'Little Red Riding Hood' Goes to Washington and Meets The Dubai Deal.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Gem Fire Air
'Little Red Riding Hood' Goes to Washington and Meets The Dubai Deal.
by marty kleva
Once upon a time there lived in a certain village a little girl, the prettiest creature that ever was seen; she was loved and admired by all.
We all know the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Of how her mother sent her off through the woods with a basket of goodies to take to her grandmother.
And we all know who she met up with — the Wolf! — who after gaining her confidence got Red Riding Hood to tell him where she was going.
Being a hungry and greedy ole wolf he decided to not just take the tasty morsel at hand, Red Riding Hood, which was easy enough for him to do, but knowing that there was an additional meal for him to take, he headed off to the grandmother’s cottage.
When he got there, he of course ate the grandmother. She had no defense against him, for she was ill and not feeling up to par.
So he dressed in her nightgown and took her place in bed and waited for Red Riding Hood to arrive for desert!
She came, and as there are various renderings of this tale, I will choose the version that suits this particular article.
When Red Riding Hood approached her grandmother, the wolf persuaded her to get into bed with him! Being that close, she noticed that many things were different about her grandmother.
And we all know the famous lines:
She then went into bed, where, being greatly amazed to see how her grandmother looked, she said,
“Grandma, what big hairy arms you have!" "That's the better to hug thee with my dear."
"Grandma, what big hairy legs you have!" "That’s the better to catch you, with my child."
"Grandma, what big hairy ears you have!" "That’s the better to hear you my lovely.”
"Grandma, what big bulging eyes you have!" "They are to see you better, my dear."
"Grandma, what big sharp teeth you have!" "All the better to eat thee up, my little pigeon."
In different versions of this tale, the ending varies, from Red Riding Hood being eaten up by the wolf, to a wasp stinging the wolf’s nose . . . who then sneezes . . . to alert the tom-tit sitting on the branch outside the door . . . who then says “tweet-tweet” to alert the huntsman . . . who then lets fly an arrow that kills the wolf.
And there is another one, much more straight forward and in keeping with the way it is . . . where Red Riding Hood pays attention to her healthy instinct that has her afraid of this different version of her grandmother, and too quickly for the wolf, runs screaming out of the cottage, where fortunately Karl, the woodman’s son is passing by, and he quickly kills the wolf with his axe.
Now you might wonder what this has to do with Washington DC and Dubai Ports World.
Hang on . . . I’m getting to that, but I have to lay some groundwork for you first.
In fairytales, there are symbolic archetypal figures that correspond to human nature:
Little Red Riding Hood is the young feminine archetype, who wears a red cape with a hood. This indicates she is under the protection of her healthy instinct for survival.
The grandmother is the wizened feminine archetype, but she is ill and cannot access the wisdom of her instinct any longer.
The wolf is a wolf who simply does what wolves do. (Just as an aside here to say that I believe the wolf is a wonderful creature for us to study. However, I know enough to stay clear of the wolf. They are not people, nor am I a wolf.)
In this fairy tale, the wolf represents the danger to Red Riding Hood’s survival.
So we have our main characters: Red Riding Hood, her grandmother, and the wolf.
This tale is about the feminine instinct for survival; the instinct that informs us of both who we can trust and who we would be naïve to trust.
Now, in the woods, Red Riding Hood trusted the wolf enough to tell him where she was going. She told him her plans to visit her grandmother who was ill.
The wolf, being a wolf, turned that into his advantage.
It was the healthy, Red Riding Hood, instinct intact, who recognized the danger and began to be afraid when she noticed how her grandmother had changed.
And it was her healthy instinct that ran away screaming, and got her out of the clutches of the wolf.
So now we come to the real-life story.
The story goes, that a great and young nation is governed by a ruler along with the help of his advisors, whose wisdom is ill and diseased. All the faculties of instinct for survival are dead and disguised beneath the greed for power, and money, and control.
The ruler and friends are in so many beds together, they have lost their discriminating powers to know who is grandmother and friend, or who is the wolf, a deadly foe.
It remains to be seen who will show up as the real Red Riding Hood with the real Red-Blooded American instinct for survival.
So now here’s what’s going down.
- mek
Monday, February 27, 2006
Gem Fire Air
'Little Red Riding Hood' Goes to Washington and Meets The Dubai Deal.
by marty kleva
How many of you can sleep better at night knowing that the security of our major ports are in the hands of a company that is owned by another government?
Frankly, I cannot fathom one American saying that they will sleep better if the Bush Administration goes ahead with the contract to hand over the major terminal operations of the international ports of New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Miami, and New Orleans to Dubai Ports World, a United Arab Emirates government owned company.
The President, George Bush says, “And so people don’t need to worry about security.”
“Oh my! Grandmother, what big hairy arms you have!”
Our instincts should be clanging bells and jumping up and down on this one.
How many of you knew that formerly the very same ports were managed by British owned, Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company?
