For me, as Dubai the company, not easily distinguishable from Dubai the country, hits the wall because it is overextended, it brings back memories from 2006. That was the year the former NSA operative John Perkins published his book about the tactics he had used as a self-styled ‘economic hitman’, who served his corporate overlords’ by getting third world countries into such deep debt that they had no choice other than to act in his corporate employers’ interests or see their country plunged into the disaster that would result by defaulting on massive loans.
One of the countries Perkins identified as working under those concessions was Saudi Arabia. Of course, the catastrophic results of Saudi Arabia’s sacrifice of its own citizens’ interests to those of the financial enslavers of its royal house, we are all too aware, was the alienation of Saudi citizens, who militarized and moved towards 9/11. I have no doubt that the Dubai financial houses involved are as well aware as the rest of us that a massive sellout of its own citizens has historic precedent in that contretemps.
While we are watching stocks tumble around the world, how many of us here are wondering what alternatives are being offered, and have been offered, to the Dubai financial houses that are so deeply in over their heads?
I can’t help thinking that some of the same offers had come up when our own new administration came into power, saddled with debts that were obviously unmanageable. Now, as we watch a right wing second act unveil itself as totally opposed to the national interests it is sworn to serve, as long as that wing can’t hold onto the reins of power, the sell-out has clearly been to corporate interests that are counter to the interests of this country. The results of the falsification of their own role are daily proof that as long as they serve the corporate overlords, the right wing in this country can count on its backing.
Conspiracy theories are all too common, and show all too much sensationalism, for me to want to get hooked on them. It’s really impossible for me to ignore, though, that as the right wing increasingly isolates itself from the public its office holders should be serving, it holds ever more tenaciously to the corporate mantra.
I daily hear on my local stations Kay Bailey Hutchison, now running for governor of Texas while holding onto her Senate seat, declares in her ads that she is only staying in her office ‘to fight the government takeover of health care’. Frankly, any voter who doesn’t realize that Hutchison enjoys to the fullest the benefits of government health care as a Senator really isn’t capable of enough discernment to find a way to the polls and vote.
I can only assume that she, like the rest of the right wing representatives on the air waves and in office, are sure of one of two things.
Either, (1) they believe there are enough voters that fall far below average intelligence to keep them in office, or (2) they know enough to be aware there will be little by way of bad consequences. Instead, there will be contributions from corporate overlords for their blatant lies.
I hate conspiracy theories. I will not be surprised, though, when some years from now we have another book about how health insurance companies sent paid operatives around making offers they couldn’t refuse to those they had compromised and bought. We are seeing any number of writers spilling their formerly unconfessed inside information – that given in timely fashion could have headed off the war in Iraq and the torture that blackens our national reputation. Our Douglas Feiths of the 2010′s will provide fodder for retrospection. Of course, if they were to come forth now, they could head off national disaster. What’s holding them back?



10 Comments







Thank you on the great information and reporting.
The following is also important information:
Obama Bars Thousands of Lobbyists From Washington!
Hundreds, if not thousands, of lobbyists are likely to be ejected from federal advisory panels as part of a little-noticed initiative by the Obama administration to curb K Street’s influence in Washington, according to White House officials and lobbying experts.
The new policy — issued with little fanfare this fall by the White House ethics counsel — may turn out to be the most far-reaching lobbying rule change so far from President Obama, who also has sought to restrict the ability of lobbyists to get jobs in his administration and to negotiate over stimulus contracts.
The initiative is aimed at a system of advisory committees so vast that federal officials don’t have exact numbers for its size; the most recent estimates tally nearly 1,000 panels with total membership exceeding 60,000 people.
Under the policy, which is being phased in over the coming months, none of the more than 13,000 lobbyists in Washington would be able to hold seats on the committees, which advise agencies on trade rules, troop levels, environmental regulations, consumer protections and thousands of other government policies.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/26/AR2009112602362.html
Many thanks.
Good news indeed, and needed. The other element that should be extirpated from our government agencies is the wingnut religious ideologists that have insinuated themselves in positions where they can keep this government from serving the public as it is intended to do.
This would make an interesting diary, don’t you think?
You could go to http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/post
Agreed with Ruth. Write a diary on it!
Economic terrorism? Hmmm. Who woulda thunk it? They had no way of knowing…
Well, you and I watched as Ben and others built a huge Lincoln Log Cabin and marched Dumbya out every month to say the Economy is good. As we both know the CIA still takes orders from the Bush and Cheney crews.
Let’s not forget that one republican congresscritter that got on tv long enough to accuse the Dems of trying to wreck the economy so people would have no jobs or money. Humph! They took him off the air in a hurry and told him to shut it up. Otherwise, we dummies would figure it all out and know it was really their plans. I guess when there is no employment tax dollars going to Washington they can finally shut the government down and declare themselves a King of some sort. I really have no idea what they feel they will gain from it all.
Ruth, thank you so much for bringing this to light. I do believe some of the conspiracy theories. As much as I hate to admit it, they seem to unfold as truth as time goes by.
So what exactly is he trying to hide?
http://rawstory.com/2009/11/fed-chairman-pens-oped-panning-proposed-audit/
thanks, PeasantP, and yeh, we might think the worst administration ever was just dumb, incompetent, deluded, rapacious, … well, that too.
Ben was all ready to have the Fed in control of the entire economy and start in on the next disaster for the real economy, with percs for the rich. Too bad the public won’t roll over for the banana republicans.
Somewhat off topic:
I have said for a very long time now that this latest “financial meltdown” is quite simply, BCCI Part II.
Same gang of thieves involved back in the’80′s-coming back to finish the job….Bush family,the Saudis, Wall Street.
BCCI began in Pakistan,yet became the international laundry for illegal arms deal,dope trafficking and any other dark liquidity you can think of.
Between the BCCI and the Bush generated S&L scandals of the ’80′s,the Saudis made out like bandits-buying MANY failed banking institutions-including what is TODAY-Citibank…and making Turki Al Faisal one of the world’s richest men.
Does anyone remember the Dubai Ports World deal that fell through a few years back?
None other than AIG bought those ports.AIG even has a division in the Arab Emirates.
How coinincidental(or is it) that Hank Greenberg and AIG came to terms just this Thanksgiving eve on a multi million $$$ lawsuit-after years of haggling-JUST in the same time frame the Dubai investments seemed to be going south.
Oh, I neglected to mention Dubai ownership in NASDAQ.
Remember them?
Madoff was the head of NASDAQ for years…..
Dubai Buys 20 Percent of Nasdaq Stock MarketThe Nasdaq Stock Market is selling a nearly 20 percent stake to Borse Dubai and is taking control of the Nordic exchange operator OMX as part of a sweeping …
digg.com/…/Dubai_Buys_20_Percent_of_Nasdaq_Stock_Market – Cached – Similar
How about doing some economic terrorism of our own?
There were enough of us to win a couple of elections. We must buy a bunch of stuff. How about some no spending days? Target them at the those corporations that stand out. Or organize boycotts and strikes? Publish lists of poor citizen corporations like Coca Cola. etc.
We were speaking of the corporate media earlier. But you know a lot of right winger ideologues write and speak for the prominent media because the wingers went to them demanding to be put on. We can do that too.