About Dubai

"The national security issue is a red herring." -Mises Institute

Exactly. I have been to a few right-wing online forums lately and have noticed how some ultranationalists use this "national security" issue as a way to mask their ethnic-based hatred of Arabs and Muslims. But many Republicans, such as George Bush, have defended the decision to buy port services from a Dubai-based company. Buying from Dubai Ports World is just as risk-free investment as any other port deal and what some ultranationalists don't get is that America's port security would still remain a government responsibility - no matter who runs the port services. The United Arab Emirates has been America's ally since the beginning of the war on terror. The ultranationalists are trying to send a wrong kind of message to America's friends in the Middle East.

From Reason:

So, in the end, what we are telling Arab moderates in no uncertain terms is that it doesn't matter what they do; what matters is what they are. After all our posturing about the hypocrisy of Arab and Muslim moderates who haven't stood up to Middle East extremists, it turns out our only reward for the people who do take a stand is a mix of distrust and contempt. The Dubai Ports World controversy is a perfect example of such a reward. And that, in the end, will most likely end up costing us more lives.

Dubai, the most prosperous of the seven emirates of the UAE, is one of the most (if not the most) liberal regions in the Arab world. It's socially quite tolerant, at least compared to every region surrounding it, and economically one of the freest regions in the world.

More at Ludwig von Mises Institute.