Protecting U.S. Ports

Fritz,
You know NOTHING about the relationship between Bill and I, and what we have shared: past, present, and future, that regards everything that has happened in both of our lives. This is being resolved by Bill and myself, if you must know.
Bill is my friend, and so much more. You know NOTHING about that, or NOTHING about me.
Keep your sanctimonious comments to yourself, before you start throwing out shit, that you know nothing about, including your implied viewpoints that you say I have about gay issues, and being a friend to him, and to anyone else that is gay. I have a lot of gay friends, and support them. So stop bringing up the gay issue crap with me, implying that I don't give a shit about gays, or that I "tolerate," them.
I don't tolerate assholes like you, which is what you are...(no, it's not about you being gay, so get off your fucking soap-box), who don't know the real me, and haven't gotten to know the real me, like Bill has.
Rest good Fritz, with your comments about me. Because you don't and never will know jack shit about me.

Fritz, Thank you! I was starting to feel a bit picked on, to tell you the truth. Perhaps I should refrain from satire?

I picked up your observations about the implied disapproval of the "gay issue" as well. I'm used to it and I can take it, just as we all do. But I'm going to rise above that because I feel at this point, since I once considered Brandi to be a friend, that anything else I say will be a personal attack, and I really don't want this to be about that.

Bill,

Unfortunately, there are many people like Brandi who lack wit, have no appreciation for satire, are unable to recognize irony, and are generally uneducated.

She is the type who will read Jonathan Swift and express "shock" over an obviously satirical proposal to eat children as solution to famine.

It is pointless to debate a witless, shrill, patronizing, censorious idiot. Until she actually picks up a book and learns some critical thinking skills, you're wasting your time.

I just love the sanctimonious tone of her last comment: "I don't go knocking around your posts on gay rights..."

I'm sure you're glad that she refrains from voicing her implied disapproval. I know I appreciate the fact that my neighbors haven't burned down my house and run me out of town. Aren't we both lucky to have friends and neighbors like Brandi? They tolerate us. Wow! That's mighty grand of them.

Rest assured that there are people who got the Saddam bit. It is a hoot!

Brandi,

This is exactly why I wanted this blog to remain anonymous from my personal life. Some people cannot deal with my views of the world and they cannot separate this blog with my friendship with them. Then, they end up giving up their friendship with me. But over time, if you write a lot, I suppose that will happen.

I am an evolving person. I am constantly learning. When people die, when people go to war, when my friends die and nobody cares, when my friends are beaten in the streets, some of which died from the experience... I want to know why. Why do people not care? Why do people hate gays so much? What have we done to them? Why are people so accepting of my relationship yet still vote for someone they know is doing everything in his power (our President) to tear down my family?

Yet I say nothing - I let it go. Why? Because I believe that, even though they would endorse such a person, I can also believe that they feel that there may be other concerns (higher concerns) bigger than equal rights for our citizens. I understand fully that it's not all about me or people like me. I accept that. I understand that some people voted for President Bush because they felt that it was for the good of the country.

I have accepted that. He is our President. But I also have my opinions and I have the right to voice those opinions. That is all I have done.

You say I have put down and don't support our troops. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are ways that I support the troops that you (or anyone else) do not even know about. I talk to many of them daily. I have made it possible for many of them to talk to their families, yet they do not know, nor do I want them to know, that I have done this for them. All the while, I know that many of them would hate me for one fact alone - that I am gay. But you see, that is not a consideration. It's not about me. It's about having compassion for what they are going through. I don't want them to know that some fag is paying money to enable those who cannot afford to call home, to finally talk to those they love. That is support. That is what I can do.

It is also support to ask questions. If they must die or be put in harms way, then it must be for something that matters. If I knew of someone trying to harm our country and could stop it to save American lives, but had to give my life to stop such an attack, would I do it? Yes. I don't even have to think about that one.

I love my country. I would do it without a thought. Would I ask others to go to war to keep us safe? Yes, I would, if I was convinced that it was to save the United States from a clear and present danger.

What I would not do is compromise on their safety by not planning out my complete battle strategy and plans. I wouldn't "wing it". There's too much at stake. I wouldn't tell the other nations of the world to go to hell because they didn't agree with my plans to invade. I wouldn't send my troops into battle without proper body armor. If I must send a man to his death, I need to be able to look his widow and his children in the eyes and be able to give them my condolences while knowing that I did absolutely everything in my power to ensure their safety.

