All forked up
Amid reports that the White House Asked Dubai Ports to Pull Out, I think it is now safe to draw some conclusions about this epic clusterfuck.
In chess, the most satisfying move you can make is a fork: you move one of your pieces into a position in which you threaten not just one but two of your opponent's pieces. The opponent can save one, but must sacrifice the other.
Logical forks are similarly satisfying. And it seems to me that the Dubai ports deal is the perfect fork food.
If you start from the premise that the deal threatens national security, then of course the Administration's posture on this deal undermines everything they have been saying for four years, and they look stupid, corrupt or both for pursuing a deal that so endangers us.
On the other hand, we could take them at their word, and believe that the deal has little or nothing to do with security; that the national reaction has been overwrought; and that backing out will hurt us in the long run. If that is the case, don't they have to take the blame for being so hopelessly incompetent in their handling of the deal that they allowed the thing to spin so far out of their control?
Dubya is now whining that he is concerned about the "broader message" sent by the sinking of the deal. He should be concerned. The broader message here is that his whole fear-based power-grab is a sham. Or that he and his team are utterly inept.
Take your pick. That's the beauty of a fork.
In chess, the most satisfying move you can make is a fork: you move one of your pieces into a position in which you threaten not just one but two of your opponent's pieces. The opponent can save one, but must sacrifice the other.
Logical forks are similarly satisfying. And it seems to me that the Dubai ports deal is the perfect fork food.
If you start from the premise that the deal threatens national security, then of course the Administration's posture on this deal undermines everything they have been saying for four years, and they look stupid, corrupt or both for pursuing a deal that so endangers us.
On the other hand, we could take them at their word, and believe that the deal has little or nothing to do with security; that the national reaction has been overwrought; and that backing out will hurt us in the long run. If that is the case, don't they have to take the blame for being so hopelessly incompetent in their handling of the deal that they allowed the thing to spin so far out of their control?
Dubya is now whining that he is concerned about the "broader message" sent by the sinking of the deal. He should be concerned. The broader message here is that his whole fear-based power-grab is a sham. Or that he and his team are utterly inept.
Take your pick. That's the beauty of a fork.
posted by bluememe at 3/10/2006
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