Selling Our Security
When I heard that Bush intended to allow a company owned by UAE - and yes, it is a state company - to purchase port operations for some of our largest cities I was convinced he has lost what few brain cells still rambled in his head.
I still believe sale of this port's operations to a nation that has thrown so many roadblocks in our way regarding Bin Laden is a mistake.
But it also opened my eyes to a situation I was unaware of and that is that 30% of our port operations are run by foreign agencies, not by American companies.
When did this happen and can this help explain why port security is an issue that does not seem to be improving? After all, it is up to the company to decide how security is handled. The coast guard must sign off on the plan but the company itself sets the bar.
When did we sell off chunks of our nation's daily operations?
http://nytimes.com/2006/02/21/politics/21cnd-port.html
The shipping business, they said, went global more than a decade ago and across the United States, foreign-based companies already control more than 30 percent of the port terminals.
That inventory includes APL Limited, which is controlled by the government of Singapore, and which operates terminals in Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, and Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Globally, 24 of the top 25 ship terminal operators are foreign-based, meaning most of the containers sent to the United States leave terminals around the world that are operated by foreign government or foreign-based companies.
The US needs to turn back towards it's own econommic self interests. Our middle class is losing ground, our jobs are being outsourced and now it appears many of the jobs connected to national security have been sold.
It's time for some serious assessment of US direction.
posted by Senihele @ 8:58 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Once again, I have to agree with what you say here. I will not do any kind of business with a company that outsources.
Simple reason for this is because more and more Americans are losing jobs because of the outsourcing, and even some to immigrants that come here from overseas. American companies that do things like outsourcing do not care about anything but their own bottom lines and the almighty dollar.
Don't get me wrong. I am no racist, but I think that American companies should stick with employees that are at least in America.
Say no to outsourcing. Anyone overseas need a job, then come here and get one, because I'm sure not traveling there to get a job.
Mindtwister... as long as we keep shopping at Wal-Mart the outsourcing problem will continue. Wal-Mart gives us low prices Always by demanding that thier suppliers sell it to them cheap. Suppliers have to keep thier overhead down and they look at labor costs. Indirectly WE are responsible for the outsourcing because we have decided to rely on Wal-Mart for most of our shopping.
Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Wal-Mart and I'm from Arkansas, the home state of Sam Walton. However, Wal-Mart is capitalism at its finest and it has taken over because we want low prices.
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