So, Congress finally grows a spine. They’re challenging the Bush administration. They want to stop a deal that will allow Dubai Ports World to manage US ports, which are currently being managed by another foreign company, P&O, a British company.

The truth is, there’s nothing to worry about because of this port deal. Stopping it isn’t going to make us any more secure than we already are (or aren’t). Any information terrorists could gain is already out in the open. The personnel? Paper pushers. American unions still do the loading and unloading. Security is still provided by the Coast Guard, and the US is still managing the security aspects of the port. So, the pundits can stop their posturing.

However, I can’t say, “All is well, Bush is great, Congress bad.” I’ve wanted Congress to grow a spine for a while, but they picked the wrong issue. Still, the Bush administration needs to be more open. Bush can’t just tell us, “Yeah, we had our people look at it. It’s cool. The American people can ignore the issue now.” The case for transparency is made here, U.S. Ports Raise Proxy Problem, by Bruce Schneier. Bruce Schneier is an expert on security and wrote a book called “Sensible Security,” which I highly recommend. In essence, from the article, I gleaned that the secrecy reduces our trust in the government, which erodes the government’s ability to provide effect security for us.

Congress can go through it’s dog and pony show because that’s what they’re elected for. Yet, I have concerns about their ability to represent us. The Dems are raising a big stink about this to outflank Bush on national security. And guess what? It’s fucking working. More trust Dems in Congress than Bush on national security. The Republicans are left to scramble. However, it’s unfortunate that this is happening because these Congressmen are raising a big stink over something they probably know nothing about. Like I said, it’s just political posturing — from both sides of the aisle. We need Bush to be more transparent, but I don’t think Congress really cares. They only care about the midterm elections. (And their prospects for ’08 too.)

One more thing: This deal is a good thing. First off, breaking off the deal will reduce our security. Despite its faults, the United Arab Emirates is an ally in the War on Terror. Think of the insult it is for this to happen. Think of the UAE men who won’t be getting those jobs. Moreover, having a proper middle class is key to sustaining a democracy. We need to encourage economic growth in Arab countries in order to foster a middle class — one who will clamor for freedom.