"The U.S. Navy has its largest overseas port here." (Dubai)

[KansDem]

From NPR on Monday:

Why Dubai?

First of all, this is where the oil is, and the gas. Not Dubai in particular, but the region. ... There's not much oil left in North America, so a lot of these companies have to come over here to get a little closer to it. Halliburton says it wants to be closer to some of the giant national oil companies in this region....

Their competition is here, the Chinese are here, pouring money in, everybody wants to get a piece of the oil puzzle here.

Would you describe Dubai?

We describe it as Las Vegas on steroids. It is probably the fastest growing city in the world. It's got 20 percent of the world's construction cranes. The place is studded with hundreds of skyscrapers under construction. Islands are being reclaimed off the coast. ... It's a crazy place.

It's got a Western lifestyle. It's got huge shopping malls, lots of golf. There's indoor skiing here. There's a great beach. Lots of Westerners are moving here to buy homes. So it's a very comfortable place — if you're a big executive in the states, you'd feel right at home here.

...and

Will taxes be lower for Halliburton there?

It won't have to pay taxes here. There are no corporate taxes, as far as I know, and no taxes on employees either in Dubai, as long as you're in one of their investment zones.

You're saying this simply acknowledges something that's already a fact?

Yeah, that's right, Halliburton's already here in a smaller way, and the U.S. military's already here. The U.S. Navy has its largest overseas port here. It just makes it easier for Halliburton, really, to do the business it's already involved in.

NPR

You have to admit this report is unabashedly direct and to the point. I heard this NPR report the day after I saw the movie :

Viewer comment: I walked out of this movie feeling pretty depressed. As a historian, I always knew there have been forces at work in our society that act against the best interest of the average citizen. This film does an excellent job of illustrating just how politics and big business conspire to preserve the status quo which also protects their power and profits. The global interaction depicted in this film shows how all actions have consequences. The thirst our nation has for oil drives the kind of political and business policies that cause anger and hatred towards our nation. This oil addiction has led to an unjust war that was started on lies and disinformation. The result has been the deaths of over 2000 US servicemen and women, thousands more injured and tens of thousands Iraqi dead and wounded. This act has been the best tool Islamic terrorist groups have ever had in attracting followers and money to their cause. Those that attack this film obviously buy into the fantasy that America is involved in Iraq and the Middle East due to our sincere desire to spread "democracy." Anyone who is willing to have an open mind will find this film to be chilling for the implications of the storyline. This film is a must see for those who care about how the behavior of our government and big business impacts us in our everyday lives and how it will contribute to further terrorist attacks for decades to come. A well researched story with excellent actors for the numerous roles. I will buy this as soon as it comes out on DVD.