America needs a Leader
As I watch disgusted by what is going on in New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast, and I see that there is apparently no one willing or able to take control of what is going on, it makes me sick. I know that America has the resources and the will to help these people, and I know that it is possible to do it more quickly than it is being done. At the same time, I'm reading about all the projects that were supposed to be done to help prevent such a tragedy, and how the federal funding for them was cut by the Bush administration, and most likely due to the war in Iraq. Just another reason for me to think that the war is a gigantic mistake. I keep hearing people make excuses for Bush and the administration that they can't prredict natural disasters and they can't control the weather, and that we still have plenty of troops to secure New Orleans, even if there are thousands of them in Iraq. These things may all be true, but the bottom line is that the things that need to be done are not getting done, and I find it hard to believe that all the money, manpower, and equipment being wasted in Iraq couldn't help out at this time. Particularly resources which were previously located in the areas affected. Anyone can make excuses for why this isn't Bush's fault, and isn't the administration's fault, and a lot of thoe excuses might be valid and might be true, but if you want to sit around making excuses for why you can't do anything, then why the fuck do you become the President of the United States in the first place? It's a job that requires action, not excuses. We heard a lot about this President's determination after September 11th, and what a strengh it was, well where the fuck is it now? Like I said before, I know that this country has the resources and the will to do everything that needs to be done, which makes me realize that the problem is poor planning (a familiar one) and poor leadership. Again, you can say that the Mayors and Governors and Congress all fucked up too, and there is plenty of blame to go around, but right now we need a leader, and it would be nice if there was one in the White House.
Whenever anyone criticizes the administration's lack of planning or response to this tragedy, I hear how we shouldn't politicize it, and now is not the time for finger pointing. Well, that's just bullshit. Now is the perfect time, because when it's over, the focus will be gone, and no one will be held accountable. I hear that now is the time for us all to come together to help the people affected, and that's true, but there's no reason I can't criticize the President and at the same time support any efforts he makes to help these people (if he ever makes any that are noticeable). And anyway, if you're demanding that people not criticize because you want the focus to be on the relief efforts, then why not demand that the President's focus be on relief efforts? After all, he has a lot more control over that than most people. And I also see people saying things to the effect of, instead of criticizing, why don't you do something to help instead? Well, it's not like if I wasn't wasting my time writing this post, I'd instead be pulling stranded people off their roofs. There's no reason people can't do more than one thing at a time. And it always amazes me that these "with us or against us" types seem to have such one track minds. And anyone, I could say the same thing about some of the blind devotion that people seem to have for this guy, if they would lose that, maybe we'd all be better off.
The bottom line here is that Bush has failed. And this isn't a failure that effects a handful of Americans who volunteered, and some faceless foreigners, this is affecting Americans in America, just trying to pick up what is left of their lives. And sure there are plenty of others who have failed these people too, but I'm pretty sure the buck stops with Bush. At a time like this, America needs a leader, and we simply don't have one.
30 comments:
JRH
That is a load of rubbish as natural disasters happen in any administation . Blaming New Orleans on Bush or Iraq is absurd.
This is fairly typical of the illogic of the left. 9-11 did not take seven months to plan but lets blame Bush. Your neighbor has hemrhoids obviously it is due to the fact that cut hemrhoid research
to fund the Iraq war. Your roses didn't have good color this year it is obviously Bush's fault. The fact that you forgot to apply fecal matter is an inconvenient detail.
One of the reasons I am for Rudy is he is a great Leader. The lesson of 9-11 is that local leadership is crucial. Yet nobody can be blamed for a disaster of this scale.
I have voluntered to go as did many of my coworkers. My priority is not that high but I am ready to go if selected.
I am not blaming the hurricane on Bush, if you think that from this post, then you just aren't very bright.
All the things I accuse Bush of are his fault, and it's bout time he started recognizing some of his mistakes, my question to people like you is why don't you care when are leaders are this incompetent? Again, you just make excuses for him. Why?
It's not the disaster I'm blaming Bush for, obviosuly that's not his fault, it's the cutting of funding for things that would have helped, the misuse of resources for his Iraq folly, the lack of an effective and immediate response as Americans die in the streets. It's disgusting, and inexcusable, and even the man himself said it is unacceptable, so why do people feel the need to make excuses for him?
