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February 13, 2012
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David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
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Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
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Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
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Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
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Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Feb. 24, 2006
/ 26 Shevat, 5766
Just because you're Islamophobic doesn't mean you're wrong
By
Kathleen Parker
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
That distant thunder you hear is the sound of thousands of harrumphing
pundits and politicians clearing their throats.
"Ah, what we really meant to say was that we love all G-d's people,
but we'd really rather not have Middle Easterners managing our ports. If
it's not too much trouble."
But trouble it is to admit what's really got Americans in high dudgeon over
the pending sale of shipping operations at six major U.S. ports to the
United Arab Emirates (UAE). It's not just the sale itself, but the Bush
administration's apparent lack of respect toward American citizens
concerning a business deal that at least seems
untimely and counterintuitive.
As I inadvertently failed to mention in an earlier column on the subject,
the ports in question already were managed by a British company, which is
selling the operational rights to Dubai Ports World with American approval.
As I've now written in countless e-mails, "Some foreign companies are more
foreign than others."
Great Britain, though home to the infamous shoe bomber, is nonetheless a
blood brother in the war against terror. The UAE is now being lauded as
helpful in that global fight, but its history relative to terrorism is
problematic. The emirates joined Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in recognizing
the Taliban as the official government of Afghanistan. The UAE also was a
transfer point for shipments of nuclear components to Iran, North Korea and
Libya.
Given that history, it's hard to pretend that there's no reason whatsoever
for concerns about Dubai Ports, a government-owned company, managing U.S.
ports.
In the several days since the pending sale was announced amid much Sturm und
Drang, new facts have surfaced that ultimately may convince Americans that
the sale won't threaten national security. The ports will continue to be
protected as they have been by the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Customs
Service, for instance. And American workers will continue to comprise the
bulk of the ports' workforce.
Other justifications for the sale appear to be reasonable — not least that
Dubai Ports World is reputedly competent at managing ports — and might be
convincing if only someone bearing the title President of the United States
would articulate those reasons in a spirit of respect rather than as a
dismissive parent managing an impudent child.
We're at war, remember? We're fighting terror. We're staying the course and
holding fast. You're either with us or against us. Americans got all that
and the part about taking down Saddam Hussein in case he had weapons of mass
destruction. They also got the part about planting seeds of democracy in
hopes of changing hearts and minds that are stalled in the 12th century.
Check.
At the same time, Americans have gamely tolerated interminable airport lines
as old ladies got frisked and terrorist look-alikes strolled through
magnetometers. They're mostly cool, in other words. But they're also
watching the news and seeing a world gone mad over a few political cartoons
and wondering whether it's such a good idea to increase even administrative
traffic between "over there" and here.
These are not the xenophobic ravings of a fevered populace. Rather, they are
a few reasonable questions, to which President George W. Bush replied: "I
want those who are questioning it to step up and explain why all of a sudden
a Middle Eastern company is held to a different standard than a Great
British (sic) company."
Not to be a smart aleck or anything, but does "Duh" work for anyone?
The implication that Americans, including a fair number of Republican
leaders, are reacting negatively to the sale out of racist attitudes or
Islamophobia is, well, probably true, which is not the same as insane. No
nation on Earth is more welcoming or inclusive of others than the United
States, which presumably is why people keep mobbing our borders. But
Americans are also not simpletons.
When 19 men of Middle Eastern descent hijack airplanes and murder thousands
on U.S. soil, reasonable, fair-minded people are not going to pretend not to
notice that the perpetrators are all Middle Eastern men of a certain
complexion. That's not racist, though it may be racially aware. It's not
Islamophobic, though a little phobia isn't always inappropriate. I'm
cautious around snakes even though many are non-poisonous.
The Bush administration could have defused much of the controversy now
swirling had officials clearly explained the practical (business) value of
allowing the sale to go through, as well as the larger purpose of
demonstrating open-minded goodwill toward allies. Instead, as is too often
the case, Bush effectively said, "Trust us. We're in charge; we're on top of
this; we'll take care of it."
In these dangerous times, Americans deserve more than a pat on the head. So
do Republican incumbents whose midterm elections may be at greater risk than
our ports.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Kathleen Parker can be reached by clicking here.
Kathleen Parker Archives
© 2005, Tribune Media Services
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