The New Republic

Uh, do you have access to any actual FACTS relating to negative effects on Bill Clinton's income stream resulting from Dubai's economic decline, or is this all just wishful thinking?

- aeromonas

February 17, 2009 at 7:35am

aero - connect the dots:

1. per western intelligence agencies, Dubai = the main money laundering destination for anyone involved in "grey" or outright criminal enterprise across eastern europe, the middle east and southwest Asia

2. criminal enterprise in EEur and the ME is heavily connected to a) natural resources, mining and minerals; b) arms transfers from two heavily militarized blocs, the former Soviet/Warsaw Pact bloc and the Arab and muslim states of Asia

3. the Clinton Foundation's list of major donors includes westerners like Tony Giustra who are engaged in mining, oil and other natural resource-based investment activity in the FSU and middle eastern oil sheiks

4. unlike normal financial or commercial investments by these Clinton donors-- into, for ex Citigroup (Prince Al Waleed) or various mining enterprises around the world (Giustra)-- an investment into the Clinton Foundation has value only in one, or both, of two senses: it's either a bid for political influence or a chance to do a political Monica, and starf*ck President Globo-Davos.

Ron Burkle is essentially in the real estate business and has political ambitions of his own. He's clearly interested in gaining political influence through his Clinton investment.

Tony Giustra's mining enterprises requires constant dealing with dictators and shambolic third world regimes. His investment too seeks what political influence Clinton has in those quarters, though I'd bet that Kissinger Associates would provide a better return on Tony's investment--which makes one conlcude that Giustra, thrower of parties for Clinton with Bon Jovi, Kevin Spacey, Elton John et al, is essentially a little starf*cker bedazzled by Bill.

As to the sheiks, let's get honest here. Some of them apparently are making a belated and rather lame effort to give back via investments in biotech, universities, other research, but isn't it obvious that Uncle Sam is essentially the security guard for the Gulf's petro-billionaires?

Anything that hurts these characters' ability to launder money will likely cause them to rein in some of their baksheesh-spreading and starf*cking activities. Dubai's collapse will probably cost the Clinton Foundation more than a few million in incremental new investment.

- teplukhin2you

February 17, 2009 at 8:39am

Every ex-president is on the take from the Gulf except for Bush the Younger and he is just starting out on the rest of his life.

- nbarry

February 17, 2009 at 9:55am

"Every ex-president is on the take from the Gulf"

ah, but that Bill, he give it out _all_ over town...

- teplukhin2you

February 17, 2009 at 11:57am

Ah yes, that dastardly Bill Clinton again with his dastardly foundation again.

Snore.  May that wonderful foundation be funded by these funds and whatever else he can find forever more.

- Wandreycer1

February 17, 2009 at 11:59am

Interesting analysis of Dubai + UAE situation here: blogs.cfr.org/.../how-worried-should-we-be-about-dubai

- ratnerstar

February 17, 2009 at 12:35pm

I'm wondering how Dubai's refusal to grant a visa to an Israeli female tennis player (for a major pro tournament) will play out.  The Tennis Channel has pulled the plug on telecasting the event.  Will the Women's Tennis Association renew the Dubai sanction?  I'd bet that Dubai dollars will carry the day.

- awm34

February 18, 2009 at 7:48am