FT & Buster on the Dubai question UPDATED

I know this story is turning into a huge one, and I confess in my last post, to being more than a little concerned about what this takeover could mean. I know I am clearly not the only one wondering, “what is Bush up to? What is he thinking?”

This article from Financial Times helps clarify things a tiny bit.

Buster actually brought a different perspective to it this afternoon while we were driving (my ear infection has me reeling so he was at the wheel with his learner’s permit). “Why is everyone freaking out?” he asked. I explained what I knew of the circumstances and Buster listened, thought about it for a second and said, “well, Bush is just being consistant. He’s spent the last few years trying to convince the world that – Islamofascist extremists aside – the Muslim world is one that can be compatible with democracy and with business. He’s being consistant and basically sending the same message he has always sent: Arabs have a place at the table, but they’ve got to get their rowdies under control. He’s showing the SANE Muslims how deeply the world has come to distrust ALL of them because of the actions of the nuts. Money talks, right? Hit them in the pocketbook (let them see how the behavior of the extremists are complicating things) and maybe they’ll finally start taking these gangs in hand.”

I thought it was an interesting take on it, and told him so. “I look at it this way,” Buster said. “He’s gotta have a reason for backing this, and I can’t for a second believe that his reasonings are for anything but America’s good. The problem is, as usual, he absolutely STINKS at making things clear. People are screaming that they don’t understand what he’s doing…all he’s doing is being consistant. People used to love him for that. Also, I think he’s showing off who the racists are. Do you realize, that this is ONE MORE THING Bush has done that – really – the left should be approving of? Just like liberating women in Afghanistan, just like closing down the rape rooms in Iraq, this is one more thing the left would approve of if only someone else were president, because it precludes the racist element. But of course, they’ll hate him for it, too.”

I can’t tolerate more than perhaps ten minutes of Sean Hannity’s show – I’m sure he is a very nice guy, but that yappy Irish voice goes right up my spine (being a yappy Irishwoman, I can say that). We tuned in just to hear the latest and he was reading off of the 9/11 Commission report, where Dubai was cited a number of times. Buster laughed. “Is that the same 9/11 Committee he said had no credibility, a year ago?”

While I didn’t like Buster’s attitude, I have to admit that Hannity’s manuever struck me as a bit specious and a little “too easy.” A very easy way to attach ideas to a question that so few of us yet understand.

My best pal called me up later and she was, in fact, screaming – “what is Bush up to????” (My ear! The pain!)

I told her what Buster had said and she was amused – “funny, McClellen just came out and said essentially the same thing.”

Buster opined again this evening: “This is probably going to be another thing Bush has to drag us kicking and screaming through, and it will be alright. In the end, we’ll thank him.”

Let us pray.

UPDATE: NRO has interesting running commentary from its scribes and readers. Keep looking. Gateway Pundit has a terrific round up of “moderate” opinion on the subject and also some input from a source he calls a “trusted moderate Egyptian” which is also helpful. Maybe we all take a deep breath and learn more? Instapundit also has a good round-up. Strangely enough, Buster seems to be on the same track as many of these folks, and the president. Glenn Reynolds rightly observes that – as usual – the WH should have been READY with some of these positive stories about Dubai. Seems to me things ran a bit more smoothly, and intelligently, when Karen Hughes was setting the information tones.

UPDATE II: Confederate Yankee is thinking the knee jerked too fast on this situation.