The Big One
This is it, folks. What’s happening in New Orleans is the worst case scenario of what could happen to a major city—even more so then 9-11 New York (though not to minimize the tragedy and devastation there) because it’s more widespread—and, as is painfully evident, the local, state, and federal governments aren’t prepared to deal with it. Four years after 9-11, after a lot of talk about being better prepared for attacks against our country, we see that it was all just a lot of talk, that there weren’t any real plans or preparedness. This is on scale with a massive terrorist attack—a dirty bomb, a biological weapon. Is this how things would’ve been if either of these would’ve happened? It sure looks that way.
Why is that nearby cities, who have agreed to take evacuees, are trying to find places to put them? How is that the Astrodome’s capacity has suddenly been cut in half? How come no one knew this before? Where are the plans? The idea of New Orleans being devastated by a hurricane isn’t a new idea. After 9-11, every city should have had an evacuation plan that coordinates with nearby states and cities. Obviously, since it’s four days after the storm and a week since it threatened the Gulf, there was, at best, only a rudimentary plan, and most of it’s being made up as they go along.
Why was there no quick, overwhelming response? There needed to be a system in place where victims could be got to quickly and order restored quickly in case of lawlessness. There’s been four days of anarchy. This is the USA. Four days of anarchy in a major US city. This is the response of a third world country, not this country.
I realize the news shows mostly tragedy and only snippets of feel-good stuff. But, where are the concerned citizens, the Christian family values crowd? Are they driving in from neighboring states—states that are heavily Christian and Republican as compared to the rest of the country—to help out their fellow citizens? They’re being outdone by their country mates in New York City who helped overwhelmingly after 9-11. I don’t expect them to go into the heart of the city, but how about a place miles out, setting up stations of basic necessities? Perhaps it’s happening and I’m not catching it because that evil liberal media wants to oppress them and not show their good deeds. And, for that matter, where are the millionaires and billionaires who have made out so well under the Bush tax cuts (anyone willing to give back tax cut money?), where are the national politicians, where are the celebrities beyond Ellen Degeneres and Harry Connick, Jr.? Where is anyone with the capability willing to sacrifice something that might mean an actual sacrifice?
Where is the leadership? Yeah, the President has said a few things here and there, and he’s said some right things, sure, but you get the sense that the whole thing is a nuisance to him that’s interfering with his exercise schedule, his golf game, his planning for an Iran war. If he’s the kind of guy his advocates say he is, how come he hasn’t rolled up his sleeves and holed up with the mayor of New Orleans and figure out just what the heck is going on and what they’re going to do? If he’s not going to do this when a major city gets wiped out, when will he? And, if not him, what about another high-ranking official? Cheney? Condi? Bill Frist? Tom DeLay? Laura Bush? Anyone? Democrats? Hello?
I don’t want to hear how this is a “test” for Bush. After 9-11, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and more than 4½ years in office, there aren’t any more tests. Like it or not, he’s the f-ing professor now. We know he’s not a good one, but, since he has tenure, there’s not a damn thing we can do about it.
As with most things, the poor are bearing the brunt of this. The poor, who have to hole up because they don’t have the money or resources to evacuate. The poor, who lack the influence monetarily and politically to have someone evacuate them. The poor, whose lot in life it is to suffer. We’re conditioned to seeing refugees in foreign countries suffering. Now we see these same faces in our own country. The third world is here. We need to deal with it and not allow the suffering. Will we? Of course not.
There will be a display of unity in this country for a few days, a few weeks, and we’ll talk about all the things we should do, we need to do, in the name of safety and fairness. But we’ll go back to what we were before. Things will or won’t be done, defined by political spin and not actual fact. We’ll go back to keeping the poor down. We’ll go back to not fixing what needs fixing. There will be no fallout for our elected officials and this, like many of the other missteps, will not tarnish George W. Bush. There will be true help for this country—another round of massive tax cuts for the wealthy. Gas will settle at $3.00 a gallon after surging well beyond that, and we’ll talk about how it’s an inflation-adjusted bargain.
