Rise Of The Cult, Day Four - The Port Deal

A day may come when I get bored with mocking Peter Daou's comical description of Glenn Greenwald's brain-fart as a "seminal" work.  But it is not this day.  This day, we mock!

Let's quickly remind ourselves of this seminal theory:

It used to be the case that in order to be considered a "liberal" or someone "of the Left," one had to actually ascribe to liberal views on the important policy issues of the day – social spending, abortion, the death penalty, affirmative action, immigration, "judicial activism," hate speech laws, gay rights, utopian foreign policies, etc. etc. These days, to be a "liberal," such views are no longer necessary.

Now, in order to be considered a "liberal," only one thing is required – a failure to pledge blind loyalty to George W. Bush. The minute one criticizes him is the minute that one becomes a "liberal," regardless of the ground on which the criticism is based. And the more one criticizes him, by definition, the more "liberal" one is.

...The blind faith placed in the Federal Government, and particularly in our Commander-in-Chief, by the contemporary "conservative" is the very opposite of all that which conservatism has stood for for the last four decades....

And in that regard, people like Michelle Malkin, John Hinderaker, Jonah Goldberg and Hugh Hewitt are not conservatives. They are authoritarian cultists. Their allegiance is not to any principles of government but to strong authority through a single leader.

...And as excessive as the Bush Administration’s measures have been thus far...I am quite certain that people like John Hinderaker, Jonah Goldberg and Jeff Goldstein, to name just a few, are prepared to support far, far more extreme measures than the ones which have been revealed thus far.

Now, since the Dubai port deal is in the news, let's see how the Authoritarian Cultists are handling it.  Per the Greenwald/Daou Theorem, Hewitt, Malkin, Hinderaker, Goldstein and Goldberg should be re-labeling folks like crazy.  Let's see:

From Hugh Hewitt:

The Bush Administration needs to back away from this deal as quickly as possible.

Should we score that as an example of Hewitt re-labelling Bush as a liberal?  Yeah, let's!

From Michelle Malkin:

HOW THE PORT SELLOUT WAS FINANCED

Dubai media outlets are calling critics and skeptics of the port sellout "Islamophobes."

If demanding that our government put American security interests above foreign business interests makes me an "Islamophobe," and if wanting to know the full details of the who, what, when, where, and why of this UAE government deal, secretly approved by the Treasury Dept.-led Committee on Foreign Investments in the US, makes me an "Islamophobe," I plead guilty.

Well, that is clear - I am sure Mr. Daou will agree that in this example, Ms. Malkin re-labeled the entire Middle East as "liberal".

John Hinderaker:  Nothing on the Dubai ports yet, although Scott Johnson is hammering their crusade on the blackout in Minnesota of some contra-Sheehan soldier's stories.

Easy to score - Mr. Hinderaker is busy working on his post re-labeling Hewitt and Malkin as "liberals".

Jeff Goldstein:  Mr. Goldstein took a strong stand last night in an attempt to rebel against the Authoritarian Cultists; fortunately, his implanted biofeedback control chip has allowed the Cult to disable him.

So there you go, Mr. Daou - evidence everywhere that this "seminal" theory is alive, well, and successfully predicting the behavior of prominent righty bloggers. 

One might think that Messrs. Greenwald and Daou would care to share this new validation with their readership.

We're talking Real Breakthrough Stuff here.

UPDATE:  Jonah Goldberg joins in:

I've been very rough on Bush of late and I agree entirely with the now-obvious consensus that the UAE deal is bad politics. I'm even somewhat convinced that it's bad policy. But I can't help but get the whiff of hysteria in all of this. Hillary Clinton's getting to the right of Bush, talk radio's going through the roof, Republican presidential wannabes are lining up to distance themselves from the president...

...All this in response to a largely paper transaction (longshoremen will keep their jobs, the coast guard will still handle security, etc etc) between a British-owned and Arab-owned firm. In fact, it doesn't seem overwhelmingly obvious to me that Jihadis would have a much harder time infiltrating a British firm than an Arab one. But mostly, I'm skeptical that this is the security disaster everyone claims because domestic national security is one of the few areas where I really do trust this White House to err on the side of safety. For five years, liberals have been saying that Bush is an obsessed madman when it comes to the terror threat. And for five years conservatives have been saying, trust him. Suddenly, all of that goes out the window. Again, I think Bush is probably wrong on the merits. But, I somehow doubt he's as widly wrong as the mob claims.