There are lots of things people can do from dontaing, to volunteering, or whatever, but that doesn't mean we can't also criticize those who have failed, to hopefully prod them to succeed, and further to try to prevent such a failure from happening again.
John
Lets get a grip Iraq has zero to do with New Orleans or the Gulf Coast. Huricanes , Earthquakes etc have been with us from the dawn of man. The impact of huricanes vary with tides etc.
Bush has made no mistakes and has done whatever he could. Nobody ran around with this idiocy in the Clinton administation. Plenty of my coworkers are going and I might be headed there.
The blame Bush for everything is absurd. As far as taking responsability for his mistakes this is rubbish. Clinton took responsability for bombing the Aspin factory or Mosques while Monica was about to testify. Maybe he was singing Blue stained Dress.
Anyone can be a Monday morning quaterback. There was no failure here just like there was no failure of Clinton with the CA earthquakes.
New Orleans is not CA and this damage is far greater. I hope the city rebuilds but I am not an optomist.
Where are the amphibious assault vehicles that could be trudging through the water to rescue people?
Where are the tanks that could be used to control the looting gangs and the snipers that are scaring FEMA rescuers?
WHY in the United States in 2005 are there people in a major city that can be seen on camera talking to CNN or calling on their cell phone to FoxNews being left without water or food in a convention center because "nobody can get to them."? If a reporter and cameraman can be there, why can't the National Guard?
Is it possible that it's due to the fact that fully 1/2 of the troops in Iraq are National Guardsmen? Is it possible that those supplies and equipment that are needed to rescue people are in Iraq? Is that just possible?
WHY did our President stay at his ranch in Texas for 2 days after the hurricane instead of going immediately to Washington? If you're the leader of our country, and your citizens are in peril, then you shouldn't be on vacation.
If these people have nowhere to go, why didn't he open up the land on his ranch and have some tents put up? Why did he fly over and then go back to Washington 2 days later and WAIT to have the senate convene back from their vacation to deal with this.
The senate all showed up on Sunday night to pass an emergency resolution to save Teri Schiavo. But they need time to get back in order to save a million poor people who have nothing at all left of their lives.
Please answer those questions: where are the tanks, the amphibious vehicles, the food and water package drops, the extra Guardsmen to wade through the water and carry babies out.
And why did the President wait 2 days to figure out that his citizens that he's so motivated to protect needed protection.
Maybe because it was a natural disaster and not terrorism, so he's not as concerned.
If there is no failure here, then why are people dying in the streets in New Orleans several days after the disaster?
You still seem to think I'm blaming Bush for the hurricane, which I clearly am not. And Clinton has nothing to do with anything, he isn't the President. And how can you accuse me of blaming Bush for everything when you're still 5 years later talking about Clinton? Anyway, there most certainly are things that are Bush's fault, but you don't seem to acknowledge that at all, which is ridiculous to me. And to say that Iraq has nothing to do with New Orleans means you must be claiming that all the money, troops and equipment being used there would be of no help in New Orleans, which is frankly just ridiculous.
Again, my point in the post is that anyone can offer up excuses, and some may even be good ones, but what we need now, in this situation is someone who doesn't do that, but instead takes responsibility to get things under control.
Right on, John.
Yeah, everything is Clinton's fault, conversely, nothing is Bush's fault. I wonder if they'll be so quick to point the finger at the previous administration when that previous administration is Bush.
Democratic Talking Points: When in doubt and you are in the wrong, twist the facts and blame Republicans.
Look guys... it goes both ways. It's been this way in every administration & it probably will continue for years to come.
... by "this way" I mean the placing of blame.
Yes, it does go both ways, but that doesn't make it ok.
Good one John. Beakerkin I don't know why you bother to keep coming to argue here...is it because you really love to argue for the sake of arguing? I wish you had lived through this so that having been one of the multitude that was doing without...you might understand their pain and anger at the same time. Their leader and his underlings failed them in an enormous fashion. Nero fiddled while Rome burned and Bush golfed and presented a birthday cake to John McCain while New Orleans became no man's land. In the aftermath many of these people didn't have to die needlessly as I feel they did. Help "too" late...is help too late. Condi went shoe shopping instead of getting on a chopper or plane to get to where all the higher-ups WERE NEEDED. Sometimes those in high positions lend their bodies to these occasions simply to listen and offer hope even if at that moment that is all they can personally do. They didn't even do THAT! They all ate and drank and had the use of toilets and a bed to sleep in and clean clothes. They really identify with Americans in a big way don't they? See if you can say those things without lying on your own blog. You have really bought into their hype. I've read you here arguing before and I haven't said anything like I finally have now because I haven't wanted you to come to my blog and do to me what you do to John. But letting Georgie and his henchmen off the hook for this goes beyond the pale. And the hook isn't Katrina...it's not deciding to come forward much sooner...not doing anything. Does the word reprehensible mean anything?
