For doing nothing but being a solid ally of the US economically, militarily and on intelligence efforts, plus offering to fund extending the inspection and monitoring cargo as it is loaded on the ships to come here to America, Dubia Ports Wolrd and The UAE were treated as terrorist criminals. It had something to do with the fact they were Arab Muslims from the Middle East so they posed a threat. The insecure amongst us outnumbered the cool headed and Congress buckled to polls to create this wretched result.

Our soldiers in harm’s way in the Middle East must train, arm and fight side-by-side with potential Al Qaeda agents. But we here in America, the ones who send out military to die in our name, cannot generate enough spine to rub elbows with UAE businessmen.

As I predicted and feared, the appetite of the Ayrab-phobes was not satiated with this one event. Their desire to rid America of those not worthy to be here is stronger than most of those who capitulated to the pressure over Dubia Ports World realized. News is out today the Ayrab Cleansers are now looking at ownership of airlines.

Resistance to foreign ownership of U.S. port operations spilled over into the aviation arena when a congressional committee told the Bush administration to postpone a plan to allow more foreign control of domestic airlines.

The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday passed a resolution directing the Transportation Department to hold off for 120 days on its proposal to give foreign investors in U.S. airlines more latitude to influence management decisions.

“The committee believes that the U.S. aviation industry is part of our critical infrastructure as are the ports,” said the resolution, which passed by voice vote and doesn’t have the force of law.

Please, don’t insult my intelligence and try to explain this is not xenophobia or fear of Arab Muslims. This is exactly what I predicted would happen once Congress decided to lead the mob mentality instead of being leaders and stopping it. Just like political leaders can stoke riots to expand or work to calm them down, we had a choice on DPW. We blew it.

Idiots like Michael Savage are already on the hunt for other UAE arrangements in the US which mirror the DPW arrangement. I was going to dredge the sewers of anti-foreigner sites to get links but it was not worth polluting my site with those links.

Think about what kind of country we should be if we are to be the shining city on the hill. This kind of emotional, fear laden response is not coherent with the image Ronald Reagan espoused and challenged us to become.

Update:

At least we still have one strong leader in Washington DC – our President:

President Bush’s cautions on the dangers of pulling back behind American borders — in trade and investment, in immigration and in his effort to make the spread of democracy the signature of his second term — first cropped up in his State of the Union address six weeks ago.

But it accelerated even before the Dubai ports deal was derailed by members of his own party, and before an unexpected uprising began among some neo-conservatives, who are now arguing that Iraq, while a noble effort, has turned into a failed mission that must be abandoned.

…

“We’re seeing it in everything,” said one of Mr. Bush’s closest aides last week. “Iraq. The ferocity of an irrational argument over the ports. Guest workers. China and India.”

Of course, this story is buried in a NY Times piece which has its own partisan agenda.  But at least someone is fighting this ridiculous tide.