MERGED==> The politics of Katrina + Trent Lott + Michael Moore

[Irvine511]

since the flooding, New Orleans has not had a government.

hence, this becomes a FEDERAL responsibility requiring EXECUTIVE leadership.

there has been none. none.

just a mental and moral midget, peeved at the loss of precious, precious vacation time, holding pathetic little press conferences as New Orleans morphs into Haiti. if the mayor of NO weren't on the TV begging for help, Bush would still be on the ranch.

make no mistake: he's working on a PR problem, not a humanitarian disaster.

he should be impeached, if not outright jailed.

(yes, i'm angry, and perhaps i'll be calmer in a few hours ... oh, wait, it's been 5 FUCKING DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!)

[pax]

Originally posted by Irvine511

(yes, i'm angry, and perhaps i'll be calmer in a few hours ... oh, wait, it's been 5 FUCKING DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!)

Let's all be together.

[DrTeeth]

[Irvine511]

[anitram]

How are people not in the streets screaming bloody murder? Your president eats cake, your vice president is sun tanning and your secretary of defense is buying Manolos.

We in the rest of the world just truly do not understand this mentality at all.

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

[pax]

Condi is Secretary of State.

Actually, her actions during all of this have upset me more than I expected. I always had a lot of respect for her, even though I totally disagree with her politics, because she's had an amazing career and got ahead totally on her merits. But my respect for her has totally plummeted.

[melon]

Originally posted by LarryMullen's_POPAngel
We're supposed to be the best country in the world and we have people living like fucking animals, dying in the streets and shooting each other for water and diapers for their children, and our government is nowhere to be found.

Our "government" has been absent for a long time--long before Hurricane Katrina. I blame, more or less, the course we've taken over the last 25 years, which has emphasized short-term gain and excessive profits at the expense of long-term planning and stability.

These levees were built 30 years ago, knowing full well that they were only built to withstand a Category 3 hurricane and were insufficient. But we were content leaving them as-is for 30 years, because, you know, we need "tax cuts." "We have too many taxes"...blah blah blah...despite the fact that the rest of the industrialized world survives on higher taxation rates, for better or for worse, and it makes little sense giving millionaires and billionaires tax breaks, considering they already never have to worry about altering their spending habits for the rest of their lives.

There's a good solution to our income problems: putting pressure on business to erase the income erosion they've continued to pile on since the 1980s. After all, it is "dumb, uneducated blue collar workers" that drive the health or weakness of our economy (since it is so heavily skewed towards consumer spending), not the top 1%.

The whining over the Big Dig in Boston is another great example. We bitched and moaned over a 20 year project that took something like $15 billion to create. Asian and European nations (particularly France) wouldn't have batted an eye, however. It would have been seen as a major improvement. But while we're willing to bitch about $15 billion for a major improvement on Boston's transportation and economy (after all, now that they've relinked the city, there's going to be an explosion in terms of real estate and growth) over 20 years and, apparently, over $14 billion to fix Louisiana's coastal problems, but we're willing to dump hundreds and hundreds of billions each year on war. Where are our priorities?

But we all know the mantra--"government is bad." That is, until we beg and plead for them, and then we realize that they're not there anymore. Of course, we have reaped exactly what we've sowed, and we should remember this the next time our politicians bring up moralistic diversion legislation like "anti-flag burning" and "anti-gay" outrage. You should be asking why Congress and the President isn't doing something actually important.

Melon

[sulawesigirl4]

Arguing with my mom over IM. Oh yeah, let's not "politicize" it...it wasn't Bush's fault, blah blah blah. Hello mom...the idiot that YOU voted for is a real winner!

[anitram]

Condoleeza Rice has been called incompetent for years for various things. I have never been impressed with her at all and it's nice to finally be justified.

What is this, the second coming of Imelda Marcos?

It's a national disgrace.

[kellyahern]

Originally posted by anitram
How are people not in the streets screaming bloody murder? Your president eats cake, your vice president is sun tanning and your secretary of defense is buying Manolos.

We in the rest of the world just truly do not understand this mentality at all.

I think since yesterday afternoon, the tide has been turning against the government. Looking at CNN, MSNBC, and other news websites today, the coverage of the administration's reaction has been "blistering" as one columnist put it.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5961048/


Here's another article to angry up the blood

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/09/0...own/index.html

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

"I don't make judgments about why people chose not to leave but, you know, there was a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans," he said.

Um, is it possible that most of these people were so poor they didn't have adequate transportation out of the city? Or were too old and sick?

[pax]

People COULDN'T LEAVE!!!