Our President has not done that. So, I ask questions and I have criticisms. You can argue whether or not you feel those criticisms are valid, but you are on very thin ice when you have no idea to what depths I have gone to support our troops.

You say that "you talk the talk Bill, but can't walk the walk". That is a very very unfair and hurtful statement. You have no idea what I have been through in my life, and I honestly am not going to relive it here yet again. It is in other posts. I'm not going to relive it.

I certainly can "walk the walk", and I do every day of my life, with my words, my passion, my love of people, with every fiber of my being. You simply disagree with it so what does that make me now, your number one enemy? I just don't get that.

"I don't go knocking around your posts on gay rights, and your fight for it, and never have in my life, but it comes so easy to you, to bash, and "put me in my place," when you disagree with me."

Nothing, NOTHING, comes easy for me. Every day is a struggle for me. I don't really want to get into it in this public blog. There are some aspects of my life that I will not bring to this blog. I ask you to respect that.

"I hope you are happy with yourself with what you wrote to me, and that you can breathe a little easier, getting it all off your chest. What a big man you are!"

Wow.

Well, I'll tell you what. If you think that my responses to you have been to show you "what a big man" I am, then I will leave this entirely up to you. From my point of view, I was responding to what you said to me. It was not my intention to hurt you, but I obviously have done that. So....

YOU can decide if this entire post will be deleted from this blog. All of it will go away - everything, right down to the picture of Saddam Hussein, along with all these comments. I do this out of respect for the friendship that we had.

You know, at one time, I felt like I was part of your family. When I got your last letter telling how things were going in your life, I was going to call you. I had made some home made soup and wanted to bring you some since you said that you hadn't been feeling well. But because of this post, I guess that friendship is gone.

So, let me know. You want it gone, simply enter one post with two words in it. In the post say, "DELETE IT".

I wish you well. I honestly do.

Bill,
I did not realize that my last post I wrote had posted, therefore I wrote a second one, as it said the server was down, earlier today. Not that that matters, now.
How can you say I am "attacking you?" I have every right just as you do, to state my opinion, and just because I state my opinion doesn't mean I am attacking you. Can't you see that and take it for that? I guess not.
I am not even going to dignify a respose to you, for the snide comment, regarding "you never knew me, and I never knew you," remark. Think about what you said, and think about all that we had been through together, in the past, and have been there for each other, or does that even matter now? I think not. That much has been clear to me for a long time. You are hurtful, and frankly I am ashamed by what you said. You talk the talk Bill, but can't walk the walk.
And please, out of all due respect, don't ever tell me about "blind patriotism," and "Until you've been on the battlefield and seen arms and limbs blown off by bombs, you really don't have a license to stand up say that you understand anything about that," this comment that you made to me. No I haven't been on the battlefield, and have seen that, face to face, heart to heart, soul to soul, as you have not either. But I lived through it in stories, from my immediate family, ie my father who served in Nam on the carrier, my ex father in law, who was on the front lines and saw everything, lived through all of that hell. My fiance was in the US Marines for 10 years, serving overseas (Somalia, Kosovo, etc), and saw his best friend's brains get blown all over him, in his lap, among other things. So, no Bill, you don't fucking understand, or have any fucking respect for me. I have every right to support and stand up for whomever I want, regardless if you disagree, and if you disapprove of the Bush administration. That's your opinion and you are entitled to it, just as I am.
I don't go knocking around your posts on gay rights, and your fight for it, and never have in my life, but it comes so easy to you, to bash, and "put me in my place," when you disagree with me.
I hope you are happy with yourself with what you wrote to me, and that you can breathe a little easier, getting it all off your chest. What a big man you are!

What an appalling post! Are you happy with anything in this world?
God Bless our troops everywhere...men, women, EVERYONE. You may not like our president and that's your opinion, but geez have some respect for your country, instead of knocking it down all the time.
That you even mention Saddam Hussein even sarcastically, as the "perfect candiate for protecting our ports," and putting him in the same category as Bush, Hussein being a terrorist, you have crossed the line.
Shocked.

"I thought the Fox news reference was a bit of humour to lighten the debate. I apologise if it was 'too English' for you."