This hurricane constitutes an attack on our soil the same as a terrorist attack. The fact that this administration won the fucking election because they promised how secure they would make the nation, makes me sick as I look at this hypocrisy. There is no argument that a national disaster is different than a hurricane, because the Bush administration reorganized FEMA under the Deparment of Homeland Security for exactly that reason. They were unprepared and they have not done anything to help, bottom line.
Sumo
Get a grip as I am one of the many people from my office who volunteered to go. While I volunteered to go what have you and the rest done other then words.
In reality I have a low priority number so I most likely will have to pick up the slack of others.
Playing partisan games with human tragedy is loathsome. Are you going to blame Bush for Atlantis sinking next.
We can also claim with more accuracy that the money spent on the levees was wasted on the Big Dig in Boston. However in reality pork is a bipartisan issue so get a grip.
FEMA is doing the best they can and many of my coworkers and possibly myself are planning on spending months there. While my coworkers and those who are left behind put our boots on the ground all you do is talk.
Standard left wing agitprop got nose hairs blame Bush. Price of twinkies goes up blame Bush. Your car doesn't start Blame Bush. The Titanic sunk blame Bush.
Sumo
You might also add local government to your list. NO has never been a well run city. In fairness I recognize the scope and magnitude.
Preparedness begins at the LOCAL level. Where has the LA congressional delegation been when Kerry and Kennedy were hoarding public works money on the Big Dig.
Robert Bayn said...
But umm if republicans are in charge, they are to blame? LOL
What you people seem to be forgetting or your just plain ignorant to the fact that under Federal Law the Govenor of a Sate has to ask for help.
The Govenor of LA a Democrat (Rob) sat on her hands for 4 days before she even ordered out her own guard. She waited for days before she made the call necessary to get Federal Aid moving.
So if a Democrat is in charge then they are to blame. But the truth does not matter to people whos only aim in life is to blame republicans and cannot accept that the actions of one of there own extended the misery of New Orleans.
BAH! Let us know when you go and keep us appraised of how it's going there. Maybe you'll get a photo op with him. Take extra underwear...because when you meet your fearless leader I think that you may soil yourself.
Beakerkin, your arguments are lousy, they could be used any time anyone blames anything on Bush. Sometimes, he actually does deserve blame, and this is absolutely one of those times. Whether it's for having his priorities all fucked up and wasting out resources somewhere else, or for underfunding the projects in New Orleans, or for screwing up FEMA they way he did, or for his miserable response time to this disaster, while he was offplaying his guitar, these things are all his fault. Now, there is certainly plenty of blame to go around, and certainly Democrats that deserve some as well, the difference between you and me is that I acknowledge that and you defend Bush no matter what he does wrong. As for why I'm focusing on him instead of the other people, it's because first of all he is ultimately in charge, and secondly, this is another in a long line of things he has failed in. A lot of people were quieter about his previous mistakes in the interest of unity, but that doesn't help anything. When people make mistakes this big, it needs to be talked about.
As for you volunteering, that is great. But you have no idea what anyone else here has or hasn't doneto help, because we aren't patting ourselves on the back about it. So for you to assue that people aren't doing anything is ridiculous.
Rob
Sure I took an 80% cut in pay and move 400 miles from my friends , family and culture for attention. Has it occured to you that my coworkers and I serve because we love our country ? This is a pathology on your part big time. I volunteered to go to NO to impress a dullard like you. Maybe my coworkers are also trying to impress dimwits.
No my coworkers are dedicated patriotic people who love their job and care about their contrymen . I contrast this with the ghouls like yourselves who try to parlay a national tragedy into political gain. The victims are just meaningless sacrafices. You guys continue to talk while my coworkers continue to build and save lives.
