Unconventional good stuff here. I normally don’t find nothing but junk but when I get something I know my people will like I link back. This is good stuff and I hope you don’t mind if I add a link back to you from my website….

Street Fighter 4 2008……

2. I boycott Israel, that’s one reason why I refuse to buy Intel for myself or any of my businesses. I also tell all of my comrades to do as well, including the Jewish ones, as Israel embodies the prototype for division between peoples and for anti-semitism. In fact, Israel justifies anti-semitism. As embodied in the very construction of the word, anti-semitism (which should really be anti-Jewish-tribalism) is reactionary.

If somebody is boycotting Israel I’m cheering the boycott on, for the sake of the world. Jews are just like the rest of us gentiles, and they don’t deserve any special cultural or racial protectionism. Giving them protectionism, especially in light of their mistreatment of the low-tech and impoverished palestinians goes against all the values of any enlightened believer in modern social or ethical policy.

On another note, I’d also like to see Israel heavily fined and its foreign aid suspended for all of its human rights violations, especially the ones recognized by the U.N.

So there.

As George Orwell put it, “political language … is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind”. No kidding.

This week, two cities half a world apart braced for an onslaught of hysterical lobbying that has everything to do with dangerously distorted politics and little to do with the issues at hand: whether either of two highly acclaimed films deserves the ultimate prize, the Oscar; whether the national security review that cleared a commercial transaction involving the management of some US ports is enough for DP World to go through with the acquisition.

Given their opponents, it’s no surprise that Dubai and Hollywood failed to defuse their respective public relations crises. While Dubai encountered widespread bipartisan Congressional opposition to its takeover plans within 10 days of the deal becoming public knowledge, this week it gained a new and potent opponent, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Indeed, Hollywood and Dubai faced a similar conundrum: political muscle flexing of pro-Israeli lobbies, and in the case of Hollywood, the Israeli government.

Obviously, there is no way to equate movies that cost barely $75 million with a port operation valued at over $6 billion. That isn’t the point.

If both stick to their guns, so to speak, and refuse to give in to ridiculous demagogues, they might just shatter a few illusions on both sides of the world: In the East, those who decry Jewish control over Hollywood; in the West, those who imagine Dubai overrun with Arab terrorists determined to conquer the shores of New Jersey. Their opposing stereotypes mask a number of commonalities.

Hollywood and Dubai are parallel universes. Both are all about making money; neither is keen to make waves that aren’t lucrative, such as, respectively, blockbuster movies and mind-boggling real estate ventures. Both are surreal places, existing within but functioning far outside prevailing cultural norms. Both are cities of outsiders, thriving and even dependent upon the skills of non-natives.

To be certain, both do have their politically aware, active and attention-getting activists, though Angelina Jolie may trip off tongues more readily than her UAE national counterpart.

Nevertheless, they much prefer their business and not their politics to be the star attraction.

Now, both are faced with an international, headline-grabbing imbroglio. Hollywood encounters a dogged attempt by knee-jerk pro-Israeli forces to undermine one Oscar contender, Steven Spielberg’s Munich, and to change the provenance of another, Hani Abu Assad’s Paradise Now. Dubai faces the ADL which denounced the deal because of the UAE’s lingering economic boycott of Israel. Sympathetic websites and blogs pounced, reminding readers and the Bush Administration of its first-term policy of staunchly opposing such trade barriers.

Debilitating shortcomings

Spielberg should consider teaming up with Abu Assad after Sunday night’s awards show and train their lens on the DP World drama. They are likely to uncover as many debilitating shortcomings in American politics and society as they discovered in Israel’s and Palestine’s.

Just as DP World’s voluntary request for the 45 day security review, a brilliant public relations strategy (and a welcome respite for a beleaguered White House) was announced, Republican Senator Susan Collins, chairwoman of the Homeland Security Committee, revealed the Coast Guard’s national security concerns. These pre-dated the final report from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US, or CFIUS.

Now, CFIUS gets another go at clearing the sale that they just got finished approving, and are actively defending. No surprise, the review is a ruse. No sooner will it be done than many in Congress will cry foul and demand oversight, the right to nix the deal, and much more. Unless Dubai uses the next 45 days to engage in a grassroots campaign for American hearts and minds, opponents in Congress will find considerable public support for their lunacy.

Lacking a basic understanding

On February 27, CBS News found that 7 in 10 Americans and 58 per cent of Republicans are opposed to the transfer of operational control. Of course, though many networks have attempted to offer some basic information on US ports, most Americans still lack a basic understanding of what the sale really entails, or how these operations are currently managed and secured. So is it any wonder that they are sceptical about Dubai, a place that is far and foreign? Foreign direct investment? That’s an unknown concept, and vaguely threatening.

Luring foreign capital is the last thing on the minds of Congressional Democrats. Led by the hard charging Hillary “Oval Office-bound” Clinton, they are seized by the prospect of defeating President George W. Bush on the very issue that got him re-elected: national security.

Only a few senior Republicans like John McCain are likely to stand up to the tidal wave of insanity. Fractious Republicans angered by Bush’s strong-arm political tactics and uneasy with his bottom-basement approval ratings have remained adamantly opposed to the deal.

Democrats seem poised to steal the White House’s rhetorical wizardry. Not only can they alliterate with ease (witness New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg’s taunt at a recent rally, “We wouldn’t transfer the title to the devil; we’re not going to transfer it to Dubai,”) they also took a page out of Dick Cheney’s playbook.