I agree with JPod entirely that there is a second term dynamic to all of this. I just think that goes for a lot of conservatives as well.

Tough to score - I think Goldberg is labeling J-Pod a "liberal" here.  Judges?

OUT OF THE WOODWORK:  Glenn Greenwald responds.  I will have a more complete reply after I stop laughing - his explanation that facts are for intellectual cowards is priceless.

Lest you doubt:

Tom, as well as Taranto, exhibit a good amount of intellectual cowardice by purposely refusing to say whether they actually dispute the existence of this phenomenon or whether they simply think that I provided insufficiently clear examples of it.

Conclusions first, evidence to follow!  No cowards amongst Greenwald's acolytes!

Comments

[kim]

It's enuff to make me urp.
==========================

[kim]

Half a century ago my Daddy told me that when the British had exhausted the Mideast's oilfields, the sheiks would own the London Stock Exchange. It's a variation on the 'No such thing as a free lunch' speech.
===========================================

[kim]

One wonders what Joe Wilson, or Michael Moore think of the deal?
=======================================

[noah]

Actually I guess I am an "authoritarian cultist" on this one. Those darn Arabs have to do something with their petrodollars...so they buy a company that does port contracts? BFD! Soros destabilizes currencies for a living. At least the Arabs are doing something useful with their money.

[beautifulatrocities]

Does 'seminal' mean the same thing as 'absolute moral authority'?

[larwyn]

"The Arabs are Coming! The Arabs
are Coming!"

It really tickles me that the PC -
Multiculturalists, former Presidents, and a V.P have been spouting:

1)Bushhitler Politics of Fear
i.e. exaggerating terrorism as threat,when really only crimes of the few.

2)We are discriminating against
and mistreating Arabs/muslims,
punishing all for crimes of a few.

3)We just need to understand them
- their "rage" is valid. We should not judge all for the crimes of a few.

4)We should support, the known
State Dept listed, terrorist group
HAMAS with U S Taxpayer $$$ and
credibility and not punish all
Palestinians for the crimes of the few.

We've found the FEW - it is Dubai - a Terrorist State!

Think the Universities will return all those millions from Arabs that
expand "MidEast Studies" departments? Like to see them running around at Harvard screaming
"The Arabs are Coming! The Arabs
are Coming!"

[clarice]

I coulda been the cult goddess..Youse was my brudders....

[noah]

Dictionaries or logic have long been discarded by the moonbats.

[larwyn]

Ah Ha! Karl's fingerprints are over this - he's got the Dems to admit they are afraid of terrorism.

Great set up for NSA HEARINGS.

"MACHIAVELLI IS CHUCKLING"

[clarice]

OT: There's a new website up by the Libby Defense Fund. http://www.scooterlibby.com/

[larwyn]

Clarice,
YOU ARE the Cult Goddess.

I have your Goddess accessories
ready to go.

[topsecretk9]

ah ah ah Mr. TM, up to your usual games of suppling actual examples...not playing nice...

Rule #24 - Evidence of conservatives disagreements with Bush Admin on a range of issues for example -- Immigration, the Budget, peripheral National Security- NSA, Homeland Security, Faith Based Initiatives, and a whole bunch more DOES NOT COUNT. These are obvious, documented and boring and DO NOT DISPROVE that conservatives are a cult, are brainwashed to label Bush criticism "liberal" and are controlled by Rove via chip implant ( DO NOT accept this ploy)

[topsecretk9]

Does 'seminal' mean the same thing as 'absolute moral authority'?

YES, and DON"T even try and challenge it...they have the authority to say so!

[maryrose]

Clarice; You coudah been a contendah, you couda been somebody...

[noah]

Michelle Malkin is REALLY going NUTS (unhinged even) on this one...that slant eyed LIBERAL!

cc: Daou/Greenwald

[larwyn]

BILL TIERNEY on CSPAN 2 with his
Power Point presentation from Saturday.

[bandit]

'are controlled by Rove via chip implant '

that's 'chimp implant'

[Cecil Turner]

As discussed here before, waiting for ships to enter the port is too late . . . the screening process must start at the previous port call. And considering the difficulties in handling the heavier stuff we are really worried about, I don't see any obvious major security ramifications in the UAE deal.