I am half English and half Irish. What did you expect? ;-) Ok I lied.... I do watch Fox. I listen to all the right-wing people I have time to listen too. I listen to all the left-wing people I have time to listen too. I listen too all the people considered "in the middle" that I have time to listen too. In other words, I TRY to be as well rounded on issues as I can be. I hope this puts the "FOX News" controversy to rest. I feel like I'm Scott McClellan trying to explain away something.

"'We cannot secure what we do not control' is a clear example of Americas paranoia and imperial hypocrisy. It is statements just like that, that have gotten the USA into so much trouble around this world. International relations and security are a bit more complex then that. It is not just the USA that is under the threat of terrorism. It is in everyone’s interests to work together. That includes the USA."

Of course we should all work together. But that doesn't mean that every single aspect of American life should be subjected to working together. We should talk with other nations and do our fair share to make the world a better place. Yes, I know, a very general statement that covers a LOT of different things too extensive to cover in this post, but I think you know what I mean.

I view security as a bit different. I used to work in security years ago - before 9/11. It was a joke them. I could write a very lengthy entry on all the issues we faced then, and most of them came from the problems of having different entities coming and going that we had little control over. There were more security holes than are in Swiss cheese.

"'We cannot secure what we do not control' is a clear example of Americas paranoia and imperial hypocrisy. It is statements just like that, that have gotten the USA into so much trouble around this world."

No! What has gotten America in so much trouble around the world is are arrogance and our "we are better than you on so many levels" bullshit. The Iraqi people are not bad people. They want what we want. They want their families safe. They want to be able to safely practice their religion. They want to be able to support their families with jobs. And most of them have (or should I say "had") nothing against America. We went to them to give them our brand of freedom, and then bitched and moaned when the election didn't go the way we thought it should go. Who the hell gave us the moral authority to make these kinds of judgments?

"It is in everyone’s interests to work together. That includes the USA."

And when George W. Bush basically told the United Nations to go fuck themselves, did you say anything then? That's not what I would call working together. You are right, we should work together to fight terrorism. The United Nations was not in a position to go to war with Iraq and told us so. We went there as a formality knowing what they were going to say. We got the answer, and we therefore did it anyway, with the arrogant attitude of "lead or get the hell out of the way."

I can understand that frustration. I can. But when you do that there is a price to be paid. And we are paying it today. Untold damage has been done to our international reputation. And now bigger threats are on the horizon (Korea and Iran...and possibly more) that we are not going to be able to deal with. We certainly can't do it alone. And I will tell you, if I were the UN, I would probably be telling the US to screw off at this point.

THAT is what has gotten us into the mess we are in.

OUR security issue is a domestic issue that WE should control. We have every right to be calling the shots on this. If we end up having other companies "help out", I actually don't have such a problem with that. I do have a problem with companies providing security for our ports that have employees with ties to terrorist organizations. If we continue down that path, we absolutely must insist on complete background checks (still no guarantee) on each employee.

"Companies like DP can and have been a valuable partner in your nations security. By slamming the door on them just because they are not ‘American’ can in fact put your ports at increased risk and will further inflame the already volatile relationship the west has with Islam….Bill"

I read this morning that DP is suggesting that we hold off on the deal with them. That is totally reasonable, and I commend them for it. What I find really disturbing is that the Administration wasn't aware of the deal until it was a done deal, and then tried to push it through, with the threat of a presidential veto if Congress (with many Republicans not supporting this deal) tried to counter the deal.

"I know you are not an intolerant person. I have been reading and enjoying your site for a long time. However on this issue you are dead wrong. The opposition and a successful blockade of this deal merely for the politics of mid term elections, using the canard of security will, if it has not already, erode the confidence of those nations who are invaluable allies in the so called war on terror."

Well... you are probably right on one thing... politics are all over the place on this issue. A lot is at stake. People like Santorum and Frist are bucking the President on this one - something they just don't do. I'm honestly trying, as a citizen, to try, to the best of my knowledge (I only know what the papers print and what I can find online - as reliable as that is), to conclude what is best for our country's security. Aside from all the deals that are going on, I'm responding on a much more basic, and logical model. If you don't control every aspect of security, you open up all the endless possibilities of security holes - many of which you will never see coming. If you don't know the backgrounds and associations of the people working the security model, then how on earth can you claim to have a secure and sterile environment?

