Powerline has an excellent interview culled from C-Span that pretty clearly explains exactly who DOES run security at our ports (and coming into them) and who doesn't.
Here's the most important point:
HOST: Jayson Ahern, explain for us what you think are maybe myths out there in the public or misperceptions or misconceptions that they have.[Emphasis mine]AHERN: Sure, I think a couple of things. First in the last couple of weeks with the Dubai Ports World transaction here in the United States, one of the things I've seen consistently misrepresented is that this foreign company was going to come in and take over ports and port security. First off, that's not true. Port authorities are still run by state and local and county governments consistent with standards set forth by the United States Coast Guard, and also the companies that would be involved with this transaction are actually purchasing another foreign company that actually runs or leases a terminal within that port. So I think that's one of the first distinctions is making sure that the public understands this is not a foreign company coming in and taking over the United States' ports or running a port or setting security standards. They're merely coming in to lease a terminal within that port, which is just one of the facilities that operates within a port.
It never ceases to amaze me how deeply in denial our politicians are. They haven't yet figured out that the best thing about the blogosphere is its ability to keep them from passing bullshit off as FACT. Sure, we may not all be sitting home watching C-Span all day, but we have places like Powerline to keep us informed about what went on there anyway.
Perhaps it would be wise for our elected representatives to stop dipping the ladle into their own Kool-Aid long enough to realize that--despite their best efforts--we are not as stupid as the public schools they've ruined tried to make us!
Posted by insomnomaniac at February 28, 2006 10:46 PM | TrackBack