Not me. I don’t like that idea either.
Paying any foreign company to secure and man the terminal operations of any of our ports is more than an inept, irresponsible business practice; it’s suicidal!
And this twisted form of non-logic that George Bush brings up, saying it is discriminatory for the U.S. to allow a British owned company, but not an Arab owned company to run the ports, is so off base, and nothing less than a form of laying guilt upon the American people at the cost of the American Nation’s security.
As best as I can see it — and I don’t know when this business of out-sourcing this major position to a foreign company began, but — it never should have happened in the first place.
It’s time to correct a past mistake and place all our port operations back into strictly American hands.
There are major issues that have been soft-pedaled with this sale of P&O to Dubai Ports World.
Reports say that Administration spokespersons are scoffing at those who claim this puts port security into the hands of a foreign government.
Scott McClellan, White House Press Secretary, is quoted, “This is not about control of our ports. This is not about the security of our ports. And let me be very clear, one thing we will never do is outsource to anyone the control and security of our ports, whether it’s Dubai or any other entity that operates terminals at our ports.”
“Why Grandmother, What a long hairy nose you have!”
According to CNN correspondent Bill Tucker, the security at most ports works similarly like this:
When a ship is in the water on its way to dock, it is under the U.S. Coast Guard’s jurisdiction.
While docked, it comes under the jurisdiction of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
However, as soon as any goods are unloaded onto the dock, the security is solely in the hands of the terminal operator.
In this case it will be Dubai Ports World if the administration has its way.
All security plans for the terminal, including the hiring of all security guards, are executed by the terminal operator.
These plans are classified SECRET.
If that terminal operator is Dubai, the U.S. will place CLASSIFIED SECRET security arrangements in the hands of a foreign government every single day!
What do we do to scientists who hand over classified documents to a foreign agent?
Don’t we prosecute them for treason?
Members on both sides of the aisle in Congress are voicing real concern, and as of Friday, that concern has resulted in Dubai’s agreeing to delay the deal for 45 days as is set according to statute, a statute the administration saw fit to bypass.
The 1992 statute that covers this deal stipulates a provision calling for a 45-day mandatory investigation when, “the acquirer is controlled by or acting on behalf of a foreign government.” Such is the case here.
Along with the required 45-day period of investigation, the President is to be informed.
Neither of these two requirements was fulfilled.
"Grandmother! What big hairy ears you’ve got!"
In the administration’s great desire to secure this country’s ports, they chose not to require Dubai to keep copies of its business records on U.S. soil where they would be subject to American courts. Neither did they require Dubai to designate an American citizen to carry out any governmental requests.
"Why Grandmother! Why are your eyes bulging out like that!"
The president announced that he will veto any attempt by the Congress to kill this deal!
“What big sharp teeth you have Grandmother Dear!”
In this delay period, Dubai has hired two major U.S. political lobby firms; those of Bob Dole and Madeline Albright to convince Congress that Dubai will not walk away with the jewels of the kingdom.
Dole, has been hired as a lobbyist for Dubai, and Albright’s consulting firm is working with an additional lobby firm led by former Democratic Congressman Tom Downey to help push this deal through Congress.
“Grandmother, what long hairy legs you have!”
Meanwhile, Governor Jon Corzine of New Jersey has taken matters into hand, and is filing state and federal lawsuits to block the deal. Of the other state governors, only one is not concerned, that being the president’s brother Jeb Bush of Florida.
Condi Rice believes that “…this is a deal, a port deal that serves the interests of the United States, serves our security interests, and serves the commercial interests as well.”
Ah yes, “. . . serves the commercial interests . . . .”
“Grandmother? Why are you drooling like that?”
Just whose commercial interests are being served here?
There are at least two ties between Dubai and the White House, Treasury Secretary John Snow, and recently appointed head of the U.S. Maritime Administration, David Sanborn.
Snow’s agency heads the federal panel that signed off on the $6.8 billion sale of P&O to Dubai, thus giving it control of Manhattan’s cruise ship terminal and Newark’s container port, a contract that allows a foreign government owned business to also run the ports of Miami, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New Orleans.
Buried in the legalese is a $15 million contract for P&O, (now Dubai) to move military equipment going to Iraq from the Texas ports of Beaumont and Corpus Christi.
“Why Grandmother! Why are you staring at me like that?”
“ And why are you getting out of bed!”
Snow used to be chairman of a rail firm that sold its own international port operations to DP World for $1.15 billion in 2004.
According to reports, until last month, David Sanborn was a senior DP World executive and worked as Dubai’s Director of Operations for Europe and Latin America.
Red Riding Hood! Are you screaming, yet?
Are you running for your life?
Or will you stand still and be devoured by the wolf in grandmother’s nightgown?
As for the end of the story, we shall have to see if anyone shows up to be Karl the woodman’s son with his axe, and who kills this blasted deal!
-mek