You can't. Of course, this would cost a lot of money (something that we seem to have no shortage of these days). The real question is, are we willing to do what is necessary to have real security? Probably not.

Brandi,

What you should be appalled at is the notion that our port security, the way it is now, is putting our country at risk for further attack. Apparently, the White House still just doesn't get it, and the thinking of the White House is still in pre-9/11 mode.

The reference to Saddam Hussein is of course making light of the fact that our port security apparently is of little importance to our government, so why not put... anyone "in charge". Of course I don't believe that Saddam Hussein should be in charge, but the Bush Administration has made blunders much worse than this.

I want to make something very clear to you, Brandi, that you just don't seem to get. I support our troops. I always have. I do not support a President who put them in harms way because he had a knee jerk reaction to sending them into harms way... no plan of attack, no long-term strategies on what to do after we attacked Iraq, no exit strategy on how to get the hell out of Iraq after we went there, etc. And here's the clincher... we let the man who masterminded the attack get away, when we knew the general area of where he was. We decided to let others get him. Why? Because he was never the target! He was an excuse to do what George W. Bush wanted to do all along - go into Iraq. Osama bin Laden has many friends and allies. He used them. The fact that he is still free and alive 5 years after what he did is a far greater disservice to our men and women in uniform than this posting. You are angry at the wrong person, Brandi. If you want accountability for why we are in this mess and why our troops are being killed and maimed, you really should be calling the White House and your representatives in Congress and demanding an answer!!!!! Of couse, don't expect an answer. Cindy Sheehan simply wanted to know why her son died. He wouldn't even meet with her. THAT is how much he cares.

All of that being said... you know me Brandi. At least, I thought you did. Now I realize that you never knew me, and I never knew you.

I love my country, and I would be willing to die for my country. But what I'm not willing to do is die for some fool in Washington who doesn't give a shit about my life or my family. Yes, I'm talking about George W. Bush. He doesn't care about our troops there. If he did, he would have had a plan - a complete plan of why we are attacking Iraq, when Iraq was not responsible for 9/11. Standing in front of a crowd of people and trying to sound patriotic while saying, "I understand the sacrifice that our men and women are making", just doesn't do it anymore. He doesn't know the first damn thing about sacrifice because ever thing he has had in his life has been handed to him on a silver platter. Until you've been on the battlefield and seen arms and limbs blown off by bombs, you really don't have a license to stand up say that you understand anything about that.

You need to start reading and start THINKING. Blind patriotism isn't going to get us out of this mess we are in. Saying that we "support our troops" and putting yellow ribbons on our cars that are made in China just isn't good enough anymore. I want answers and accountability from this administration. YOU should be demanding the same thing, instead of attacking me for a post that was meant to draw attention to an administration that just doesn't get the big picture.

And talking about the "911 families who lost a loved one, and so many groups", how do you think they feel about the fact that Osama bin Laden is off planning his next attack while we are stuck in Iraq? They have seen no justice and have largely been forgotten by our government.

I never thought I would say this, but I am literally appalled and ashamed by this post that you wrote, and that's my opinion, opinions of which we are entitled to.
That you even group Saddam Huseein, as the "perfect candidate for protecting our ports," is a slap in the face to so many people (our men and women fighting the war, whether it be just or unjust, in your viewpoint), all the 911 families who lost a loved one, and so many groups.

I thought the Fox news reference was a bit of humour to lighten the debate. I apologise if it was “ too English” for you.

I chose to compare the logic of your arguments to the Gay rights issues that you champion, because I thought it would help you to understand just how fatuous your logic is on this issue. Unfortunately with each indefensible argument you present your position becomes increasingly illogical and jingoistic. It is puzzling that you can so easily embrace the language of your own oppressors and by merely rearranging the adjectives and nouns of their arguments turn it into justification to discriminate against anyone or any group who is not a card carrying member of fortress America.

“We cannot secure what we do not control” is a clear example of Americas paranoia and imperial hypocrisy. It is statements just like that, that have gotten the USA into so much trouble around this world. International relations and security are a bit more complex then that. It is not just the USA that is under the threat of terrorism. It is in everyones interests to work together. That includes the USA.

