Isn’t this amusing. The climate of generalized paranoia and racism-lite fostered by the Bush regime rises up to take a big, fat chomp out of the Presidential Ass.

The Bush administration has been brokering a deal that would see state-controlled Dubai Ports World, based in the United Arab Emirates, managing sea ports in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia. It makes perfect sense: this is one of the largest shipping and port management firms in the world, and the UAE is a staunch ally of the USA. However, both Republicans and Democrats are in a flap because, of course, this means port management will be partially the hands of the folks that the lovely and talented Ann Coulter so charmingly characterized as “rag-heads”.

The stated source of their concern is that the “UAE” has “clear ties with terrorism and with Sept. 11th.” On closer examination, this seems to mean that:
- some funding for the September 11 attacks had flowed through bank accounts based in the UAE, and
- two September 11 hijackers were UAE citizens.

Well, there you go. Might as well hand the keys of the cities over to Osama himself. Clearly a company based in the UAE, a US ally, poses a clear and present danger to US security.

The problem is, Mr Bush’s last four years have been spent deliberately muddying the water and fostering resentment against a vague, undefined “them”. Visit any conservative blog (including, I’m ashamed to say, many Canadian ones), and you’ll find thinly veiled racist rants that barely (or don’t at all) distinguish between militant Islamists, Muslims generally, terrorists, and secular Arabs. Even suggesting that there’s a difference will provoke a wave of knee jerk mockery or anger, usually both.

Things have gotten so astonishingly convoluted that the US is now warning Iraqis that American support is contingent on Iraqis making a “democratic” choice for a non-Islamist government…you know, a secular government, like that one they just got rid of. Democracy’s great, kids, as long as we agree with your choices. Otherwise…think “Algeria”.

Well, the chickens are coming home to roost. For four years now Bush has raised a little monster of hatred, fear and racism. Funny thing about monsters, though…they never stay on their leash, and they have the most awful habit of turning on their daddies.