I feel bad. I feel that I have been sitting on my sofa and watching a disaster that may as well be a world away. Yet, it isn't. It is happening right here in the supposed numero uno country on the planet. Today on Charlie Rose, Charlie spoke to a panel of journalists that were natives of the Big Easy. Now that the dust has settled (water, as the case may be) all seemed to agree that the federal governments' reaction to Katrina was deplorable (especially FEMA). What a shock!
It is rather nutty to think that our good pal Bushy would not leave his vacation early to try and spearhead the relief effort. Nope, he waited three days. Nice. Real nice. It seems to me that even when he has an obvious chance to lead, he still shoots himself in the foot by waiting. Yet, isn't that what all of our glorious politicians do? Sure Bushy sucks, but don't they all. I sure love our "free" democracy that affords us the ability to vote true representatives of the people into office.
My only hope is that the Feds finally get it together and start restoring the Bayou to its previous glory. If only Katrina had somehow swooped down and speared (Ha - I am so very witty) my favorite white trash girl, B, I would at least have something to feel good about. Well, I still do. I still can get crunked to the filthy-dirty Cash Money & Big Tymers - "Number One Stunna" - so can you. I got a platinum football field, beeeeaaatcchhhh!
Cash Money & Big Tymers - Number One Stunna
C$,
You surprise me. I am no Bush fan (I drank until I vomited the night the election results came in, and it was not a celebratory three, it was the puke of desperation), but to say that all politicians are bad is such a trite cliche. You are right my friend, we got a real stinker this time around, and we are going to have to suffer the results for the next three years. Sadly, it is the apathy displayed in this latest installment that is going to steer this country into the exact same trap in 2008. Please C$, tell me that you haven't lost your edge.
[1] Dear ThunderP,
First, do not fret. My edge is still very much intact, I do feel quite pissed about the subject of our government. By no means, however, am I calling for inaction or apathy. In fact, I want revolt. I want complete and total anarchy. The reason I said all politicians suck is because while Bushy sucks, so would a democrat, and for those that really think otherwise, well, they suck. That was my point, Dr. Thunder.
such nasty words for beef. appalling.
nice music selection...the events of the past week have made me want to hear some n'awlins hip hop.
when's our next outing to sonotheque? i want to go for polka night. maybe they'll be playing some weird al on the plasma screens...
[2] i dunno if i agree completely wiggy. i don't think a democrat, or any other politician for that matter, regardless of party affiliation, would react and act as slowly, as apathetically, as digressively or as obliviously as G.W. Bush has, both before and during the catastrophe, and at present. he's no republican. i'm not sure how to politically define his administration anymore. the complete indifference to any sort of ideals - other than personal gain (the holy-holy religious act falls in here too) - sets them apart from any sort of recognized political group. it's gone beyond neo-con. beyond far right wackiness.
it's fuckin' scary.
if anything, their aim seems to be to create some sort of warped fascist theocracy (can that even exist?), with G.W. sitting on a self-appointed throne, with a telephone to god on his right and a button to annihilation on his left.
i'm rambling...and probably making no sense...i'm a mess of contradictions...i think it's the lack of sleep...cam...hold me...
[4] one more thing and then i'll go...
if there is any silver lining at all to the tragic events in the Gulf region - and i don't want to trivialize the suffering and devastation, at all, but, this is true - it is that, finally, the country is beginning to realize what the rest of the world already knows - that Bush and Co. are a bunch of dolts running this country into the ground with the velocity of a cheetah on Ritalin.
goodnight.
I could not have said it better Dr. Bone. And, yes, Sonotheque will be done soon. Though, I am ass out this weekend back to Todeeleedo. But, don't worry, we will get there and return to crunkdom.
crunkdom is absolutely necessary to handling that place. maybe that's why it sucked donkey last weekend?
back to ohio already? chicago too much for you? aaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
i'm working all weekend anyway, and, you know, if i'm not there, the party's not there either. so you're safe.
[2] while i dont defend GW himself, his response time is not as bad as you make it to be...in my opinion. there was plenty o time leading up to said disaster where people were told to evacuate or die. this was a category 5 heading in. now i often feel invinsible, but i do think i would try & leave town if i was told there was a hurricane of that magnitude coming to my back door. after the original disaster, things were demolished and blown over & bad, but it wasnt until 2 days later that the levee broke & mass flooding took place. federal gov't then responded on the 3rd day. people should have been long gone by then.
too many people believe nothing bad will happen to them & then once it does happen (and yes it does happen, even can happen to us...the most invinsible of invinsible), they have their hands out asking who will help them now. jack asses, you should not have been there in the 1st place, but since you were, help yourself and GET OUT NOW. dont stay & shoot at planes & busses trying to come in & help, its just stooopid.
this was a NATURAL disaster, people didnt listen to warnings. the gov't could not take all of their collective hot air & blow the hurricane back into the gulf, is just cant happen. mother nature is a mighty force & we will all burn in damnation because of it...ok that might be a little much, but i'm on a roll damn it.
thunderpants, i still want to rock with you at the concert, you better be there, dont make me unleash on you.
werd up, dale. are you toby? your email address looks familiar.