Remember how, in the run-up to the Iraq war, the vice-president convinced most Americans that Saddam Hussain was complicit in 9/11? Democrats plan to use the same word association, Dubai-terrorists-9/11-Taliban, to maintain their newfound national security card.

Neither Spielberg nor Abu Assad could ask for better real-time drama. Or more dire long-term implications should hysterical xenophobia cause the sale fall through, or DP World to withdraw.

Unlike the 1980s, when similar anti-Japanese mania swept up lawmakers and led to various prohibitions on foreign ownership, America faces more robust competition for FDI. With India and China rapidly advancing, Bush’s policies causing angst in various capitals, and America’s deficit ballooning, the US can ill afford further erosion of trust and confidence among key investors.

On a more positive note, Hollywood is likely to weather the outcry from Israeli groups and even the Israeli government. Paradise Now will remain a contender for best foreign film. It’s country of origin? The Academy is leaning towards “Palestinian Territories”, but is that really so important? In 2002, Divine Intervention was denied entry as the Academy did not recognise “Palestine”. Nothing politically has changed in the intervening four years. But socially and culturally, progress has been made. Paradise Now is in.

- Maggie Mitchell Salem is a political and communications consultant based in Washington, DC. Previously, she was director of communications at the Middle East Institute and a special assistant to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

UAE GOVERNMENT : The major objection by the Gulf states is the fact that Israel has not abided by the UN resolutions of 1967 that specifically outlined the israeli border lines. What is happenning today is that Israel as a state is in breach of this resolution by occupying more land and expanding and has not allowed a palestinian state to be established. I personally believe that the palestinians deserve a state side by side to the israelis with the adoption of the 1967 border line resolution. This is the general opinion in the UAE and our government is representing our opinion. The UAE has clearly indicated its support for the SAUDI plan that states that Israel should recognize the palestinian state and should abide by the UN resolution (1967) in terms of its borders for diplomatic and trade relations to be established with the gulf. Dont you think that it is a fair deal?? But Israel doesnt care, so what can we do…. the UAE can not support israel financially (by trading with Israel) if it keeps on grabbing more land and expanding at the expense of the palestinians.

Internal Government Policy: The UAE is made up of seven emirates. The capital, Abu Dhabi, is the largest emirate with the huge oil reserves that is responsible for the federal budget. Each emirate is responsible, as in the US with states or in canada with provinces, to manage its jurisdiction. Therefore, the municipality along with other emirate-operated gevernment divisions are funded by the government revenues from things such as natural resources, to other business activities within the emirate (province). The UAE is tax free, for the government to afford this luxury it needs to invest money in the country and abroad (diversified portfolio) to ensure a stable income and growth of income to support the country without implementing a tax system.

DP WORLD: It is government owned but operates independently. Today, Dubai (the emirate) produces 300,000-400,000 barrels a day of oil and it is starting to run out of oil. We knew that this would happen sooner or later. So what was the government supposed to do to maintain high revenues to support the emirate? Invest in the emirate by liberalising the economy and divesifying the economy, increasing foreign investments by granting incentives such as tax-free incentives and make dubai the tourism and commerce hub of the middle east (that is what it is called nowadays). One of the government actvities to generate revenues is DPW. DPW operates lots of ports around the world, P and O would create a better network. so business wise it is a smart strategy to use because their clients that include an israeli shipping company will be happy to deal with one company that has a global reach.

UAE and terrorism: the whole world was caught offguard in 9/11. I have always been proud to be a UAE citizen, but the only incident that brought shame to UAE citizens and the country was the participation of two individuals living in the UAE in the 9/11 attacks. with that being said, I would like to make people know that the UAE acknowledged that and decided to take action which it was very successful in. It is the most moderate nation in the arab world and to take out the anger at us is just not right. It is not like the company would go through the trouble of issuing a 6.3 billion dollar bond to make the US weak or vulnerable because it would not be in the best interests of the company. This is a profit making company. And i find hurtful comments made by ignorant politicians against us as people and nation who have never even visited the UAE so they dont know what they are talking about. If the US wants to push us away this way, then this could be used by extremists to convince vulnerable individuals that indeed the west hates arabs and muslims. And anti-american sentiment would grow because people who dont like the US would suggest that this behavior is a racist behavior.

Comment by Small C Conserative

Bush is a liberal. It’s only the wingnut leftist loons that control the Donk party that make him seem conservative.

Spending billions here, billions there, property rights destroyed by the Supremes without a peep from him, freedom of speech during elections outlawed thanks to McCain Fiengold, uncontrolled immigration, placating minorities including sexual deviants and fighting a war with one hand tied behind his back are all Donk attributes that date to FDR. If it were not for the kind of treasonous assholes like John “Meet me in Paris” Kerry that you losers trot out every election I’d have voted “other” last election.

Tell me why we let this deal slide again? From the Jerusalem Post (hat tip Think Progress):The parent company of a Dubai-based firm at the center of a political storm in the US over the purchase of American ports participates…

Comment by Cyra Brown — February 28, 2006 @ 4:07 pm

Yeah, me neither, considering, we’re usually the ones defending AGAINST racism… It seems pretty far fetched to be throwing it at us now by people who call anyone from the Middle East a throat slitting towel head every day since 9/11 up until just last week.

Comment by Small “c” conservative — February 28, 2006 @ 8:40 pm

Sure, but I’m terrible at sugar-coating….

Blind faith, and the fear of Hell for having been wrong about anything.