I hope you will follow this link to ‘The Independent Institute’ web site http://www.independent.org/ and read the article titled; ‘Dubai Ports World: Commercial Racial Profiling’. http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=1677

I know you are not an intolerant person. I have been reading and enjoying your site for a long time. However on this issue you are dead wrong. The opposition and a successful blockade of this deal merely for the politics of mid term elections, using the canard of security will, if it has not already, erode the confidence of those nations who are invaluable allies in the so called war on terror.

Companies like DP can and have been a valuable partner in your nations security. By slamming the door on them just because they are not ‘American’ can in fact put your ports at increased risk and will further inflame the already volatile relationship the west has with Islam….Bill

"Wow are you writing for Fox News now?"

No. I can't stand Fox News. The point is irrelevant.

"You display just exactly the ignorance and paranoia your government would wish. Getting the facts out of the way. The security of your ports are and have always been the responsibility of your various government organizations. They work at the Ports along with the various business that operate the day to day operations. If the security of your ports are lax then it is, as it always was your governments responsibility."

We cannot secure what we do not control... and I mean ALL ASPECTS OF IT. That means that WE control the personnel working for that security. Only then are WE (our government), fully in control of OUR SECURITY.

"Who operates your ports would not make one bit of difference."

Really? Why not put Saddam Hussein in control of it then? I hear that he needs a job.

"Customs, security, etc remain with your government. Nobody seemed to know or care that a good old British company ran the ports before. Suddenly we hear that it is an Islamic holding company and up goes the flag of terrorism.(A real vote getter)"

Yes, you are right, that is a red flag. We have been, and still are, extremely lax in this country about our security. Sorry, I'm just calling it the way I see it. I am not thinking as a Democrat or a Republican (and I don't work for Fox News), so please stop trying to put me in a category by the way I am thinking on this. I'm thinking in simple terms of controlling all aspect of that security. We can't possibly do that unless we control it.

"I think though the thing that surprises me the most about your post is the intolerance you display. You have been championing Gay rights for such along time and to now see you make sweeping generalization about Islam and then use “9/11” as a justification for it. Is exactly the same as if you were a fundamental Christian and you hold up the bible as the justification for denying rights to all LGBT persons. Just like all Christians are not out to get us, neither are all Muslims out to get us. Is terrorism real? Yes of course it.? Will it happen again? Of Course it will. Should we prevent all Muslims from entering or working in our country, because, Why take a chance? That is the same as saying we should ban all homosexuals from teaching in our schools because they will molest our children. Why take a chance."

You are twisting my message into something that I did not say. I am not intolerant against anyone, other than those trying to kill us. I work with people of the Islamic faith and I consider them to be my friends. Did I once even hint that we should keep all Muslims out of the country? Of course not.

I'm saying simply that we must take control of our security situation. Are you aware that MOST of the cargo sent around the country by various cargo companies on commercial airlines is not screened? That has to change. Every damn time I travel on a commercial airline, I worry about my safety if I'm flying into or over a major city.

And by the way, if foreign gay groups were threatening the security of the United States with terrorism, these arguments that I am making would not change. Yet, that would not mean that I believe that all gays should be excluded from our country.

"I mean no disrespect Bill but really when you say things like “I want to see us all start having more respect for others of different beliefs and religions. But there are limits. That doesn't mean that I'm willing and ready to give them the keys to the kingdom to prove to them that I trust them, because I don't” That is just the sort of thing we have all heard before used against us to deny us our rights as Gay men."

The difference is, we (gay men) don't fly jets into skyscrapers and kill thousands of innocent people. And THAT is the "limit" I talk of. It should be very obvious to us by now - 5 years after 9/11, that there are people who don't give a damn about the lives of others.

Nothing I have said in any way takes away from my belief in civil rights and equality for all people - Christians, Muslims, homosexuals, heterosexuals, Hindus, everyone.

This is an issue of security and we very simply will take is seriously, or we won't.