i agree with you to an extent, but the federal government must accept some responsibility for the results. funds earmarked for Louisiana disaster relief being diverted to fund the Iraq war; Louisiana National Guard troops in Iraq, fighting a war founded on lies, rather than at home helping expedite the relief effort; a hopeless Bush-appointed FEMA head whose actions (or lack thereof) reveal the damning levels of cronyism in Washington; the government's ignorance of years of research and requests to remedy the faulty levee system in New Orleans - these are all things that Bush has to answer for in the coming days, weeks.
also, another point that seems to be forgotten is that many of the victims could not leave due to lack of money, transportation, or places to go. if anything, this hurricane has exposed the great, but ignored, American wound - the divide been the haves and the have-nots. sure it's easy to say, "Yo! Get the shit outta there! Storm!", but its alot harder to do in reality often.
on the flip side though, you are right on the money mr. dale, i'm sure there were many people who rode the storm out of pure stubbornness. foolish, definitely, but many, no doubt, had stayed put during past 'canes and survived. there's no excuse for that. their decision may have had fatal costs.
cam - once again, i tell you this, but your blog rocks my knocker. finally, a place to have an intelligent conversation. christ knows that doesn't happen at your place. all you and steve do is give each other silent body massages. BOOYA.
i should be working....what am i doing here....?
Money-Money, thanks for taking up the Bush bashing while OpAmp has been away. I'm with you on the revolt, just let me know the time and place and I'll be there . . . unless I'm watching TV.
I agree with Bone, Bush is not a Republican. He's not even a president. Bush is a CEO. We are witnessing first hand what it is like to have Big Business running the whole show. Big Business doesn't care about the people, only the bottom line. The religious right is used as a ploy to lull the masses, keep them in line and insure the business of 'Merica follows a values system that weeds out the free thinkers and sedates the rest while the higher ups (who are not chained down by "ideals" and "ethics") plunder and rape.
Follow the money.
Oh Cam, don't feel bad about sitting on your sofa, heck, the people who were sitting on their sofa watching a hurricane coming right at them don't feel bad about it, they feel angry- at the government!
It's the people acting in uncivilized ways that has turned this disaster into what it has ultimately become, it's definitely not just about a hurricane. I don't think those actions would have been much different even if the response time was perceived to be satisfactory.
I'm not overlooking the tragedy that happened in so many peoples lives. But I haven't heard much even remotely close to the topic of personal responsibility in the news. C'mon, if we can't be responsible for removing ourselves (it 's not like your responsible for 100 other people) from a natural disaster w/advanced warning or acting "reasonable" during tragic times than what should we be held responsible for?
while we're on the subject of Katrina..here's something that we can all agree on and support. if not, you have no soul.
Demand That Federal and New Orleans Officials Allow Animals to Be Evacuated
[12] Pbone, you are quite the sleuth. You powers of deduction are impressive. yes, dale is toby & toby is dale.
it is hard to figure out who is responsible but hopefully we can all agree to save the animals..and by animals, i speak of the pets
please save the animals
Juice,
As Master P mentioned, it's easy to say get out of Dodge, but for those living below the poverty line this just isn't an option. Furthermore, what defines reasonable in a situation like this? If your children are starving and you have no means of getting food, is it unreasonable to loot a grocery store? If your watching your husband die because he can't get the medication he needs, is it unreasonable to raise hell until someone pays attention to you? Sure there are people taking advantage of a terrible situation, but most people are just trying to survive. Their situation is compounded by the fact that the hurricane wiped out all communication lines. For those of us watching tv, we knew that the calvary was coming, regardless of the speed at which they went. For those entrenched in the city, they had no idea when or if help was on the way. I would also challenge the idea that we are not responsible for those around us. Certainly we have to look out for ourselves and our family first, but as a compasionate society we also have a duty to, when able, help those around us that can't help themselves. I think that to assign blame to lack of personal resposibility is letting alot of people off the hook.
On a completely seperate note, what the hell were you doing up at 3:00 am on a schoolnight Phil?
hola bradley - i've been burning the midnight oils these past 2 weeks trying to finishing a monsterous editing project. existing on 4 or less hours of sleep a night for days on end leads to abject madness, i think...or supreme greatness...i'll let all of you know what happens.
MU-HU-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA....
off to work!
I am like a proud papa - thanks y'all for your enlightening discussion via c101. It tickles my fun parts to know that lil' ol' c has sparked some thought. Dr. Bone, stay millitant, RFO, glad I could pick up the torch for opAmp - you stay fresh and I will stay schizo, Johnson's, you tell 'em - it is high time we take some responsibility in this godforsaken world and Thunder, just keep that big heart wide open, my sweet.
[8] Dale, My first reaction was the same with you. Those people should've been moved out of the pond by now. Not wasting time/money for the gov' to forcibly evacuate them. And don't worry about the people. Ever since 911, I think people are still trying to cope with the fact that how can such a wonderful, number one country in the world would have people hate us, or even a huge wind to blow at us...how? why?....we are sooooo good, in fact too good to have an disaster?!
p.s. I think this is also a war between the two parties, Democratic wanted to watch Republican fail. Democ. might as well sit and wait like GWBush.....cause after all people would aim the fire at Repub. for a time like this anyways.
i feel like i'm on the "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn" show.