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[Macam]

But more seriously, why even play a blame game at this point when people are dying out there. I mean, that is pretty much all you guys are doing, looking for some kind of way to blame Bush. That is totally stupid right now. Later, when the city is evacuated, and people get help, have a field day with blaming people if that makes you feel better, but right now is not the time, IMO.

I beg to differ. This is the time. The first priority is to get that situation cleaned up to be sure, but we need to consider why the post-Katrina operations are going so poorly so that it doesn't happen again. Let the chips fall where they may, but we need accountability and responsibility and that's not something we've had much of at all in the last 5 years. Look to the Iraq war to see how complacent people have become about it if you try to find answers years later when all's said and done. Not to get on a soapbox here frothing at the mouth or anything, but complacency by the general populace is what has accounted for a tremendous abuse of power by our politicians, and if you don't start tackling the tough questions in addition to ponying up the support to help these people, things will go down the same course when the next big one hits. I don't get this narrow minded focus some people have, as if this country is only capable of focusing one thing at a time.

I'll say it again: This isn't a Bush hunt. Responsibility is shared with the local authorities as well. But as the most powerful and visible figure in this fiasco, he shares the blame and he should be held accountable for it. Sorry if that falls into the GAF cliche of "It's all Bush's fault" but you know what? Part of it is.

Edit: For all you looking for the Anderson clip, click here.

 

[whytemyke]

Cooper rocks. Really the only reporter/anchor around in American news right now that I even give a shit about. It's too bad, cuz you KNOW from watching that clip that he really wanted to go after the Senator for answers as to why the news networks were doing more leadership in the areas than the fucking federal government, but he can't do that cuz of his status with CNN.

 

[Boogie]

Wow... I imagine that once a mod gets to reading this, your ass is banned for trolling this shit. Or at least I hope so.

What, banned for a "why do you hate freedom" crack? Those run half a dozen a day here. It's like the owl picture of OT political threads

In other news: whoa, Anderson Cooper really is the man.

 

[AniHawk]

but right now is not the time

This seems like quite the popular thing to say ever since nothing has been getting done.

To answer the topic title directly: On a daily basis.

 

[aceface]

You guys, if you watch the news, the situation in NO is so bad that it's soon going to come to National Guardsmen opening fire, and Americans killing Americans. The people living there have had little to no food, no electricity, no functioning sewage systems or anything. There are dead bodies everywhere! The situation there is getting very desperate, and I hope it doesn't come to a (bloody) head.

I don't know how there can be any other reaction than to be appalled by the slow reaction of the Federal government. Especially when you think that this is supposed to be Bush's strength- responding to disasters! This was not a terrorist attack obviously, but the results are similar to what would happen if somehow a Nuke was smuggled in, or there was a large scale Biological attack. And what's the government's response? No food, no basic resources, anarchy and dead bodies on the street, for a week!!

You know it's getting bad when even CNN's coverage is coming down hard on the Federal response- see Anderson Cooper.

 

[DarienA]

"We'll get on top of this situation," Bush said, "and we're going to help the people that need help."

When? When? Why hasn't their been a mass mobilization of air and ground vehicles to get in there and get people out?

 

[norinrad21]

Michael Moore's letter to President Bush


Vacation is Over... an open letter from Michael Moore to George W. Bush

Friday, September 2nd, 2005

Dear Mr. Bush:

Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears parking lot. Man, was that a drag.

Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers are? We could really use them right now for the type of thing they signed up to do like helping with national disasters. How come they weren't there to begin with?

Last Thursday I was in south Florida and sat outside while the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over my head. It was only a Category 1 then but it was pretty nasty. Eleven people died and, as of today, there were still homes without power. That night the weatherman said this storm was on its way to New Orleans. That was Thursday! Did anybody tell you? I know you didn't want to interrupt your vacation and I know how you don't like to get bad news. Plus, you had fundraisers to go to and mothers of dead soldiers to ignore and smear. You sure showed her!

I especially like how, the day after the hurricane, instead of flying to Louisiana, you flew to San Diego to party with your business peeps. Don't let people criticize you for this -- after all, the hurricane was over and what the heck could you do, put your finger in the dike?

And don't listen to those who, in the coming days, will reveal how you specifically reduced the Army Corps of Engineers' budget for New Orleans this summer for the third year in a row. You just tell them that even if you hadn't cut the money to fix those levees, there weren't going to be any Army engineers to fix them anyway because you had a much more important construction job for them -- BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ!

On Day 3, when you finally left your vacation home, I have to say I was moved by how you had your Air Force One pilot descend from the clouds as you flew over New Orleans so you could catch a quick look of the disaster. Hey, I know you couldn't stop and grab a bullhorn and stand on some rubble and act like a commander in chief. Been there done that.

There will be those who will try to politicize this tragedy and try to use it against you. Just have your people keep pointing that out. Respond to nothing. Even those pesky scientists who predicted this would happen because the water in the Gulf of Mexico is getting hotter and hotter making a storm like this inevitable. Ignore them and all their global warming Chicken Littles. There is nothing unusual about a hurricane that was so wide it would be like having one F-4 tornado that stretched from New York to Cleveland.

