Live through this, and you won’t look back.
So our government is bound and determined, it seems, to hand control of several major ports (including those of New York, New Jersey, Miami, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and what’s left of New Orleans, all of them already grossly undefended) over to a corporate arm of the United Arab Emirates, which, among other things, some of them doubtless germane and even adducible to the business that is running ports, are known to have perhaps circumstantial but nonetheless thick and fast and furious connections to That With Which We Are at War; namely, Terror—at least, connections thicker and faster and more furious than those which nominally launched ten thousand Iraqi deaths.
But far be it from me merely to rail about the wrong that’s going on! Silly notion: could we maybe, once we’ve staked the heart of this monstrous regime and cauterized the last neck-stump of its endless talking heads, could we put some safeguards in place? —We could wait till after the parade, you know, when the last of the ticker-tape settles on the makeshift stage, that moment, you know, the echoes of the cheers have died, and we’re starting to look at each other, a little uncomfortable, the whole future opening up before us with opportunities and possibilities and dare I even say it some little hope, but it’s all blank, formless, unshaped—what do we do now? Where do we go? What step should we take? —Might I suggest, and like I said, could be a silly notion, but hear me out: what we do, see, is decide, write down, codify an agreement that no one single, unitary person ever again should have this power to sell us out for a greasy buck: that the power to make such decisions be broken and scattered to differing, competing branches of whatever government we might put in place. Wouldn’t need too many: a couple, maybe three at most. Enough so that one can stop another should it step anywhere near being this far out of line. Needs a snappy name, though. Something like, oh, I don’t know, checks and balances?
(We may however have finally found the BTKWB limit: selling our port security to the highest bidder no matter whom. Jesus fucking Christ.)
The most cynical part of me can’t help but wonder if Bush is desparate for another terrorist attack to boost his ratings. He’s cut funding for domestic protection, and inflammed the anger of the whole world… what else is a guy supposed to do?
Sometimes I fear that it would take a revelation of an affair between him and Condi to unseat him from power. Such a sad statement of American values if that’s what it took.
Hey, it’s not Bush’s fault. He didn’t know! But he’s still sticking with the plan. Such chutzpah, that guy.
Kevin – I’ve always thought that chutzpah required foreknowledge of possible consequences – if you don’t realize what might happen, there’s no need for it.
Fearless Leader has never inspired in me the reaction: “That guy’s really thought this through.” In the Bubble, consequences are things that happen to other people.