed of those congressional leaders that threw party polarization into the wind to align themselves to stop something noteworthy lead by George Bush’s administration.

Yesterday, while reading, Fox news was on in the background. It was being announced UAE had thrown in the towel giving way for an American company to run the ports. Then we're faced with a democrat speaking to congress saying that’s good if it’s a true American company with no connections to UAE, and he closed with “that's yet to be determined”. Promptly, my wife looked at me and said, what kind of message does that send to the world? Now all Muslims are being aligned with terrorism.

As far as I am concerned, GWB had the right idea. If we allow a Muslim owned company to run a few of our ports, as the country that’s leading the terrorism charge with a questionable world image, we’d be saying to the world all Muslims are NOT like those we’re barraged with in the headlines. Also such an action would be heard in our benefit around the world making it very difficult with elections around the corner

As I stated, failure of that deal was due to congressional pressures. However, they were influenced by a much greater shallow mindset growing in America, and party allegiance has nothing to do with their mindset. Simply put, reasoning and complex tactical and strategic relationships offer too much stimuli to process. Let’s keep it on the 1 + 1 = 2 and call it a level playing field. Anything more, is just too taxing.

They’re also the one’s that set at home and watch TV making reality shows the #1 entertainment value. Yet, point uninformed fingers of fear at the Patriot Act’s possible intrusion and complain about activates of our various governments investigative agencies, especially the CIA, wanting idealisms to get Intel. Moreover, some how in the same breath, say Iraq and everything else that’s happening in the Middle East is wrong? Yet, scream when their gas bill goes up.

I can hear them now, let’s bring our troops home, close our borders, pull down your window shades, stage volunteers along the borders facing the newly erected electrified wall, and keep the world out. Then, in their second breath, this is because all Muslims must be bad because of what we see on TV. If it’s not one extreme mentality found in Muslim terrorists, it’s another found in the little minds of to many Americans.

This is not the first time that the republicans have let me down.  I expect it of the democrats and their loony leadership.  NOw we find that the otherside can be just as stupid at times.

i am a bit confused tho. what's so different in your life now compared to a couple weeks ago?

The above statement implies we’re on one side of the issue or another for ever, not allowing change.

When rational intellect leads the mind, not someone’s “life” as you state, he’s able to measure and adjust accordingly when new input is provided, which also means he or she is open minded and still learning regardless of age.

Today, I have one view; with new information tomorrow, I might adjust that view, maybe more as further information comes my way later, and so on. Then again, I might not think that new information is worth changing my mind at all. That's when I have to step back and measure why I am holding on so tight to my position. In almost every situation where that happens, my values and morals which are not changeable are driving my position, not intellectual open minded ideals.

wow... whatta difference a few weeks hath apparently wrought here. don't get me wrong. although i've not been nearly as ashamed of my government (for pretty much the same inconsistencies you mention, but different circumstances) as many times during the past 10 years as i was every year 40 years ago, racial inequities are still very real. i am a bit confused tho. what's so different in your life now compared to a couple weeks ago? looking thru your blog archive i discovered what seems to be the work of another, much less tolerant shadowwar. for instance: Think that Islamic violence is limited to outside the US?? 2/8/2006 (if i read it right, you were pretty sure it wouldnt be for long)

This has nothing to do with UAE or the port deal.

Where was the Muslim outrage when: 2/8/2006 (quite frankly, i wouldnt have wanted to be a tourist from dubhai or bahrain who ran into you on february 8, 2006) Again I am talking of the Islamic extremeist, not the businessmen from UAE or DPW. Wheres the connection? I am just as much against the terrorist as the next guy.

NJ Muslims 'Profiled' For Praying at Giant's Stadium 2/8/2006 (as i said, you seem to have a whole new outlook on profiling now as opposed to a mere 26 days ago)

Arabs taking pictures of the air intake and operations system at a football stadium is far different from someone who agrees to a security screening that DPW was willing to go through.