Wow are you writing for Fox News now? You display just exactly the ignorance and paranoia your government would wish. Getting the facts out of the way. The security of your ports are and have always been the responsibility of your various government organisations. They work at the Ports along with the various business that operate the day to day operations. If the security of your ports are lax then it is, as it always was your governments responsibility. ( I learned this from a leading American security expert who was interviewed on CBC radio yesterday on this very subject ) Who operates your ports would not make one bit of difference. Customs, security, etc remain with your government. Nobody seemed to know or care that a good old British company ran the ports before. Suddenly we hear that it is an Islamic holding company and up goes the flag of terrorism.(A real vote getter)

I think though the thing that surprises me the most about your post is the intolerance you display. You have been championing Gay rights for such along time and to now see you make sweeping generalisation about Islam and then use “9/11” as a justification for it. Is exactly the same as if you were a fundamental Christian and you hold up the bible as the justification for denying rights to all LGBT persons. Just like all Christians are not out to get us, neither are all Muslims out to get us. Is terrorism real? Yes of course it.? Will it happen again? Of Course it will. Should we prevent all Muslims from entering or working in our country, because, Why take a chance? That is the same as saying we should ban all homosexuals from teaching in our schools because they will molest our children. Why take a chance.

I mean no disrespect Bill but really when you say things like “I want to see us all start having more respect for others of different beliefs and religions. But there are limits. That doesn't mean that I'm willing and ready to give them the keys to the kingdom to prove to them that I trust them, because I don't” That is just the sort of thing we have all heard before used against us to deny us our rights as Gay men. I suppose I take the time to respond to this post because it is so out of charter to see you make such sweeping and ignorant generalisations when you normally approach your arguments so carefully….Bill

I going to come back to basic logic on this one. I post this question: Does it really make sense for the United States port security to be enforced by anyone other than the United States Government?

Why would we outsource something as extremely critical as that? No other country should be allowed access to that information. It's not just about securing these ports. The people securing these ports are given the blueprints for the layout of each port. They know when the shifts are changing. They know when cargo is coming and going. They know absolutely everything they need to know to get a nuclear device into this country, without us even knowing.

Let's assume for a minute that we are currently "friends" and on good terms with the foreign company that we are giving responsibility to for protecting our ports. Fine. But let's also assume that they have friends who aren't necessarily friends with the United States (not a far-fetched notion). With the right amount of money (hey, it's a "good business move" right?), they could look they other way.

Let's assume for a minute that something happens that destroys that friendship. We go our separate ways. We find someone else to take over the security of our ports. But the damage is done. They have critical information that we supplied to them when we were friends.

It's just an unacceptable risk. We talk all the time about how much more secure we are. We aren't. Our security must not be outsourced like it is just another business deal, because we are talking not about the loss of investments here. We are talking about the security of our country and the safety of our people. If we fail, many lives will be lost. It's not worth the risk.

You state that these objections are fueled by "ignorance and Islam-a-phobia". 9/11 was real. That's not ignorance. Want to see it happen again? It could if we keep fucking around with who is going to give us the best business deal for securing our ports.

Do I have "Islam-a-phobia". You bet I do! It's not Islam I have a problem with. It's the extremist nut cases that use the religion of Islam to wage their holy war on the United States and other "infidels". I didn't make myself phobic of Islam - they did.

I want to see us all start having more respect for others of different beliefs and religions. But there are limits. That doesn't mean that I'm willing and ready to give them the keys to the kingdom to prove to them that I trust them, because I don't.

And our President needs to start thinking POST 9/11 and stop pretending that 9/11 never happened. It did happen, and it's going to happen again if he doesn't pull his head out of his as and DO HIS FUCKING JOB OF PROTECTING THIS COUNTRY!

As much as I thought it would never happen. I have to say Mr. Bush is right about this one. P&O ports operates in 19 countries including Canada, Australia and the UK. The sale of this business to the Dubai group has cleared without notice or comment in any of these other countries. It is considered a good business move. Operations will continue under the same management and same employees on the docks.
Dubai has in fact one of the best records since the events of Sept.11 of improving shipping security and implementing anti terrorism measures of any nation around. It has been suggested in the press outside the USA that the objections are fuelled by ignorance and Islam-a- phobia that is rapidly rising primarily in the USA and that is something Mr. Bush his government and the whipped media are very much responsible for….Bill

If the Dubaians run things as well as they run their own emirate then I'd say there is little to worry about. Dubai was a trading port long before oil was ever thought of - they have trade in their blood.

That's the business aspect - US domestic politics I wouldn't dare comment on! ;)