Rob and Sumo
At least John talks about the victims. I guess partisanship is more important then lives.
Evedrybody did the best they could this was a calamity. Unlike some of you I lived through calamities.
We all do the best we can and it is easy for Monday morning quaterbacking. My coworkers are there at the front or are prepaing to depart.
I expect as the magnitude of this tragedy is revealed that every single person with no kids in my office will be shipped out. I took an oath to serve wherever my country needs me. Honor and Duty Rob are the creed of my coworkers .
Evedrybody did the best they could
That just isn't true.
If memory serves... those of us here that visit John haven't called anyone names. I don't feel even comfortable having this conversation on someone elses blog. But I felt I had to defend John against your insessant arguing. I've been to your blog Beakerkin some time ago...and you call people names and make fun of them. One person in particular you were very cruel to that I know...and I thought it was very classless of you and your cronies. And you did it for many weeks. I knew I didn't want that for myself so I said nothing. The point I'm trying to make is you have all the right in the world on your own blog...but don't hunt people down for the sake of arguing and start calling names...it isn't cool. You know you feel differently from us...and John is a good host to you by not telling you to hit the road. I'd tell you to hit the road on mine...it isn't serving a purpose except for you to argue for the sake of arguing. Is it so dull on your site that you must come to harass others that you know won't ever see it your way? If I come across a site like yours I simply don't go back...I don't tastelessly tell them they're dimwits because they disagree with me.
Come on...dimwits? You know in your heart whom you just described don't you?!!!!!!...John I know you don't need defending...but I couldn't forget anymore the cruel disdane of his remarks on his site about a friend...and I have to tell you I haven't found such mean spiritedness in a persons blog as this man.
beakerkin doesn't bother me. All views are welcome here, even ones I don't understand or agree with. Hopefully we can all keep the name calling and personal insults to a minimum, but if not, I'm not planning on banning anyone or anything. We're all adults here. I do wish beakerkin could offer some reason for his views which might contribute to the discussion, rather than just blindly defending the administration.
Anyway, I appreciate everyone's support.
Thanks John...that's what blogger friends are for...cause...when your friend has the hottest and/or best blog on the internets...that's what ya do!
Oh, so you know the person with the best blog on the internets also?
The plain fact is that the head of FEMA is a Bush appointee. The head of Homeland Security is a Bush appointee. They both blew it bad - and because of their own incompetence. Brown is just plain useless, and should never have had that job in the first place, and Chertoff got up on Monday and looked at the papers and based his response on what the headlines said??? say what???
Now they're blaming the boogieman democrats and the media for their own incompetence? I just don't think it'll fly, but I've been wrong before.
People are getting very tired of spin!
I'm seeing more and more people say they don't expect any long term political fallout from this, so they might get away with this too.
Bull
This was an unprecedented event and guess what any administration Democrat or Republican does its best. Convoys and aid does not flow like manna from the heaven. I was a logistics manager in the private sector.
Meanwhile I went into work early and my the first wave of coworkers was clearing old cases. Several workers including friends aredeparting. These people do not ask if the people we are helping are Democrats or Republicans or Chomskyites. The fac that they are American is enough.
Fema is a sister agency to the one I work in . The DHS umbrella allows for personel to be shifted as needed.
Sumo I have read your blog and no comment. Rob my coworkers are just like me they are happy to serve and the response to volunteer was overwhelming. There are alot of people here who are quite dedicated
and we all serve because we love our country. Most have advanced degrees and could do much better in the private sector.
Your assesment of my motives shows how bitter and divorced from reality you are. The correct response is JRH's as I did not have to volunteer.
The extreeme partisan rhetoric will boomarang.
Summo like John I do not censor a single post. You can find 100% personal attacks on my blog. Anyone that wants to step to the plate is free to do so. This is certainly more then other blogs permit.
Regardless of how the operation is run or is supposed to be run, the bottomline is that it failed in this case. And I don't think it's for lack of people wllling to help, I think it's for a lot of reasons, including lack of proper planning, lack of funding, and maybe most importantly in this case, lack of anyone willing to step up and take the lead and be responsible for getting things done. Obviously it isn't an easy thing to do, but 5 days to even begin is too long.
Whatever B. I will not go on a blog and hassle someone or call them names.
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