Somewhere else will be hit with a massive tragedy. We’ll suffer collective amnesia, say we did all we could when the facts prove otherwise, wonder how such a thing could’ve happened.
Why is that nearby cities, who have agreed to take evacuees, are trying to find places to put them? How is that the Astrodome’s capacity has suddenly been cut in half? How come no one knew this before? Where are the plans? The idea of New Orleans being devastated by a hurricane isn’t a new idea. After 9-11, every city should have had an evacuation plan that coordinates with nearby states and cities. Obviously, since it’s four days after the storm and a week since it threatened the Gulf, there was, at best, only a rudimentary plan, and most of it’s being made up as they go along.
Why was there no quick, overwhelming response? There needed to be a system in place where victims could be got to quickly and order restored quickly in case of lawlessness. There’s been four days of anarchy. This is the USA. Four days of anarchy in a major US city. This is the response of a third world country, not this country.
I realize the news shows mostly tragedy and only snippets of feel-good stuff. But, where are the concerned citizens, the Christian family values crowd? Are they driving in from neighboring states—states that are heavily Christian and Republican as compared to the rest of the country—to help out their fellow citizens? They’re being outdone by their country mates in New York City who helped overwhelmingly after 9-11. I don’t expect them to go into the heart of the city, but how about a place miles out, setting up stations of basic necessities? Perhaps it’s happening and I’m not catching it because that evil liberal media wants to oppress them and not show their good deeds. And, for that matter, where are the millionaires and billionaires who have made out so well under the Bush tax cuts (anyone willing to give back tax cut money?), where are the national politicians, where are the celebrities beyond Ellen Degeneres and Harry Connick, Jr.? Where is anyone with the capability willing to sacrifice something that might mean an actual sacrifice?
Where is the leadership? Yeah, the President has said a few things here and there, and he’s said some right things, sure, but you get the sense that the whole thing is a nuisance to him that’s interfering with his exercise schedule, his golf game, his planning for an Iran war. If he’s the kind of guy his advocates say he is, how come he hasn’t rolled up his sleeves and holed up with the mayor of New Orleans and figure out just what the heck is going on and what they’re going to do? If he’s not going to do this when a major city gets wiped out, when will he? And, if not him, what about another high-ranking official? Cheney? Condi? Bill Frist? Tom DeLay? Laura Bush? Anyone? Democrats? Hello?
I don’t want to hear how this is a “test” for Bush. After 9-11, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and more than 4½ years in office, there aren’t any more tests. Like it or not, he’s the f-ing professor now. We know he’s not a good one, but, since he has tenure, there’s not a damn thing we can do about it.
As with most things, the poor are bearing the brunt of this. The poor, who have to hole up because they don’t have the money or resources to evacuate. The poor, who lack the influence monetarily and politically to have someone evacuate them. The poor, whose lot in life it is to suffer. We’re conditioned to seeing refugees in foreign countries suffering. Now we see these same faces in our own country. The third world is here. We need to deal with it and not allow the suffering. Will we? Of course not.
There will be a display of unity in this country for a few days, a few weeks, and we’ll talk about all the things we should do, we need to do, in the name of safety and fairness. But we’ll go back to what we were before. Things will or won’t be done, defined by political spin and not actual fact. We’ll go back to keeping the poor down. We’ll go back to not fixing what needs fixing. There will be no fallout for our elected officials and this, like many of the other missteps, will not tarnish George W. Bush. There will be true help for this country—another round of massive tax cuts for the wealthy. Gas will settle at $3.00 a gallon after surging well beyond that, and we’ll talk about how it’s an inflation-adjusted bargain.
Somewhere else will be hit with a massive tragedy. We’ll suffer collective amnesia, say we did all we could when the facts prove otherwise, wonder how such a thing could’ve happened.