No, Mr. Bush, you just stay the course. It's not your fault that 30 percent of New Orleans lives in poverty or that tens of thousands had no transportation to get out of town. C'mon, they're black! I mean, it's not like this happened to Kennebunkport. Can you imagine leaving white people on their roofs for five days? Don't make me laugh! Race has nothing -- NOTHING -- to do with this!

You hang in there, Mr. Bush. Just try to find a few of our Army helicopters and send them there. Pretend the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are near Tikrit.

Yours,

Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
www.MichaelMoore.com

P.S. That annoying mother, Cindy Sheehan, is no longer at your ranch. She and dozens of other relatives of the Iraqi War dead are now driving across the country, stopping in many cities along the way. Maybe you can catch up with them before they get to DC on September 21st.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?messageDate=2005-09-02

 

[dskillzhtown]

This thread isn't about blaming Bush. it's about being pissed that he's not doing better NOW. There's a million people you can blame for the hurricane, but the only person responsible for his shitty reaction to it is himself. That's what this thread is about. Why don't people read?

I think you need to read the thread. It is all about trying to place blame. If you actualy read my post you will see that I said the response hasn't been exactly what we needed, but playing the blame game isn't helping anyone. But most people on GAF can only place blame, critique others from the comfort of their keyboard. I will continue to donate, work at the church across the street for refugees while you all continue to play 'Meet The Press'.

 

[Macam]

I think you need to read the thread. It is all about trying to place blame. If you actualy read my post you will see that I said the response hasn't been exactly what we needed, but playing the blame game isn't helping anyone. But most people on GAF can only place blame, critique others from the comfort of their keyboard. I will continue to donate, work at the church across the street for refugees while you all continue to play 'Meet The Press'.

Congratulations, you big man, you. Some of us will be more than happy to hold our officials accountable while we quietly send donations without needing to brag, and yes, go to Houston this weekend and volunteer if we can.

For the record, apparently you haven't seen "Meet the Press" recently. It's become the Jeff Guckert of political shows.

 

[DarienA]

Wow scathing letter by Moore there... some of it dead f'n on point.

 

[fse]

5 days and they have no food and water? my god

 

[DarienA]

You know I just realized we are all looking at this the wrong way... put yourself in Bushs' shoes... this has got to be very frustrating for him... I mean thinking about....

What country can he invade and place the blame on for this?

Anybody know what country Mother Nature resides in?

 

[sprsk]

You know I just realized we are all looking at this the wrong way... put yourself in Bushs' shoes... this has got to be very frustrating for him... I mean thinking about....

What country can he invade and place the blame on for this?

Anybody know what country Mother Nature resides in?

youre either with us or youre a hurricane.

 

[DarienA]

youre either with us or youre a hurricane.

I'm talking to T Hustle via IM and I told him what I was going to post and he followed it up with

"And this is a final warning to nations that harbor weather. We will stop you from your WMD (Weather of Mass Destruction)."

 

[Kung Fu Jedi]

Do you guys actually think the response time would have been faster from FEMA had someone else been in charge? It's clear that relief efforts were in no way prepared for this disaster on any level, even though they were in place by the weekend. Would things have been different if Kerry were in the White House? Personally, I don't think so, we just weren't ready for this type of event.

On the other hand, there is clearly a lack of leadership on any level. The Governor of Louisiana looks completely lost, and the Mayor of New Orleans is clearly in over his head. This is where Bush dropped the ball, imho. Why hasn't he addressed the nation on Prime TIme TV? It's times like this that we want to hear from our Leaders, to reassure us that things are getting done, and that even though the effort was being hampered by the destruction, that relief is coming. Instead, we get briefings to be shown on the news in soundbites. Sure those can be informative, but right now, we need leadership, and it's not really appearing. Instead, we continue to images on the news of people stranded, without food, (thankfully water began arriving yesterday) who have no where to go, and no one is giving them any information on what is going to happen next.

 

[Goreomedy]

Anybody know what country Mother Nature resides in?

"Peoples of these United States of Americas, I come to you tonight to announce the first strike in what will be our most challenging conflict to date. We have launched an air and ground campaign against the Kingdom of Heaven. While loss of American life will be great, I'm counting on the resolve shown by this great country since the tragic events of September 11th. May you find comfort in the fact that when our soldiers die, they'll still be able to battle with us as spirits, waging war against the heavenly host on their own turf! Good night. And may God return to blessing America."

 

[IJoel]

youre either with us or youre a hurricane.

:lol

 

[heavy liquid]

I'm don't even like Moore that much, but most of his letter is dead on.

Too bad he couldn't fit our wonderful Sec. of State Condi Rice laughing it up at Spamalot while people were dying in New Orleans.

 

[3rdman]

This is about as bad as it gets for Bush. If the response to Katrina isn't enough to wake up the people of the US, then nothing will. To think that he actually said that nobody imagined the levees breaking is amazing...I, who knows nothing about levees or much about NO, knew how bad a hurricane of this magnitude would be. On Saturday I told friends of mine of my fear of hundreds dying there....yet our idiot leader claims nobody could've imagined it!