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Tonight I watched a man on TV answer a question that was posed to him about the slow reaction of the American government in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. This is what he said- "On Tuesday, the levees broke, on Wednesday, we...ummmm...., on Thursday, we started to evacuate."
He looked as though he was hiding a smile, something he does quite often.
Kanye West said "George Bush doesn't like black people." I tend to agree with him. If New Orleans hadn't of been two thirds black, what would have happened? Why have a zero tolerance policy towards people who are taking food to feed their children?
It's all a bit strange I think.
02 September, 2005
A Bit of a Bastard
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10 comments:
The rainbow and the melting pot will never be more than a veneer which gives way quite quickly when the chips are down.
Man is a biological animal, and never from from it.
You're very poetic, aren't you?
Doctorow hit the nail on the head -- this is an unthinking, unfeeling presidency. Those who believe the status quo is just fine will always look on creative thought with great suspicion -- hence an administration that can't imagine a terrorist attack on New York, and can't imagine the aftermath of an invasion of Iraq or a Hurricane hitting Louisianna. Sad that all the worst disasters in the U.S. in recent memory happen during the least imaginative administration in recent memory.
Emma, just a spoofer, really.
Oh you're full of horseshit. And so is that phony rapper, who messed up the fundraiser.
The immmediate problems in New Orleans, a city I know somewhat, stemmed from a) a mayor who did not take any meaningful action to evacuate the population, not using a single one of his 250 school buses, b) a city with the worst Police Force in the US, c) a governor who cried into the media one day and argued legalities with Bush the next day.
It was Bush who strongarmed Nagin and Blanco into calling for the evacuation. Had he not done so, the death toll would be far higher.
The Federal response was too goddamned slow, and there the valid criticism is that Bush appointed an incompetent campaign contributor as FEMA director.
Which is not as much fun to talk about as your silly conspiracy thoughts, but what the hell, go to town, have fun.
I believe that all 3 levels of government are responsible. However, since the Bush administration was wary of the $14 billion cost of the Lousiana Costal Area project to help preserve the wetlands from flooding it is hard to believe the federal government should accept no responsibility.
Honey, the Phantom has never said that the Feds are not responsible for their share of the blame.
On the immediate issue, I am crucifying Bush on for hiring that horse's ass / political contributor Michael Brown as the head of FEMA. There are other strong and valid criticisms to be made, that all deal with competence.
But it is wrong, factually and morally, to say that " Bush was slow to react because they were black in New Orleans " That's dishonest. At best, very lazy thinking, following the thought of some dimwitted rapper on TV.
And the overwhelming majority of the looters weren't taking food for the kiddies, either. TVs, cars, bicycles, every damned thing in the town that was not nailed down was taken.
There is plenty of criticism to be made without spreading racial blood-libels on this.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/col/story/343872p-293598c.html
I said I tend to agree with Kanyae West, who I will agree with you certainly came across as somewhat dimwitted. I was not lazily following his opinion however. It was something I, and many others, had already wondered about, and hopefully, we will not need find out whether the opinion was right or wrong.
Anyhoo, on a totally seperate issue, I am strongly offended at being referred to as honey by yourself. Though I suppose there's worse things to be called.
The Canadian press is sort of lockstep-liberal, and the great thing about the web is that you can instantly avail yourself of other sources as a reality check.
One of the best conservative magazines is National Reviewand if you've not seen it, I recommend that you eyeball their recent articles on Katrina, and the urban legends and out and out falsehoods that have risen around it.
I was seeking to get your goat, and I guess I did.
Cheers,
Phantom
The majority of news I see on Katrina is American as we do have all major American networks and newschannels. I also watch the BBC and I find that the Canadian media uses too much American coverage themselves.
I will try and look at the magazine you mentioned but I will really have to force myself as coming in contact with things of a conservative nature does make me fell physically ill.
And yes I suppose you did. Just with the honey thing though!
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