Katrina response rant, part two

Okay, maybe not a rant, but certainly some more complaints to levy here.

First of all, let's dispense with the bullshit being shoveled out by the White House. Flood control...not a priority (notice that Scottie always says whatever disaster happens was a top priority for them, shades of Ziegler). FEMA responded well....not at all. It took them days to get there, when you have stories of Duke students driving in a Hyundai to rescue people, and all the supplies that were kept out by National Guardsmen on orders from DHS, that means FEMA did jackshit.

Let's continue. The story came out today that Navy helicopter pilots were reprimanded by their commanders for rescuing civilians and deviating from delivering relief supplies to a military base!!! May I remind these imbeciles that the supplies don't mean a damn thing if the people aren't alive to use them! They saved people, and they got reprimanded! What kind of assholes are running this operation?! Oh, yeah, the Bush kind. The same kind of people who keep firefighters from rescuing people so they can be part of a photo op to try and make the ineptitude disappear.

NBC was full of crap for banning Kanye West's remarks from the West Coast. Why is it that people in the West are somehow seen as undeserving of seeing what the East and Midwest sees? "Well, it's on tape delay, so let's get it out so the mean White House doesn't yell at us." Then again, they also took out Ashlee Simpson's meltdown last year, so maybe NBC just likes to cover things up.

And gee, why is it that the first rebuilding contract has already gone to HALLIBURTON?! Haven't these people fucked up the Iraq job enough? Must we have them fuck up some stateside bases too? Isn't it obvious by now that there is some cronyism going on, that this one company gets a ton of no-bid contracts, and the Vice-President just happened to be their CEO before becoming VP?

After 9/11, despite the dangers, there were rescue people present right away. After Florida got battered with hurricanes last year, Dubya was right there with a massive effort for brother Jeb. However, when poor, black folks in New Orleans are drowning under 20 feet of water, the Red Cross is kept out , civilian rescuers are kept out, and FEMA takes three fucking days to get down there! Why, Mr. President? Why were you so quick to help your brother but not thousands of poor people? Isn't one of the core beliefs of Christianity to love and help thy neighbor? Isn't one of the tenets of all religions charity to the impoverished? Didn't Jesus say help those as you would help yourself, and the least among us should be treated with kindness and respect? Didn't he, Mr. Man of God? You claim to be so religious, and so in touch with our Lord, and yet you were here in California, talking about fucking Medicare to senior citizens while people DIED! At some point, isn't there a point where you have a conscience, where you say, "Hey, it's time to stop vacationing and get my ass to Washington and making things better?"

I'm not going to sit here and call him a coke addict or a drunk or say he's part of the Bush crime family. I don't believe that, and that gets us away from the cold, hard truth. This president either saw no political gain (which the KROQ morning show skit yesterday suggested) or simply is so out of touch, so detached, so preoccupied with what's important to him that he forgot his duty is to the nation, to the very least of us, and to lead. After 9/11, he gave an impassioned, wonderful set of speeches and showed some leadership. After a disaster that likely will have killed five to ten times as many as 9/11, he has given tepid, warmed-over, laundry lists of actions without some real emotion.

I'm still disgusted, and I lay every death that occured from Monday on at the steps of the White House. You failed us again, Mr. President.