Take a good look at the leadership, Bush supporters. Take a good look.

You get what you pay for.

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Originally posted by pax
People COULDN'T LEAVE!!!

Take a good look at the leadership, Bush supporters. Take a good look.

You get what you pay for.

Oh, Abby, don't you know by now that his supporters would never blame him directly for this?


It's never his fault! He's just a "good ole boy" trying to uphold good old Christian values and take care of his people. Oh, wait a sec....

[kellyahern]

"SEN. MARY LANDRIEU (D), LOUISIANA: Anderson, there will be plenty of time to discuss all of those issues, about why, and how, and what, and if. But, Anderson, as you understand, and all of the producers and directors of CNN, and the news networks, this situation is very serious and it's going to demand all of our full attention through the hours, through the nights, through the days.

Let me just say a few things. Thank President Clinton and former President Bush for their strong statements of support and comfort today. I thank all the leaders that are coming to Louisiana, and Mississippi, and Alabama to our help and rescue.

We are grateful for the military assets that are being brought to bear. I want to thank Senator Frist and Senator Reid for their extraordinary efforts.

Anderson, tonight, I don't know if you've heard -- maybe you all have announced it -- but Congress is going to an unprecedented session to pass a $10 billion supplemental bill tonight to keep FEMA and the Red Cross up and operating.

COOPER: Excuse me, Senator, I'm sorry for interrupting. I haven't heard that, because, for the last four days, I've been seeing dead bodies in the streets here in Mississippi. And to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other, you know, I got to tell you, there are a lot of people here who are very upset, and very angry, and very frustrated.

And when they hear politicians slap -- you know, thanking one another, it just, you know, it kind of cuts them the wrong way right now, because literally there was a body on the streets of this town yesterday being eaten by rats because this woman had been laying in the street for 48 hours. And there's not enough facilities to take her up.

Do you get the anger that is out here?

LANDRIEU: Anderson, I have the anger inside of me. Most of the homes in my family have been destroyed. Our homes have been destroyed. I understand what you're saying, and I know all of those details. And the president of the United States knows those details.

COOPER: Well, who are you angry at?

LANDRIEU: I'm not angry at anyone. I'm just expressing that it is so important for everyone in this nation to pull together, for all military assets and all assets to be brought to bare in this situation.

And I have every confidence that this country is as great and as strong as we can be do to that. And that effort is under way. COOPER: Well, I mean, there are a lot of people here who are kind of ashamed of what is happening in this country right now, what is -- ashamed of what is happening in your state, certainly.

And that's not to blame the people who are there. It's a desperate situation. But I guess, you know, who can -- I mean, no one seems to be taking responsibility.

I mean, I know you say there's a time and a place for, kind of, you know, looking back, but this seems to be the time and the place. I mean, there are people who want answers, and there are people who want someone to stand up and say, "You know what? We should have done more. Are all the assets being brought to bare?"

[kobayashi]

Originally posted by LarryMullen's_POPAngel
"I don't make judgments about why people chose not to leave but, you know, there was a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans," he said.

what an idiot.

it is predicatable that a certain percentage of people will not leave. whether it is by choice or by circumstance.

it is the responsibility of a government to look after its citizens in such cases. as melon has documented, governments, especially the american ones, have, over recent history, been purposefully extricating themselves from american lives. in some cases this has been good and in others it has been, evidently, catastrophic.

[anitram]

This is an administration which had Congress fly back in the dead of night to try and keep alive a corpse and a President who joined them. Do you remember all the hullaballoo about how it's inhumane to have her dehydrated? Where is the outrage now?

I just don't get it. The Canadian government has offered aid and our military. If Bush isn't going to get his act together then let other people willing to help step in. Because this looks ridiculous. I'm ashamed it's allowed to happen on our continent at all!

[Irvine511]

Originally posted by anitram
This is an administration which had Congress fly back in the dead of night to try and keep alive a corpse and a President who joined them. Do you remember all the hullaballoo about how it's inhumane to have her dehydrated? Where is the outrage now?

I just don't get it. The Canadian government has offered aid and our military. If Bush isn't going to get his act together then let other people willing to help step in. Because this looks ridiculous. I'm ashamed it's allowed to happen on our continent at all!

i didn't vote for the asshole.

i demand accountability from those that did.

[pax]

Amen.

It's somehow less inhumane that THOUSANDS of people are dying of starvation and dehydration?

Get on this, Bush administration.

[anitram]

Irvine, I would too.

I would also demand an explanation from the 41% who think he's still doing a good job. What planet are they currently inhabiting?