Radical Muslims could establish solid base in U.S. 2/9/2006 (if you posted this today, i'm thinking the title might be 'unless you can prove otherwise, it's not right to say radical muslims could establish a solid base in the us')

Radical Muslims being the key words here. Again, the UAE are not radical muslims. At least last time I researched it.

Christians Targeted as Bloody Cartoon Violence Continues 2/20/2006 (hmmmm i've run outta irony dammit)

Again I run out of things to say, like this has nothing to do with terrorist or terrorism, DPW is a business that was willing to meet and allow all insight and investigation required.

Maybe I am having a difficult time saying that a business deal is much different than people self exploding in your malls or train stations. These people were willing to submit themselves to investigations by Congress and others and yet that ws not good enough, yet we have Chinese and other countries we KNOW are not our best friends already doing the very thing DPW was wanting to do. Lets see, would I rather have the Chinese or DPW in our ports? I vote for DPW, if they passed all the examination they were willing to go trough. But since our Reps decided that becasue they were a muslim country they can not do business here. What kind of message is that? I have not changed my tune, only added a stanza or two to the song.Plus I like to keep an open mind, not one locked into any one way of thinking. If I did that I would be no better than the extremist. And what has a port deal with business men have to do with Radical Muslims? If your saying that the UAE is a radical muslim country please point me in the direction of your information so I can re-evaluate my information as a whole.

I believe most Americans now think Islam is our enemy. All of it, which includes any country state sponsoring the religion.

I will be honest. It is a daily struggle for me not to throw the baby out with the bath water. And really its articles like this one, and the ones Baker puts together which help keep my view more "broad." It certainly isn't from watching any of the general media.

Americans turn on their tvs and see Muslims killing American soldiers. They can do nothing about it.

They hear reports about terrorists leaders making future plans to do more bombing here in the US. They can do nothing about it.

They watch Muslims in the streets with signs calling for the death of America. They can do nothing about it.

They wonder if their city is next on the hit list. And the anger starts to build.

So people start looking for something they can do. Like looking harder at an Arab person in air ports. It may not be right, but it is reality.

So I am not shocked the deal was a no go. The deal was the one thing we could do something about. I don't even think most people CARE if it was wrong, they just feel better doing something against a "religion" that is reportedly doing the things I listed above.

Is it fair? Is it right?

When has that ever mattered? Didn't we imprison Japanese citizens during WWII right here in this country?

This has the same flavor imho. And since I'm giving my opinion, I think it is only going to get worse. Until average Americans can identify Islam with a lot of peaceful articulate actions and faces.......well ~shrugs~

This is a very sad development. I agree with ShadowWar completely - the comparisons kingbee is trying to make are bogus. There is nothing inconsistent about trying to foster legitimate relationships on a number of socio-economic levels with moderate Arab regimes while prosecuting the war on terror, even profiling for potential terrorists. The one thing that Bush's administration has done that Democrats in particular should have thoroughly embraced was instead demagogued to death. Shame on those who did it, especially the Republicans. I also believe Tova's insights are on the money.

I hate to agree with Al Gore about something, but there ya go, even though the rest of what he had to say in Saudi was BS.

"i am a bit confused tho. what's so different in your life now compared to a couple weeks ago? "

I'm half done with a blog on that, but I'll tell you here that there is nothing more dangerous than when two extremes wrap all the way around and meet at the other side.

in order to ensure i wasn't being overly critical, i went back to the articles i cited

Think that Islamic violence is limited to outside the US?? 2/8/2006 (if i read it right, you were pretty sure it wouldnt be for long) This has nothing to do with UAE or the port deal.

no.  it has to do with an apparent contradiction between this:

Of course not, the MSM does not want to "insult" or "inflame" the Muslim Community because they are AFRAID of them! Wel I am not afraid of them and here is what happened.

and this:

Is not everyone in America supposed to be innocent until proven guilty? Where was the trial I missed that convicted an entire county (the UAE) of being terrorist and terrorist sympathizers? I missed that landmark case. Americans are supposed to be better than that

moving on to this one:

Radical Muslims could establish solid base in U.S. 2/9/2006 (if you posted this today, i'm thinking the title might be 'unless you can prove otherwise, it's not right to say radical muslims could establish a solid base in the us') Radical Muslims being the key words here. Again, the UAE are not radical muslims. At least last time I researched it

clearly you didn't write this article (it's credited to that loveable ol scamp cal thomas).   you also didn't offer any qualification or disclaimer.  without expressing your disagreement with parts of anything you post in full, a reader has no choice but to conclude you're in total agreement with every word you posted.  

like these words for instance:

Other subheadings offer advice on reconnaissance, infiltration, ambush and how to manufacture explosive devices, open locks and train assassins. One section details plans to hit buildings with large populations, including museums, ports and archaeological sites and to attack VIPs. David Perry, prosecuting counsel, told the court, “This is a manual, a blueprint for terrorism.”

Perry said the document’s execution section recommends that Islamic agents be sent to any country intended as a target at least 10 years before jihad begins.

as well as this:

Among the many problems with this twisted religiosity is that the West does not know how many share it. Instead, political leaders repeat the bromide that Islam is a “peaceful religion” and radicals are trying to hijack it. Are we being infiltrated by people who, on the outside, pretend to be peaceful and tolerant, but inside wish to undermine and overthrow our government?

accomplishing those goals would be difficult unless the conspirators hadda means of infiltrating the us and remaining in place without arousing suspicion.   a business operated in a widely recognized hotbed of corruption might present exactly the right sorta situation no?

then there's this one:

Christians Targeted as Bloody Cartoon Violence Continues 2/20/2006 (hmmmm i've run outta irony dammit) Again I run out of things to say, like this has nothing to do with terrorist or terrorism

another cut n paste without any disclaimer or disavowal.  you did add your own take tho by using your own words for both the title and subtitle: 

Muslims, the peace loving people...hmmmmm

if you truly meant to compliment islam because you believe it is a peaceful religion, i'm clearly taking this the wrong way...and i'll apologize soon as you provide confirmation.

next...

Where was the Muslim outrage when: 2/8/2006 (quite frankly, i wouldnt have wanted to be a tourist from dubhai or bahrain who ran into you on february 8, 2006) Again I am talking of the Islamic extremeist,

you're wanting to know where the islamic extremist outrage is?   do you really expect any when it seems you have suspicions about ALL muslims? 

That's it, I am sick of it, its such a crock of bulls&^t I can't take it anymore. Here is what I think of your so called outrage!!!

and....

They're outraged because it is part of the Islamic jihadist culture to be outraged. You don't really need a reason. You just need an excuse. Wandering around, destroying property, murdering children, firing guns into the air and feigning outrage over the slightest perceived insult is to a jihadist what tailgating is to a Steeler's fan.

I know and understand that these bloodthirsty murderers do not represent the majority of the world's Muslims.

you seem unsure about that a few lines further down the page when you claim:

Indeed. Why not? Could it be because they down deep support these radicals? Maybe they are scared of them? I don’t know but if they won’t stop them, I know a few people who will

and so it goes. 

Soory your arghurements dont hold water. I expressed my feelings and they are clear, since you are unable to understand them does not make them invalid or unrealistic. You just need to look at the fact I am openminded and actaully do not lock myself into a position and am willing to look at each issue seperately. The port deal was done on a basis of fear and racism, do you agree or disagree? Thats a fairly simple question for you. The racism being done on the part of the government who wnated something, anything they could do to the Muslims. I have never said I dislike or hate all muslims, just that I wish teh moderates would do more to help wipe out the radicals. I never professed to have all the anwsers, and if you do please share them with the rest of us idiots as we seem to be not as enlightened as you, or at least in your opinion.

ShadowWar

Apparently profiling is okay in relation to our airports, but not seaports.

" Apparently profiling is okay in relation to our airports, but not seaports."

I think you have that backwards. Since racial profiling is illegal in the US, apparently profiling is okay in terms of our seaports, but not our airports. The Dems don't have a problem with anything during an election year, though.

Many of the Republicans in question would profile anywhere, anytime if they could get away with it. What exactly is the Democrat's excuse?