However, just because I can't see 'em doesn't mean they don't exist . . . and why chance it? I'm with Ms Malkin on this one. (And I'm kinda fuzzy on this "break with authority cult" thing, but doesn't that make us the liberals?)

[Rick Ballard]

CT,

If the Executive steps in, from whence does the authority derive? I haven't seen the "by statutory authority as enumerated in" part yet. Patriot Act? Extension of Article II to include interference in commerce?

I'm sure I'm missing something, I'm just not sure what it is.

[TM]

I coulda been the cult goddess..Youse was my brudders...

Meanwhile, back on the waterfront, this deal violates basic principles of bureaucratic CYA.

Look, a Dubai company may be tops at dealing with Middle Eastern security issues, and they may have their finger on the pulse of every threatening group out there.

But if *anything* goes wrong, the folks who hired them will never be able to explain it - "Arabs were protecting us from Arabs?" will be the killer soundbite.

Can't look forlogic on this issue.

[Gary Maxwell]

Can't look for logic on this issue.

Sadly I am afraid that is true on many issues these days.

[noah]

CT,

I'm afraid that your comments place you in "pissing in pants" Republicans meme that was to be superceded by the "authoritarian cult" meme...but not yet.

[noah]

TM, thats all wrong...UAE is buying a UK company that already does the work. Security continues to be provided by others...Coast Guard, Homeland Security, etc.

[Lou Grunt]

I don't care about the ports, however, I do care about Scooter!!!!!

SCOOTERLIBBY.COM: Legal Defense Trust

[noah]

Of course, this will probably end with capitulation to the fear mongers. You may have noticed the paucity of info about port security...for the obvious reason that we do not want to tip off the terrorists.

[beautifulatrocities]

I just heard on the radio that Bush will quickly fall in line on this. Christ, that makes him a liberal too! They're everywhere, like static cling!

[Paul Zrimsek]

I just heard on the radio that Bush will quickly fall in line on this.

Remember what they told Brian of Nazareth: Only the true Messiah denies his divinity.

[larwyn]

Gary,
On what issues is LOGIC being used. Point me please - could think those thoughts at bedtime vs fear for my grandchildren with the loons loose on the land.

SCALIA LIVE ON CSPAN NOW
-at AEI discussing International
Law - now on applying 14th amend
and applying to the States.
"Not about to tell any state that
First Amendment doesn't apply to the States...... been used so long...

Clarice, further to my CSPAN conspiracy theory - Bill Tierney
on CSPAN 2 and Scalia on CSPAN
same time. Another way of limiting
exposure to conservative thought and anything that could make Bush
look good?

[Davebo]

I just heard on the radio that Bush will quickly fall in line on this. Christ, that makes him a liberal too! They're everywhere, like static cling!

Actually, oddly enough, he just threatened to veto any legislation to kill the deal.

But keep in mind that in Bushspeak the word "Veto" literally means "empty threat".

[kim]

Is 'veto' sort of like 'filibuster' or 'impeach'?
=========================================

[portly]

How is pointing out that several Conservatard pundits like Hewitt and Malkin are calling the Bushistas out on this bone-headed port deal make the case that "just cause nobodies calling them "liberals" yet means that the Bush Cult phenomenon is a brain fart?

You head is WAY too far up you-know-where, dude...

[Syl]

Sheesh, people. Talk about knee-jerk.

This port deal doesn't bother me at all.

Neither does it bother my Joe who was in the security business for thirty years. There's an entire discipline in the security field and procedures set up to deal specifically with foreign ownership in contracts such as this.

I don't suppose it bothers you that France now builds our guided missiles and stuff. Or didn't you know that?

[kim]

portly, what it points out is that the only people who sense infallibility about Bush are leftists.
===============================================

[Dperl99]

I think I sense a little too much protesting.

[larwyn]

If I were Karl, TV ads with video
captures of Dem leaders spouting
the points I outlined in comment:

"The Arabs are Coming! The Arabs
are Coming!"

Posted by: larwyn | February 21, 2006 at 10:26 AM

would already be in production.

GW would be ready to say, while shaking his head and looking sad,
"Again, I tried to be a "uniter".
My political opponents have continued to accuse my administration of many humiliations
directed against Arab and Muslims.

