Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Dubious Dubai & Dubya

There is much wailing and gnashing of teeth over the US Government turning the keys of six of our major ports over to a state-owned business with very real ties to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on our country. As opposed to the country we are now mired in a pre-emptive war with that had no connection--even though we were assured that the linkage was "pretty well confirmed" by Cheney and Condi. Keys to one and bullets for the other. Apparently one came across with money in hand; the other had to be done the hard way. Of course the war profiteers are profiting from the American treasury, they just have to blow another country to smithereens to earn it.

It would be much easier to believe this administration has a watchful eye on all things at all times and we need not worry since dubya is riding shotgun and people much wiser than the unwashed masses are effectively managing our affairs of state. What would help in this is if you knew some political ideology was driving them. Something like conservative or moderate or liberal--as long as it was something consistent that you could kind of lean on as a guide. Instead, these high idealistic signposts are now splintered, laying in waste and leaning to and fro like so many drunken sailors.

I always understood where conservatives were coming from, and indeed they hold valuable points. I just happen to disagree on several fundamental points. Fair enough. I can never tell where this Administration is coming from. My first reaction to this opening of our ports and letting UAE walk in and take over was bewilderment. Why would Dubya allow terrorist financiers take over several ports? All this talk about coast guard and customs maintaining security at these ports is such bullshit. Mohammed Atta didn't have the fucking keys to the plane either now did he? Which brought out my second reaction--anger. I have listened to democrats demand action and funding to increase our port security. The yellow dog barks and the caravan rolls on. We're fighting 'em over there so we don't have to fight 'em over here.

So, what the hell, it's an election year, let's go ahead and bring 'em over here. Which brought me to my third reaction--fear. A car bomb or a shiny bullet placed strategically into the right person in there homeland and their complete political landscape could change overnight. And god forbid should someone draw a cartoon of the wrong prophet. The hue and cry could be almost immediate "Death to America!" and a boatload of nukes could steam our way. Then another reaction stole into my psyche--suspicion.

A Rovian trap with midterms on the horizon. As my feeble mind is no match to plumb the depths of his deviousness, my fear surprisingly increased. The devil you know (terrorists) versus the devil you don't (Rove). His dirty tricks for political gain have now been played on an international scale. Dubya promised to be a unifier after the grueling campaign marshaled by Rove ended in a supreme court coronation. September 11 gave him that unification, democrats and republicans stood shoulder to shoulder behind or President, as did the entire world, and we were indeed united.

No longer. Any opposition to the President was dealt with by using 9/11 as a blunt political weapon to beat opposition senseless with. The right wing grew more powerful and became intoxicated at the spectacle of wholesale slaughter of debate and laughed and jeered like heathens watching lions eat Christians. It has now grown into a cult where even their own kind are thrown to the lions for gainsaying King George. Now clothed in unfettered omniscience and brandishing a terrible swift sword, he can and does and says his will. Which no longer has any semblance of conservative theory. Nation building, expanded federal government and expanded federal power can in no way be construed as conservative ideals.

Invade a country that had nothing to do with 9/11, had no WMDs, did not harbor terrorists and had a secular government and replace it with a civil war headed by tribal factions of fanatical religious cultists recruiting and training terrorists to kill Americans. Hell, sign me up. But take a country with undisputed ties to 9/11 and hand our ports over to them. Anyone who speaks out against this is declared a xenophobic racist, or some shit like that. Is the true motive behind these things not a political ideology at all? Is money the driving issue behind these zany policies and hyperbolic defenses of same? Certainly forensic accountants will view all of these transactions and I'm sure it will take years to wade through all of the financial subterfuge--if in fact money was the driving force behind this patchwork of applied political stances.

I'm certain there are some who have already made up their minds on this. That would take a serious leap for me to make. Ravage foreign countries and sell national security for filthy lucre.

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