Feb 25 2006
All pigs are equal, but some pigs are more equal than others…
“Animal Farm” was standard reading during my English high-school equivalent education. This entry’s title quote is a satirical comment from ‘Animal Farm’.
”Six of the largest US ports - New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans and Miami - are currently run by British ports and shipping firm P&O.”
The British are selling P&O to a Company based in the United Arab Emerits (UAE). Appropriate USA procedures have been followed to vet the purchase unless you consider all Arabs less ‘equal’ than Brits on a ‘Security’ basis. It looks like Congress operates on different rules for Arab and Northern European based countries. Looks like Congress applies a ’guilty until proven innocent’ rule to Arabic countries. This appears counter to the principles of Justice applied internally through the US court systems, namely, innocent until proven guilty.
Conversation at the check-out in the fridge:
Him: what’s this about Britain selling ports to the AED?
Wendy: Ports? What Ports?
Him: on the East Coast. To the Arabs
Wendy: Ship-building ports on the East coast of Britain?
Him: No, US ports.
Wendy: Britian is selling ports on the East coast of America to the United Arab Emerits?
Him: Yes. Bush let you, but Congress can Veto it. That’s the good thing about America, Congress can veto. I didn’t vote for Bush. No-one did.
Wendy: Uh-hu
According to the BBC things are pretty peachy in the South East US.
All pigs are equal, but some pigs are more equal than others…
Funny how one becomes an ambassador for one’s country and you are held personally responsible for what politicians decide, or for what somebody who happens to have the same nationality as you has done. I always find it really irritating and have low regard for the intellect of somebody who makes such comments.
The sale of these ports (we are only really talking about management of the ports, not selling American “soil”) is also purely a commercial transaction. The US professes to be in favour of free markets, but in this case “only when we feel like it”.
Less funny, I am a citizen of a country that exalts morons and disdains anything that even begins to smack of informed opinion not to even mention provable fact. As an ambassador to my nation, I pity you. If only I knew how to help I could offer mercy, but for now pity will have to do.
I sometimes wonder just how insulated I must be for this not to bother me more than it already does . . .
But I am an ambassador to another nation !