If the Democractic party wants to revive faith in its ability to provide an alternative to Republican chauvinism, then the blue party's recent outcry against the proposed take over of six American ports by the United Arab Emirates (UAB) is a poor way to begin its rebirth. The Democrats, reeling from the senate and presidential defeats in the 2004 election and failing to capitalize on George W's stunningly poor foreign relations performance, have such little confidence in their ideals that they are literally unable to create their own agenda, but are actually attempting to galvanize party support via the same appeal to ignorance, xenophobia and misconceptions that the Republican party has brilliantly used to win elections. The Democratic party seems content in fighting the Republicans in their stronghold-stirring up hysteria, making ridiculous claims-which not only is a breach of their ideals, but will only support the Republican stance that Democrats are spineless, smarmy elitists who don't have concrete values.
The developments of the last six months have not helped the Muslim world's image. In France, the reports increasingly referred to rioters as black and most importantly, Muslim. America has been bombarded by enough negative images of the Middle East, that anyone associated with the region has a violent, threatening connotation. So the facts: the United Arab Emirates (UAB) is a fast emerging economy that has decided to become one of America's military allies, it has a vested interest in American prosperity and wishes to attract more foreign investment, but it cannot dissuade the American public from agreeing with its politicians in their opposition to their proposed takeover of six American ports. Because the American public has been put under the grips of fear of the foreign, especially of the Arab, rational choices cannot be expected of people with only a passing knowledge of the circumstances. That is why this political manipulation is even more reprehensible. The Democrats are using the conditions Bush used to mount an illegal war-the lies, the loaded religious connotations in speeches and people's basic fears of the unknown-to exploit a bigoted opposition to a legitimate business inquiry. Indeed, this is another case where the facts are so greatly skewed by political pundits and politicians that the American public is being directly coerced into acquiescing to morally reprehensible acts. Unfortunately, some of the most notable opponents of the proposed deal were members of the party that are supposed to promote international cooperation, compromise within the international community and improve American foreign relations. In short, they were Democrats.
The problem with the Democratic party's hypocrisy isn't so much that it opposes the deal because there is a misconception about the UAB, or because the Democrats are suddenly making national security their banner issue, but rather because their opposition is so inconsistent with what the party is supposed to stand for. The opposition is being based on the hysteria that all Arabs, regardless of their situation, are inherently a threat to Americans. For a party that makes social injustices such as racial profiling, affirmative action and education for the underpriviliged a primary issue and has been vocal about the alleged abuses in Iraq, to perpetuate the assumptions that have made many Americans complacent toward human rights violations at home and abroad is not only a signal of moral flimsiness but of the desperate political climate amongst Democrats on Capital Hill. Both of these things are the absolute last characteristics a party in crisis needs to show to the voting public.
Principles and moral righteousness are not things of convenience to be exercised when you have an overwhelming amount of power. The Demoractic party needs to treat its situation as the dissenting party with responsibility to the public and to our political system. The structure of our political system is one where it is absolutely necessary for the Democrats to protect the views of the dissenters and to be firm in their own beliefs. Their attempts to salvage their waning popularity by reneging on their ideological base will not only prove ineffective, but irresponsible to the voting public. If the Democratic party wants to win elections and have the moral highground in politics, then they need to weather the storm and find alternative methods rather than being "Republican lite."
Cabeza can be reached at
rcabeza08@amherst.edu