This whole thing about Dubai taking over one of our ports for terriorist purposes is so funny. I know a little about Dubai because I have a relative who has worked there on and off. Quotes from relative are "Damn it's so hot and you can't get a beer there." and "Gas prices can't go high enough for me."
Number one is we don't have to worry about any actual citizen of Dubai working at one of our ports. They don't work. Work is for Pakistanis and East Indians, who are shipped into Dubai to do the work. Dubai citizens shop, because they have lots of money to shop with. There's a reason Calvin Klein opened a private boutique in Dubai. He can make money there. Lots of it.
Carrie Fisher had an article in the New York Times Travel Magazine about her visit to Dubai and how all you can do there as a tourist is shop. The entire country is dry, so partying is out. But there is a one million square foot MALL there:
The BurJuman offers a million square feet of luxury and comfort. Over 190 prestigious stores, including Louis Vuitton, Donna Karan, Escada, MaxMara, Polo Ralph Lauren, DKNY, Calvin Klein and more.
So I don't think we have to worry about any Dubai war on Christmas.
All we're doing by selling them our ports is giving them more money with which to buy luxury goods from us, except that those luxury goods probably aren't manufactured here either. Oh, well. Maybe if we're really good allies to them and keep watching Dancing with the Stars instead of doing our science homework, we will be lucky enough to get a low wage job in retail at a fancy Dubai mall. Been listening to Billy Bragg a lot lately (love the greatest hits cd) and he's right: The Third World is just around the corner.
Oh, well. Maybe if we're really good allies to them and keep watching Dancing with the Stars
ReplyDeleteHey! "Dancing with the Stars" is our greatest export!
{damnunamericangrumblegrumbelegrumble]
Three comments.
ReplyDelete1. Are you familiar with the concept transtudio imperii?
Essentially it means that empires move/shift in the direction of the setting sun--from west to east.
So, we started with Genghis Khan in Asia, moved to Greece, then to Rome, then to Europe, then Britain, then we crossed the ocean to America, and so then wouldn't it make sense that China's next?
2. Do I see us moving in transition to a third world country? No. I see us moving to second-rate power redundancy like France, Germany, Britain, and Spain.
To an extent, I suppose this sort of thing is inevitable. Capitalism is such that it devours everything in front of it, eventually itself.
3. What will be our undoing? Us, of course. But then again, wasn't that the reason why Europe isn't top dog anymore? They couldn't stop blowing each other up.
And apparently, neither can we.
But, honestly...
ReplyDeleteCan you think of anything besides Capitalism that works?
We can regulate it, but no matter what...human nature doesn't change.
Capitalism: Human Nature, the economic system.
Sounds like Mall of the Americas, only not.
ReplyDeleteAs with everything with the Bush Administration, this is another case of ISS. It's the Secrecy, Stupid. Maybe hiring a state-run company in an unstable part of the world to monitor our ports isn't a bad idea. Having a handful of people inside the Bush Administration make the decision unilaterally, however, is very bad. Getting all indignant when Congress demands to be consulted is also asinine.
What else would you expect from the most secretive administration in history? They live by the secret, and they will die by the secret.
I agree, J.R., there is such a thing as karma.
ReplyDeleteDo I see us moving in transition to a third world country? No. I see us moving to second-rate power redundancy like France, Germany, Britain, and Spain.
ReplyDeleteExcept that the Republicans are running the U.S. like a third world country. Did France, Germany, Britain and Spain have this level of colossal mismanagement? Well, Germany, I suppose...
Eli sez:
ReplyDeleteWell, Germany, I suppose...
Damned Germans.
[waves hand]
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