They want Condi to release funds
to the listed terrorist group
Hamas.

They keep telling you that
my administration is engaging in
the "politics of fear".

And now they are telling you to "be afraid, be very afraid"
of the terrorist country of Dubai!"

Rove will let them keep going
and do what they do - cross the
line.

[Inspector Callahan]

I just heard on the radio that Bush will quickly fall in line on this. Christ, that makes him a liberal too!

Not so fast!!!

Link

Criminy. What in hell is he thinking?

TV (Harry)

[Dwilkers]

"And considering the difficulties in handling the heavier stuff we are really worried about, I don't see any obvious major security ramifications in the UAE deal."

Me either.

I'm open to someone explaining why it might be a problem but I don't see it on its face.

[Extraneus]

Perfect. Bush is on the high road and is the only one with a logical position on this. We'll probably be hearing a lot about Rove's grubby fingerprints, too, because Bush won't get credit for being this smart.

[kim]

Dperl99, Peter didn't sense overly much protesting; he felt ignored.
==================================

[Extraneus]

The leader's charisma is undeniable, though. A veto threat no less!

[cathyf]

I gotta say that I don't see any problems that UAE ownership has that British ownership doesn't already have.

AJ Strata also threw out the idea that the UAE company may be cooperating with our intel. They already seem to be cooperating in helping to choke off al Qaeda's access to international financing. So Bush is hissing "Shut the f*** up!!!" to all the outraged rightwingers who are queering the deal.

Some way to run an authoritarian cult... (But I guess that's what TM said, right?)

cathy :-)

[topsecretk9]

For me, the jury is still out, but I am leaning towards Ex's position on this...so...what kind of cultist am I when I think the conservative Bush dissenters are being too conservative?

TM, BTW...this pretty much encapsulates the Portly/Greenwald/Nash/Daou's Game.

[topsecretk9]

p.s. give link above just a few seconds....well worth it, I promise

[kim]

And don't slam the

Yep, worth it. The Cult Theme Song.
====================================

[Paul]

What a screwy deal! Apparently Bush has threatened to veto if congress won't go along. What is up with this? Seems like this is an "iceberg" deal - 90% is hidden.

[M.A.]

The point of the deal is that Bush's unwillingness to even anticipate the furor that would break out (on both sides) proves once again what we've known all along: his administration doesn't take the threat of terrorism seriously. They use it as an election wedge issue to scare people; that's it.

[Dwilkers]

ROFL!

Thanks for the laugh TSK9. 8^D

[topsecretk9]

M.A.
yawn.

[Harley]

Dear Tom:

So I drop in from time to time, mostly to check on your Plame stuff, and now, well, one question comes to mind. When did you get so pissy? Look, slow down, take a breath, and well, I'd suggest punting (or at least understanding that all the slavish backpatting you get in here actually means something), cuz Greenwald is starting to make you look all kinds of stoopid.

[larwyn]

I swiped selected sentences from
Tigerhawk and Dan Barlett just said "we are trying to strengten
strategic allies.

The UAE ports management kerfuffle: get a grip
By TigerHawk at 2/21/2006

It may very well be that it is unwise for the United States to hire an Arab company to manage some of its key ports. Or it may be very wise.

The harsh reality is that there is no evidence that the United States is better at detecting jihadi infiltration than the government of the United Arab Emirates, or a company owned by it that happens to be expert in port administration.

I, for one, think that it takes an Arab to catch an Arab. Will it really be easier for jihadis to penetrate the security of an Arab company that has, frankly, protected the Westerners on its watch elsewhere?

Point is, we need to be thoughtful about this decision and others like it. We cannot beat the jihadis without help from Muslims. ............ you are unlikely to find a hotter hotbed of anti-jihadi sentiment than in the luxurious halls of the Emirates.

........there is an ugly side to this debate, too................... Haitham Sabbah, correctly, sees anti-Arab racism in this opposition -- quite surprisingly, actually, coming from Hillary Clinton, whose husband and VEEP-in-law have made a point of sucking up to Arab princes. Don't like Sabbah? Then read John Chilton, who is very worried about blowback.

Please read whole thing and follow the links.
All that hard work that Gore and Billy have been doing
- may be up in smoke over this!

http://tigerhawk.blogspot.com/2006/02/uae-ports-management-kerfuffle-get.html